Who Made the List?
The 11 players who make up the 2021 version of The List are as varied as the schools they attend.
Each year the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette selects the 11 members of The List as the top 11 players in the 12-county coverage area we serve. The coverage area includes 40-plus football-playing schools and more than 750 players from Harrison on the Missouri border to Waldron and from Van Buren on the Oklahoma border to Lamar in far Johnson County.
Springdale Har-Ber junior running back Hudson Brewer, who rushed for more than 1,500 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns in 2020, was overwhelmed with his selection to The List.
"I did!" Brewer exclaimed when told he was selected. "Wow, that's awesome!"
Brewer burst onto the scene quickly as a sophomore, drawing the starting nod in the Wildcats' first game at Jenks, Okla. He was able to shake off the jitters and rushed for 81 yards on 17 carries and scored a touchdown in his varsity debut.
"I was a little freaked out at first when coach told me that I was going to start that game," Brewer says now. "But after I got a few carries and realized that I could do this."
Har-Ber coach Chris Wood said Brewer has added about 15 pounds over the offseason while getting faster. That should send a shiver down the spines of most 7A-West coaches.
The List also features a pair of repeat selections in Fayetteville's Isaiah Sategna and Kaiden Turner, a pair of seniors who are itching to start the season. Sategna, who committed to the University of Oregon this summer, and Turner, who has committed to Indiana University, are ready to put last season's up-and-down season in the rearview mirror.
"I'm glad the recruiting process is over, for sure," said Turner. "Now, I can just concentrate on balling out my senior season and trying to win state. We still have a lot to improve on as a team but I think the team leadership is through the roof."
One group that sometimes gets overlooked is the offensive line, but Har-Ber senior Jack Struebing is front-and-center in this group. The 6-3, 270-pound senior, a four-year starter and lead blocker for most of Brewer's runs, has not decided on where he will play at the next level but holds multiple Division I offers.
"This is another year competing and just that added pressure on me, holding me to a higher standard. I've gotten a lot of reps and I know how the 7A-West functions, so it's been very beneficial for me because I've gotten a lot of live reps," said Struebing. "I feel like even last year as a junior that I was expected to be a leader for the line and just said, 'Hey, I'm going to take the bull by the horns and I'm going to lead this group.' So this year as a senior, with a lot of young offensive linemen, I've got to show them the way. It's something that I enjoy doing."
The offensive firepower on this year's group is amazing. Cedarville senior Darryl Kattich rushed for 2,007 yards in 2020, and Shiloh Christian junior quarterback Eli Wisdom was a 2,000-yard passer and 1,400-yard rushing in leading the Saints to the Class 4A state title last fall.
[DON'T SEE THE VIDEO ABOVE, CLICK HERE: nwaonline.com/822NWApreview/]
Bentonville senior receiver Chas Nimrod had a multitude of offers to choose from before he finally made a commitment to the University of Tennessee late in the summer.
Defensively, a pair of University of Arkansas commits headline The List on that side of the ball. Greenland senior J.J. Hollingsworth is a two-way starter who had 66 tackles and 8 sacks in 2020, and Shiloh Christian senior linebacker Kaden Henley brought down 150 tackles including 26 for loss in the Saints' championship season.
"My expectations this season for myself is to dominate," said Henley. "I need to be the leader on the team. I just need to be myself, help others and try to improve our team and try to improve myself as much as possible. The expectation for our team is to win another state championship."
[DON'T SEE THE VIDEO ABOVE, CLICK HERE: nwaonline.com/822RVpreview/]
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THE LIST
DYLAN BLOCK
POSITION Receiver/Defensive back
SCHOOL Harrison
HEIGHT 6-0
WEIGHT 160
THE NUMBERS Earned all-state honors at safety as he compiled 70 tackles and led the Goblins with four interceptions ... Returned an interception for 62 yards and a touchdown in a victory over Morrilton. ... Finished with double-digit tackles in three games, including a season-high 11 against Greenbrier. ... Finished tied for second on the team in receptions with 28 for 497 yards and five touchdowns. ... Caught a season-high six passes in a loss to Siloam Springs, and both of his pass receptions in Harrison's playoff game against Little Rock Christian were for touchdowns.
