CLASS 3A TEAM CAPSULES
BOONEVILLE BEARCATS
2018 RECORD 16-0, 7-0 3A-1 Conference
COACH Scott Hyatt
RETURNING STARTERS 5 offense, 5 defense
KEY PLAYERS QB Evan Schlinker (Sr., 5-10, 155), HB/LB Andrew Robertson (Sr., 5-7, 160), FB/LB Cam Brasher (Sr., 5-9, 200), DL Cort Mizell (Sr., 6-1, 230), TE/LB Anthony McKesson (Sr., 6-1, 230), RB/CB Gabe Fennell (Sr., 5-10, 160), OL Ethan Pirraglia (Sr., 6-2, 260), OL Domenic Helms (Sr., 5-10, 260)
THE SKINNY Booneville enters its 100th season of football looking to defend its state championship, the fourth in program history (2018, 2013, 2000, 1986) ... Evan Schlinker took over at quarterback Week 1 last season because of an injury and tossed 14 touchdowns, a program-best in a single season ... Andrew Robertson had 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground in just 95 carries and will get more touches this year ... Cam Brasher leads the defense again and had a team-high 97 tackles last year ... Gabe Fennell (25 tackles, five interceptions) is the lone returning starter in secondary ... Bearcats outscored opponents by 440 points last season ... Booneville's play-making defense had 31 interceptions a year ago ... The defense allowed less than 12 points per game on average in 2018 ... Booneville graduated more than 12 seniors, including five all-state players, from last year's team ... The Bearcats finished second in Class 3A at the State Weight Meet in April lifting 4,605 pounds, falling just short of Rison's 4,710 total
COACH SPEAK "These seniors feel like it is their turn. They feel like whatever happens this year is the legacy they will be leaving. They are focused on that. We lost a lot of seniors from last year's team. There is no substitute for that experience they had. But the expectations are always high. We want to make another deep playoff run."
-- Harold McIlvain II • Special to the NWA Democrat-Gazette
SCHEDULE
Aug. 30^at Clarksville^Oct. 11.^Greenland*
Sept. 6^Ozark^Oct. 18^at Mansfield*
Sept. 13^at Pottsville^Oct. 25^at Charleston*
Sept. 27^Paris^Nov. 1^Lamar
Oct. 4^at West Fork^Nov. 8^Cedarville
*-- Denotes 3A-1 Conference game
All kickoffs 7 p.m. unless noted
........
CEDARVILLE PIRATES
2018 RECORD 4-6, 3-4 3A-1 Conference
COACH Max Washausen
RETURNING PLAYERS 7 offense, 7 defense
KEY PLAYERS QB Calloway Henslee (Sr., 6-0 170), RB Kelin Mitchell (Jr., 5-11 155), RB Tommy Metcalf (Jr., 5-10 145), OL Alex Ascencio (Sr., 5-10 275), OL Brayden Russell (Sr., 5-9 215), LB Max McGill (Jr., 5-8 165), LB/FB Hayden Partain (Soph., 5-11 175), RB Darryl Kattich (Soph., 6-0, 180), OL Kolbye Beals (Sr., 6-2, 250).
THE SKINNY Coach Max Washausen begins his fourth season and the Pirates' four wins last year was the most since they won five in 2012. ... Junior halfback Kelin Mitchell returns, after rushing for 978 yards and 3 TDs as a sophomore and will spark a rushing attack that accounted for more than 3,100 yards last season, but he can also be an asset as a receiver. ... The Pirates should be buoyed by sophomore and junior classes, which earned back-to-back conference titles in junior high and combined for a 17-1 record. ... Washausen called sophomore running back Darryl Kattich (6-0, 180) a "game-changer" in the backfield. ... Senior Calloway Henslee saw playing time a year ago at quarterback, but sophomore Cody Dickens and junior Nick Moore give them good depth at the position. ... Henslee's leadership gives him the edge under center, but Moore and Dickens could also play receiver, which could help fuel a more potent passing game.
COACH SPEAK "We really feel good about this year's team. Not a lot of people talk about us," Washausen said. "But we beat Mansfield last year and Mansfield went on to win a playoff game. We feel like we've got an outstanding group of young players coming up. The difference now is we have some depth now. We have some kids we can put in there if we have some get tired or go down with an injury. The overall team chemistry is way better than it's been since I've been here. We're finally looking like a football program with 30-plus kids showing up for workouts consistently. Also having some stability I think helps, these sophomores were seventh-graders when I came here. They know our expectations and they've been running our system for a while now."
