7A KEY GAMES
El Dorado at Conway (Aug. 24)
Conway's Keith Fimple is in his first season as a head coach after serving as an assistant at Class 7A schools Fayetteville, Fort Smith Northside and Springdale Har-Ber. Fimple's Wampus Cats will get a test early as they take on perennial Class 6A power El Dorado.
Benton vs. Bryant (Aug. 25)
The Salt Bowl is always a big game in the state. This year's game might be the most anticipated, with Bryant and Benton both being state contenders in Class 7A and 6A, respectively. It's also the only game on the evening of Saturday, Aug. 25, so there could be a few casual fans who want to see what the event is all about. The state attendance record is 34,086 in 2015 set at the Salt Bowl.
Pine Bluff at Cabot (Aug. 31)
It's Mike Malham's last season opener as Cabot's head coach. Malham, 65, is retiring at the end of this season, which is his 38th with the Panthers. Retirement news aside, this is a quality matchup between the Class 7A Panthers and Class 6A Zebras. The two schools renewed their series for 2018 and 2019 after playing in 2016 and 2017. Pine Bluff is the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's No. 1 team in Class 6A.
Bentonville West at Fayetteville (Sept. 21)
This is the third season for Bentonville West's football program, but the Wolverines are already Class 7A state championship contenders with the senior duo of quarterback Will Jarrett and wide receiver Jadon Jackson. After a nine-win season in 2017, the Wolverines are looking to go past the Class 7A quarterfinals for the first time. Fayetteville, head Coach Billy Dawson and senior quarterback Darius Bowers present a tough first 7A-West Conference game for Bentonville West. If the Wolverines get past the Bulldogs on the road, call it one of the biggest victories of the young program's history.
Bryant at North Little Rock (Oct. 26)
The 7A-Central Conference championship could be on the line in the ninth week. North Little Rock won last year's matchup in Bryant to go on to earn the conference's No. 1 seed and eventually win the Class 7A state championship. Buck James has taken the Hornets to the Class 7A semifinals the past two seasons, but lost both times in Northwest Arkansas. A victory here could propel the Hornets to a conference title and home-field advantage in November.
Sports on 08/19/2018