THAT'S WHAT HE SAID "I just like the make tackles, get interceptions and hopefully get all-state again this year. I am focusing on being in the right position more. I want to be in the right spot more and make those tackles instead of running down a person and getting the tackle. It's pretty fun being on this team. I love everybody on this team, and they work hard." -- Dylan Block
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HUDSON BREWER
POSITION Running back
SCHOOL Springdale Har-Ber
HEIGHT 6-2
WEIGHT 190
THE NUMBERS One of the top underclassmen in the state as a sophomore after rushing for 1,579 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, tops in the 7A-West Conference. ... Had a season-high 258 yards and four touchdowns against Rogers and had 31 carries for 248 yards against Fort Smith Southside. .... The son of former Springdale High all-state running back Clint Brewer
THAT'S WHAT HE SAID "Last year was kind of rough at first because we couldn't go to any camps last year because of covid. Whenever coach told me I was starting the first game, I was kind of freaking out because I wasn't expecting it. But once I got in the game and started running the ball, I was like 'wow, I can do this. This is easy.'" -- Hudson Brewer
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KADEN HENLEY
POSITION Linebacker/Fullback
SCHOOL Shiloh Christian
HEIGHT 6-3
WEIGHT 225
THE NUMBERS Earned All-State honors by racking up 159 tackles, including 26 for losses and four sacks to help the Saints claim the Class 4A state title. ... Henley committed to play at the University of Arkansas and made one official visit and two unofficial visits to the campus in Fayetteville. ... Was an overall playmaker on defense, intercepting four passes, blocking three punts and forcing two fumbles last season. ... Averaged 7 yards a carry as a fullback.
THAT'S WHAT HE SAID "My expectations this season for myself is to dominate. I need to be the leader on the team. I just need to be myself, help others and try to improve our team and try to improve myself as much as possible. The expectation for our team is to win another state championship." -- Kaden Henley
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J.J. HOLLINGSWORTH
POSITION Defensive end/Offensive guard
SCHOOL Greenland
HEIGHT 6-5
WEIGHT 250
THE NUMBERS Division I prospect who is a three-yard starter for Greenland. .... Committed to Arkansas in June 2020. .... Dominant blocker on offense and run-stopper on defense. ..... Had 66 tackles, including eight sacks as a junior for team that finished 9-3 overall. .... Expects to graduate early from Greenland and enroll at Arkansas in January.
THAT'S WHAT HE SAID "We lost some guys from last year but I think this team has a lot of potential. There's guys who haven't played a lot in the positions they're at this year but I think they'll surprise some people. It'll be real interesting how it turns out for us." -- J.J. Hollingsworth
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DARRYL KATTICH
POSITION Running back/linebacker
SCHOOL Cedarville
HEIGHT 6-1
WEIGHT 205
THE NUMBERS One of the state's top running backs in 2020 after rushing for 2,007 yards and 25 touchdowns. ... Averaged almost a first down per touch at 9.3 yards per carry. ... Six times in the 2020 season he eclipsed 200 yards rushing. ... Also starts at linebacker for the Pirates. ... Has drawn college interest from multiple small colleges across the state including Arkansas Tech and Henderson State.
THAT'S WHAT HE SAID "We're expecting to have a great season. We have a bunch of guys who have been together since the seventh grade. We also have some younger guys who look up to us, so I think it's going to be a great season. I've gained about 15 pounds since last year, so I feel stronger while still keeping my speed. I'm always going to give it my best and play as hard as I can." -- Darryl Kattich
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CHAS NIMROD
POSITION Wide receiver
SCHOOL Bentonville
HEIGHT 6-3
WEIGHT 185
THE NUMBERS Earned all-state honors after he caught 35 passes for 781 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. ... Caught a pass in nine of the 10 games he played last season, including a season-high seven passes against Bentonville West. ... Compiled a season-high 176 yards and two touchdowns on five receptions in the Tigers' victory at Mill Valley, Kan. ... Only had three kickoff returns, finished with 168 yards, including a 96-yard return for a touchdown against Bentonville West. ... Recently made a verbal commitment to Tennessee after receiving offers from about two dozen schools, including Arkansas.
THAT'S WHAT HE SAID "I'm really just going to focus on me this season. My goal is to have a 1,000-yard season in receiving. I've always dreamed of that, as well as a 200-yard receiving game. I'm just going to ball out for my team and do my normal. I never expected to get so many offers from college. I wasn't allowed to play football until the eighth grade, so I never thought my future would be in football. I knew my parents would have to pay for my college, so this works out." -- Chas Nimrod
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ISAIAH SATEGNA
POSITION Wide receiver
SCHOOL Fayetteville
HEIGHT 5-11
WEIGHT 165
THE NUMBERS Dynamic two-sport athlete who is among the top recruits in the state. .... Committed to Oregon recently after de-committing from Texas A&M. .... Caught 41 passes for 814 yards and seven touchdowns and returned two kickoffs for touchdowns as a junior. .... Standout track and field athlete who broke a 17-year school record in the 300-meter hurdles (38.32 seconds) in his first meet as a Bulldog. ... Set state indoor record with a leap of 24 feet, 1 1/2 inches in the long jump. ... As a sophomore, caught 31 passes for 539 yards and one touchdown.
