Class 7A
Week 1
Fayetteville
FS Northside
Bentonville
North LR
Cabot
FS Southside
Har-Ber
Conway
Bryant
Heritage
LR Central
LR Catholic
West Memphis
Rogers
Springdale
Van Buren
WEEK 1 PREDICTIONS (favored teams in ALL CAPS followed by point spread)
7A WEST
K.C. (MO.) ROCKHURST (10) at Bentonville: Bentonville coach Jody Grant succeeds legendary Barry Lunney with just four starters returning on both sides of the ball and a second high school under construction in the town. Tiger QB Kasey Ford (6-6, 255) returns for a third season with more than 3,500 yards passing in varsity play. Ford has a scholarship offer from Louisville coach Bobby Petrino. Bentonville lost at Rockhurst 17-16 in Kansas City last season.
WEBB CITY, MO. (8) at Har-Ber: Defending Missouri state champion Webb City hammered Har-Ber 42-13 in last year’s opener. Then the perennial power showed Mo., winning all its playoff games by at least four TDs. Har-Ber head coach and Spread guru Chris Wood welcomes back seven starters on offense and Springdale High QB transfer Fuller Chandler (6-2, 185). Chandler chunked for more than 2,000 yards to earn all-conference honors as a junior.
HERITAGE (4) at Olathe-North, Kansas: Olathe-North (11-1 in 2014) won its first three games by a TD or less, including a 18-13 victory at Heritage. The War Eagles make the 450-mile roundtrip with 17 returning starters from last year’s 4-8 team. Heritage won at LR Central in the first-round of the playoffs last November before losing at FS Southside 30-28.
FS NORTHSIDE (1) at Pine Bluff: Northside forced six turnovers in last year’s 26-15 win over Pine Bluff. Pine Bluff defends its Class 6A title with 17 returning starters.
Springdale at GREENWOOD (14): Springdale has lost 13 straight games. First-year head coach Zak Clark, a former Arkansas Razorback and University of Central Arkansas QB, inherits a deep set of skill position players. Greenwood senior RB Jordan Green rushed for more than 1,200 yards and 13 Tds in 2014, including 157 yards and two scores in a 56-26 win at Springdale.
ROGERS (13) at Siloam Springs: Rogers beats Siloam Springs by 17-point average the past three seasons. Siloam returns a dozen starters, including all-conference RB Ricky Hughes (613 yards, 5 TDs in 2014).
Class 6A
Pine Bluff
Greenwood
EL Dorado
Benton
Jonesboro
LR Parkview
Lake Hamilton
Siloam Springs
Texarkana
Alma
Searcy
Sheridan
Russellville
Marion
Mountain Home
LR Hall
Class 5A
Pulaski Academy
Batesville
Beebe
Hot Springs
LR Christian
Camden Fairview
Wynne
Maumelle
Watson Chapel
Morrilton
Nettleton
Hope
Greenbrier
Forrest City
HS Lakeside
Sylvan Hills
Blytheville
Vilonia
Jacksonville
Mills
LR McClellan
Harrison
White Hall
De Queen
Valley View
Magnolia
Greene County Tech
Farmington
Paragould
LR Fair
Clarksville
5A WEST
PRAIRIE GROVE (1) at Farmington: Prairie Grove chases its third conference title in the past four seasons. Tiger senior tight end Dylan Soehner (6-7, 275) owns scholarship offers from Arkansas State, Illinois, Louisiana Tech and Memphis. Farmington senior QB Brice Waggle (more than 2,000 yards last year) and senior running back Justice Hobbs (more than 900 yards) were All-5A West players last fall.
Class 4A
Dardanelle
Nashville
Star City
Pulaski Robinson
Hamburg
Prairie Grove
Malvern
Gosnell
Arkadelphia
Lonoke
Shiloh Christian
Dollarway
Pea Ridge
Pottsville
Mena
Dover
CAC
Warren
Fountain Lake
West Helena
Ashdown
Pocahontas
Heber Springs
Highland
Newport
Gravette
Stuttgart
DeWitt
Crossett
Ozark
Monticello
Clinton
Trumann
Jonesboro Westside
Huntsville
Dumas
Cave City
Bauxite
Gentry
Riverview
Arkansas Baptist
Lincoln
Subiaco Academy
Southside Batesville
Berryville
Brookland
Harrisburg
Waldron
4A-1
Decatur at BERRYVILLE (11): Austin Winters takes over as Berryville’s third coach in four seasons. Bobcat senior lineman Miguel Martinez (6-1, 340) started the past two seasons for Class 5A De Queen.
WEST FORK (16) at Gentry: Former Horatio coach and Nashville assistant Paul Ernest takes over at Gentry (10 wins since 2011). West Fork has 18 seniors this fall, including QB Colton Wise (3,163 yards and 32 TDs).
HUNTSVILLE (8) at Green Forest: Four of Huntsville’s 10 wins since 2011 are against 1-3A members Elkins and Green Forest. Huntsville senior QB Will Weaver (6-1, 195) started six games a year ago.
LINCOLN (2) at Westville, Okla.: Former Newport coach Don Harrison takes over at Lincoln. The Wolves won two games last fall. Harrison installed a passing offense and blitzing defense in the spring and summer.
PEA RIDGE (6) at Elkins: Elkins hasn’t beaten Pea Ridge since 2010. Pea Ridge won 10 games and a conference title last fall, but return just five starters.
Gravette at POTTSVILLE (7): Gravette has made the playoffs eight straight seasons. Pottsville twins Jake Dugger (quarterback) and Josh Dugger (fullback) pace an offense that averaged 31 points a game last fall.
Class 3A
Smackover
Charleston
Prescott
McGehee
Booneville
Harding Academy
Lamar
Fordyce
Hoxie
Episcopal Collegiate
Rivercrest
Osceola
H. Grove Haskell
C. Harmony Grove
Danville
Fouke
Bald Knob
West Fork
Paris
Mayflower
Centerpoint
Barton
Mountain View
Glen Rose
Greenland
Elkins
Marianna
Melbourne
Lavaca
Mansfield
Green Forest
Jessieville
Piggott
Manila
Two Rivers
Atkins
Corning
Perryville
Cedarville
Bismarck
Yellville-Summit
Rose Bud
Marshall
Genoa Central
Lake Village
Cedar Ridge
Horatio
Drew Central
3A-1
GREENLAND (35) at J.C. Westside: Greenland senior receiver Mason Miller caught four passes for 114 yards and two TDs in last year’s 39-0 win over Westside. Westside has lost 11 of its past 12 games.
Class 2A
Junction City
Rison
Hazen
McCrory
Gurdon
Mount Ida
Hector
Cross County
Bearden
Lafayette County
E. Poinsett County
Earle
Brinkley
Magnet Cove
Murfreesboro
Conway Christian
Des Arc
England
Dierks
Walnut Ridge
Bigelow
Hermitage
Hackett
Marked Tree
Parkers Chapel
Poyen
Carlisle
Mineral Springs
Woodlawn
Mountainburg
Salem
Cutter M. Star
Quitman
Strong
Palestine-Wheatley
Foreman
Union Christian
Spring Hill
J.C. Westside
Clarendon
Magazine
Augusta
Midland
W. Yell County
Decatur
Marvell
Rector
Mountain Pine