-- Paul Boyd • @NWAPaulB
SCHEDULE
Aug. 30^at Johnson Country Westsde^Oct. 11^Paris*
Sept. 6^Mountainburg^Oct. 18^at West Fork*
Sept. 13^at Bigelow^Oct. 25^Greenland*
Sept. 27^at Lamar^Nov. 1^at Mansfield
Oct. 4^Charleston^Nov. 8^at Booneville
*-- denotes 3A-1 Conference game
All kickoffs at 7 p.m. unless noted.
.....
CHARLESTON TIGERS
2018 RECORD 6-5, 4-3 3A-1 Conference
COACH Ricky May
RETURNING STARTERS 8 offense, 9 defense
KEY PLAYERS QB Brayden Ross (Sr., 6-4, 245), WR/LB Geoffrey Scott (Sr., 6-1, 195), HB/LB Brett Ward (Sr., 5-11, 204), WR/LB Tanner Jones (Sr., 5-10, 150), OL/DL Slade Skeets (Jr., 6-0, 210), OL/DL Jonathan Williams (Sr., 6-0, 225), QB/DB Dalton Curtis (Jr., 6-0, 180), OL Devin Donberger (Sr., 5-10, 155), OL/DL Nolan Harrington (Sr., 6-0, 265), LB Tanner Jones (Sr., 5-10, 150), WR/DB Kaden Benge (Sr. 5-10, 180)
THE SKINNY Ricky May returns to head coaching after being the athletic director at Booneville while still being an assistant coach last year ... May was the head coach at Waldron from 2015-17, where he helped end a 43-game losing streak and snapped a 14-year playoff drought ... Brayden Ross looks to be the quarterback after starting final seven games of last season, passing for over 1,000 yards with 10 touchdowns ... Ross plays four sports with those being football, basketball, baseball and golf for the Tigers ... Geoffrey Scott will do it all for Charleston, playing as a wide receiver, linebacker, a return man and quarterback if needed ... Tanner Jones returns to lead the defense after finishing with a team-high 102 total tackles in 2018 ... Tigers will miss two projected starters in running back/linebacker Sunny Jones and wide receiver/safety Connor Rowland because of ACL injuries in the offseason ... Nolan Harrington will miss the opening part of season because of a foot injury but will be back this year to make an impact ... Charleston hasn't had a losing season since 1985 ... Former Charleston coach Greg Kendrick left to be the offensive coordinator at Alma
COACH SPEAK "I missed coaching. I'm not really an office guy. When Charleston called, I said 'you bet; let's do this.' That's the way it worked out. I'm really excited about this opportunity. I like to have the expectations of doing well. I didn't have that at Waldron. We are excited about this season. We have been unlucky with injuries, but we are trying to get better."
-- Harold McIlvain II • Special to the NWA Democrat-Gazette
SCHEDULE
Aug. 30^Melbourne#^Oct. 11 Mansfield*
Sep. 6^at Dardanelle^Oct. 18 at Paris*
Sep. 20^at Ozark^Oct. 25 Booneville*
Sep. 27^Greenland^Nov. 1 at West Fork
Oct. 4^at Cedarville^Nov. 8 Lamar
*-- Denotes 3A-1 Conference game
# -- at Hendrix College
All kickoffs 7 p.m. unless noted
.......
GREENLAND PIRATES
2018 RECORD 6-5, 4-3 3A-1 Conference
COACH Lee Larkan
RETURNING PLAYERS 7 offense, 7 defense
KEY PLAYERS QB Gabe Wilson (Jr., 6-2 195), RB Jett Dennis (Jr., 5-9 160), WR Zeylan Bryant (Sr., 5-10 160), WR Zach Gilbert (Sr., 5-10 180), OL Luke Osburn (Sr., 6-1 220), NG Dylan Reed (Jr., 5-10 210), DL Josh Ruth (Jr., 5-10 250), LB Austin Davis (Sr., 6-2 175), WR Carter Gobel (Sr., 6-2 165), WR Peyton Anderson (Sr., 5-8 145).
THE SKINNY Junior Gabe Wilson wasn't the starting quarterback a year ago, but got some valuable experience which should pay dividends this season. ... Senior receiver Zeylan Bryant caught 54 passes for 897 yards and 9 TDs, not to mention three rushing TDs. ... The Pirates have good depth and speed at the receiver spots and plenty of experience overall, including six or eight three-year starters. ... Junior Jett Dennis rushed for 439 yards and 9 TDs and is expected to have a big year. ... Tackles Luke Osburn and Hunter Martin anchor the offensive line as each will start for the third straight year. ... Coach Lee Larkan is hopeful to keep two-way players to a minimum, but especially Wilson.
COACH SPEAK "Last year we were a touchdown away from being second in the conference," Larkan said. "We lost a close game on the last play of the game to Mansfield who everybody's picking to be the best. And we got down to the last against Lamar. It's the first time since I've been here we have speed at every receiver spot, speed in the backfield. I think offensively we can be very good and defensively we will be improved. If we stay healthy and play with the right attitude we think we can play with anybody."