THAT'S WHAT HE SAID "There's really nobody in the state who can mess with me. People can double me and triple-team me. So, let's says they do that. That's good for our team because we have the best receivers in the state and that'll help free up some of those guys." -- Isaiah Sategna
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BRANDON SCOTT
POSITION Quarterback
SCHOOL Charleston
HEIGHT 6-1
WEIGHT 175
THE NUMBERS Started last 10 games of the season at quarterback as a sophomore after senior Dalton Curtis was injured ..... Passed for over 1,600 yards and 21 touchdowns with only five interceptions. .... Also rushed for over 700 yards and 12 scores. .... Standout basketball player who began playing at the varsity level as a freshman. .... Drove nearly the length of the court and hit a game-winning shot against Elkins.
THAT'S WHAT HE SAID "I have a lot of people who help me and motivate me with the sports I play. They get me place to place and I have friends at school who help me work out. It's all fun and it makes it easier because of my friends and family who help." -- Brandon Scott
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JACK STRUEBING
POSITION Offensive tackle
SCHOOL Springdale Har-Ber
HEIGHT 6-3
WEIGHT 270
THE NUMBERS A four-year starter for the Wildcats and a returning all-state selection. ... Has multiple Division I offers including Missouri and Central Florida just to name a few. Struebing said he does not have any recruiting visits set up for this fall as of yet. ... One of the strongest players on the team with a 350-pound bench press. ... Was the lead blocker for all-state running back Hudson Brewer, who rushed for more than 1,500 yards last season. ... Has a strong pedigree as his dad, former Springdale and Har-Ber coach Don Struebing had a storied playing career at Springdale High and played collegiately at both the University of Arkansas and the University of Central Arkansas.
THAT'S WHAT HE SAID "This is another year competing and just that added pressure on me, holding me to a higher standard. I've gotten a lot of reps and I know how the 7A-West functions, so it's been very beneficial for me because I've gotten a lot of live reps. I feel like even last year as a junior that I was expected to be a leader for the line and just said, 'Hey, I'm going to take the bull by the horns and I'm going to lead this group.' So this year as a senior, with a lot of young offensive linemen, I've got to show them the way. It's something that I enjoy doing." -- Jack Struebing
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KAIDEN TURNER
POSITION Linebacker
SCHOOL Fayetteville
CLASS Senior
HEIGHT 6-2
WEIGHT 220
THE NUMBERS Division I prospect who committed during the summer to Indiana, a rising Big 10 program which went 8-4 last season. .... Selected 7A-West All-Conference at linebacker after making 69 tackles with 5.5 sacks as a junior. ... Returned a blocked punt for a touchdown and one of his three interceptions for a score. .... Outstanding athlete who also started at center for Fayetteville basketball team. .... Could play some at fullback this season to help the team in short-yardage situations.
THAT'S WHAT HE SAID "I'm glad the recruiting process is over, for sure. Now, I can just concentrate on balling out my senior season and trying to win state. We still have a lot to improve on as a team but I think the team leadership is through the roof." -- Kaiden Turner
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ELI WISDOM
POSITION Quarterback
SCHOOL Shiloh Christian
HEIGHT 6-0
WEIGHT 170
THE NUMBERS Threw for 2,125 yards and 23 touchdowns, while completing 60 percent of his passes. ... Wisdom also rushed for 1,464 yards and 24 touchdowns. ... Earned All-State honors and also named the MVP of the Class 4A state championship game, accounting for 349 yards of total offense (239 passing/110 rushing) and six touchdowns. ... Has a scholarship offer from Central Florida but had a busy summer making unofficial visits to Miami, Central Florida, Louisville and Arkansas State.
THAT'S WHAT HE SAID "I want to be a leader on this team and be the best person I can be each and every day and the best teammate. I also want to do the same thing I did last year, just a little better. I also want to go win another state title. I don't come in too hot or come in too low. I stay even-keel. Just go out there and play ball." -- Eli Wisdom