Class 3A high school football preview

Free-for-all expected after several moves

Booneville fullback Carson Ray (left) rushed for 637 yards and a team-high 15 touchdowns last season as a junior. The Bearcats open the season Aug. 24 at home against Clarksville.
Booneville fullback Carson Ray (left) rushed for 637 yards and a team-high 15 touchdowns last season as a junior. The Bearcats open the season Aug. 24 at home against Clarksville.

The Booneville Bearcats are back in Class 3A after spending the past two seasons in Class 4A.

Booneville enters what looks to be a wide-open Class 3A after the classification's final two teams in 2017 -- Rivercrest and Junction City -- left for Class 4A and 2A, respectively, because of the 2018-2020 reclassification cycle.

It's the second time this decade the Bearcats will play in the state's second-smallest classification, having played in Class 3A in 2014 and 2015.

For Coach Scott Hyatt, the numbers game will be more even at the 3A level, but the game of football is the same.

"The 4A conference we were in [the 4-4A] was pretty physical across the board," Hyatt said. "The last 3A conference we were in [the 4-3A] was physical as well."

Booneville, which won 10 games last season and the 4-4A Conference championship, has 38 players in fall camp, which is similar to what the Bearcats had the past two seasons, Hyatt said.

Senior quarterback Brandon Ulmer passed for 810 yards and 9 touchdowns while rushing for 762 yards and 5 scores last season. He also had 43 tackles at free safety.

"He's picked up where he's left off," Hyatt said. "He played injured last year [with a left knee injury]. We had him in a brace.

"He throws the ball well. He runs the ball well. He's a coach's kid. He's got a good head for the game. Having a kid out there who knows what he's doing is a plus."

Ulmer has plenty of help in the backfield.

Senior fullback Carson Ray had 637 rushing yards and a team-high 15 touchdowns in 2017. Senior running back Mike Hesson finished with 492 yards and 5 touchdowns, while senior Andrew Robertson had 393 yards and 7 scores.

Having a veteran group back pleases Hyatt.

"That's a plus coming into the year," Hyatt said. "A lot of them have started for three years. We know what they can do. But they have to re-prove themselves this year."

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's preseason No. 1 team in Class 3A will have several challengers.

McGehee, which advanced to the state semifinals for the first time since 2000 last season under Coach Marcus Haddock, returns seniors Cory Smart (quarterback), Dewayne Railey (wingback), Keuntai Reed (running back) and Kendarious Lewis (strong safety).

Prescott, which won the Class 3A state championship in 2016 and advanced to the second round a year ago, brings back seniors Cameron Cox (wide receiver) and Trey Rucker (linebacker).

Charleston won the 4-3A Conference and had an undefeated regular season for the second consecutive season, but the Tigers were eliminated by Osceola in the Class 3A quarterfinals. Senior quarterback Brayden Caudle returns for the Tigers after passing for 32 touchdowns in 2017.

Mayflower enters the 4-3A Conference this season a year after winning the 2-3A title. Senior running back Deon Simmons, one of the state's top running backs, had 40 rushing touchdowns last season.

Osceola won 11 games under first-year Coach Robert Hooks and advanced to the Class 3A semifinals, losing to Junction City.

"There's going to be some really good teams," Clinton Coach Chris Dufrene said. "But it's how the bracket falls, who you match up with and how it matches up."

While praising other Class 3A teams, Dufrene is excited about his Yellowjackets entering the 2018 season. The Yellowjackets return 18 starters, led by junior quarterback Weston Amos.

Amos passed for 1,085 yards and 11 touchdowns while rushing for 732 yards last season as Clinton won the 1-3A Conference championship.

"We expect a lot of the same," Dufrene said.

Seniors Sky Davidson (running back) and Caleb Bowman (fullback) are solid in Clinton's backfield. Bowman had a team-high 14 touchdown runs, while Davidson had 11 scoring runs.

"Our backfield is one of our strong points going into the year," Dufrene said.

Clinton will play in the 2-3A Conference this season along with Harding Academy and Melbourne, which also moves from the 1-3A with the Yellowjackets.

"Melbourne will be good again," Dufrene said of the Bearkatz, who return junior quarterback Gabe Lawrence. "They gave us fits last year."

Hyatt is looking forward to playing in a competitive Class 3A and hopes he can lead the Bearcats to their first state championship since 2013 when they were in Class 4A.

"You've got a lot of teams who have a chance to win it," Hyatt said. "You have Osceola, who will be pretty good. Prescott, Glen Rose, McGehee, Smackover, Barton, Rison, [Pine Bluff] Dollarway, you never know. There's a dark horse that could slide up in there."

photo

NWA Democrat-Gazette file photo

Booneville senior quarterback Brandon Ulmer passed for 810 yards and rushed for 762 last season. At free safety, he also recorded 43 tackles.

Sports on 08/15/2018

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