-- Paul Boyd • @NWAPaulB
SCHEDULE
Sept. 6^at Elkins^Oct. 11^at Booneville*
Sept. 13^Mountainburg^Oct. 18^Lamar*
Sept. 20^Gentry^Oct. 25^at Cedarville*
Sept. 27^at Charleston^Nov. 1^Paris
Oct. 4^Mansfield^Nov. 8^at West Fork
*-- denotes 3A-1 Conference game
All kickoffs at 7 p.m. unless noted.
......
LAMAR WARRIORS
2018 RECORD 10-3, 5-2 3A-1 Conference
COACH Josh Jones
RETURNING STARTERS 8 offense, 6 defense
KEY PLAYERS QB Jacob Parmenter (Sr., 5-9, 165), RB Brady James (Jr., 5-10, 160), WR Steven Brown (Sr., 5-10, 200), TE Drake Bacchus (Sr., 6-4, 250), LB Josh Salinas (Sr., 5-7, 175), DB Nate Hinkle (5-10, 170).
THE SKINNY The Warriors advanced to the third round of the Class 3A playoffs last season and posted 10 runs. A wealth of returning talent has coach Josh Jones excited about another deep playoff run. ... Returning quarterback Ike Pelts decided to focus on baseball only after earning all-conference honors last season. ... Jacob Parmenter slides over to quarterback after rushing for 1,007 yards and 13 touchdowns last season while also leading the team in receiving with 14 catches for 230 yards. ... Brady James will take over at running back after rushing for 234 yards and 4 TDs last season. He'll be joined by Steven Brown, who rushed for 240 yards and 1 score in 2018. ... Defensively, Drake Bacchus will be a handful for any team to block at defensive end. The 6-foot-4 senior had 4.0 sacks last season.
COACH SPEAK "I feel like we should be able to build off last season and have another good season," Jones said. "We have a lot of kids back, and I feel like the pieces are there. If everything comes together, we should have a good season. It can always go either way. The 3A-1, the top six teams are incredibly tough. You have six teams that think they have a real shot at a conference title and one of those is the defending state champion."
-- Chip Souza • @nwachip
SCHEDULE
Sept. 6^Danville^Oct. 11^West Fork*
Sept. 13^Subiaco Academy^Oct. 18^at Greenland*
Sept. 20^at JC Westside^Oct. 25^Mansfield*
Sept. 27^Cedarville^Nov. 1^at Booneville
Oct. 4^at Paris*^Nov. 8^at Charleston
*-- Denotes 3A-1 Conference game
All kickoffs 7 p.m. unless noted
......
MANSFIELD TIGERS
2018 RECORD 8-4, 4-3 3A-1 Conference
COACH Tim Cothran
RETURNING STARTERS 7 offense, 8 defense
KEY PLAYERS QB Ethan Stovall (Sr., 6-2, 205), WR Layton Howard (Sr., 175), WR Jaicy Griffin (Sr., 5-10, 145), WR Tyler Holmes (Sr., 6-2, 175), LB Randall Claude (Jr., 5-11, 180), OT/NG Jacob Brown (Sr., 6-3, 250), FB/TE Isaac Cothran (Sr., 6-2, 215).
THE SKINNY Tim Cothran was promoted to head coach at Mansfield after Craig Bentley left for Mena, his alma mater. ... Cothran has spent six years at Mansfield, including the last three as offensive coordinator. ... The Tigers will take the field with 29 players for varsity football, which is about average at Mansfield. ...Senior Ethan Stoval is a returning all-state quarterback who passed for 2,309 yards and 26 touchdowns last season. .... Stoval is being evaluated by a handful of colleges, including Middle Tennessee State and Missouri State. ... Mansfield has four senior receivers, including three who started last year. ... Tyler Holmes had 707 yards receiving on 39 catches (18.1 yards per catch) to lead the Tigers. ... Isaac Cothran, the coach's son, will shift from center to fullback for the Tigers, who finished 8-4 and reached the second round of the playoffs last season. ... Mansfield will open the season against Hackett Aug. 29 during Zero Week and take a week off before hosting West Fork in its conference opener on Sept. 27.
COACH SPEAK
"We've got a lot of experienced players coming back, guys who've been starting since they were sophomores. "We're going to run pretty much the same offense, same defense. So, if we stay healthy, we should be very competitive."
-- Paul Boyd • @NWAPaulB
SCHEDULE
AUG. 29^Hackett (Thursday)^Oct. 11^at Charleston*
Sept. 6^at Waldron^Oct. 18^Booneville*
Sept. 13^Lavaca^Oct. 25^at Lamar*
Sept. 27^West Fork^Nov. 1^Cedarville
Oct. 4^at GreenlandNov. 8^at Paris
-- Denotes 3A-1 Conference games
All kickoffs 7 p.m. unless noted
......
PARIS EAGLES
2018 RECORD 0-10, 0-7 3A-1 Conference
COACH Tyler Clark
RETURNING STARTERS 7 offense, 6 defense
KEY PLAYERS RB Blaise Woods (Sr., 6-0, 215), QB Chase Watts (So., 5-8, 140), TE/DE Luke Trusty (Sr., 6-0, 175), WR/CB Keller Keen (Jr., 5-6, 164), OL/LB Ethan Needham (Sr., 5-10, 250), OL/DL Jimmy Dikeman (Jr., 6-3, 310), OL/DL Adam Chandler (Jr., 6-2, 255)
THE SKINNY Blaise Woods returns as a senior and looks to lead the offense from the running back position after rushing for about 750 yards last season ... Chase Watts, who led the JV team to a winning record last season, became the clear cut signal-caller for Paris after Anthony Potts moved away to Michigan ... Program is excited to see the development of Watts as a sophomore and expects him to make plays right away ... Eagles only lost five seniors that played last year and just have four seniors entering this season ... Clark says he loves the high caliber of athletes he has but admits depth might be an issue at some point ... Eagles have won just four games in the past two seasons but look to bounce back following strong offseason ... Clark says conference schedule is a grind but allows team to get better against the quality talent ... Eagles were outscored by 305 points last year, but Clark says valuable experience was gained from playing time in year one of coaching the team
COACH SPEAK "The coaching staff is excited, but the more important thing is our kids are excited to bounce back this season. We tried to do a lot of things here to change our culture. We lost our last game to Mansfield and went right to work after that. The kids are getting strong. Kids want to be up here and don't have to be told to be here getting better. This process has happened quicker than I thought it would."
-- Harold McIlvain II • Special to the NWA Democrat-Gazette
SCHEDULE
Aug. 30 at Perryville^Oct. 11 at Cedarville*
Sep. 6 at Clarksville^Oct. 18 Charleston*
Sep. 13 Waldron^Oct. 25 West Fork*
Sep. 27 at Booneville^Nov. 1 at Greenland
Oct. 4 Lamar^Nov. 8 Mansfield
*-- Denotes 3A-1 Conference game
All kickoffs 7 p.m. unless noted
.......
WEST FORK TIGERS
2018 RECORD 1-9, 1-6 3A-1 Conference
COACH Justin Smith
RETURNING PLAYERS 7 offense, 7 defense
KEY PLAYERS QB Wayne Boyd (Sr., 6-0, 175), RB Xavier Hernandez (Sr., 5-8, 160), OL Kelton Center (Sr., 6-1 175), OL Connor McAdoo (Jr., 6-1 205), LB/RB Brennan Cash (Jr., 5-7 180), LB Dylan Byrum (Jr., 6-0 190), WR/DB Trent Hardeson (Sr., 5-6 160), OL Mason Allen (Soph., 6-1 215), OL Gage Torrey (Jr., 6-3 275),
THE SKINNY The Tigers return 14 starters from a team that snapped a 22-game losing streak with a 14-13 win over Paris in week eight last year. ... But with only 22 players on the roster, depth is an issue. ... There could be as many as five or six players going on both sides of ball. ... Coach Justin Smith begins his second season with a program that's won only two games in the last three years after an eight-win season in 2015. ... Quarterback Wayne Boyd brings some experience, along with running back Xavier Hernandez and receiver Trent Hardeson. ... Kelton Center will be a two-way guy on the line, while junior Brennan Cash, an all-conference selection, will play some tailback and linebacker. ... Numbers are good in grades 7-9, and the junior high team experienced some success which could lead to a brighter future, Smith said.
COACH SPEAK "More than anything we just came into this offseason and the kids have done a great job of buying into what we're trying to do," Smith said. "They worked hard. They knew there was gonna be some lumps. We just had to get things fixed in the weight room, the way we practice, the way we carry ourselves. Kudos to these seniors because they've been on the front end of this stuff. They're ready for a change and kinda rallied the troops and said 'let's go in and get this thing going.'"
-- Paul Boyd • @NWAPaulB
SCHEDULE
Sept. 6^at Berryville^Oct. 11^at Lamar*
Sept. 13^at Elkins^Oct. 18^Cedarville*
Sept. 20^Green Forest^Oct. 25^at Paris*
Sept. 27^at Mansfield^Nov. 1^Charleston
Oct. 4^Booneville^Nov. 8^Greenland
*-- Denotes 3A-1 Conference game
All kickoffs 7 p.m. unless noted
Sports on 08/22/2019