Well, the 2013 Arkansas high school football season is rolling along, that's for sure. There has been a lot of good football that has already been played, and even more than that which remains from now until December.
I truly hope everyone is enjoying the season so far.
Last night, I saw Arkadelphia take on Nashville. It really was a good football game. It was a disappointing loss for Nashville and coach Billy Dawson. I spoke with him following the game, and you could tell he wanted this one badly. It appeared that he and his team were on their way to doing so, but things just fell apart for them in the second half.
Arkadelphia is a solid team. They never gave in, and fought back. They overcame some turnovers and a solid passing game from Nashville to earn the win in the second half.
Keep your eyes on Nashville though. They are a team that is loaded with underclassmen talent, and they are going to be strong not only at the end of this year, but in the next couple of years as well.
You can read more about the Arkadelphia vs. Nashville game by Clicking Here.
Now, on to some other games.
I have to give a shout out to Cabot. They are playing some really good football right now, and took it to the number one team in the state last night. Yes, North Little Rock is without Juan Day, but take nothing away from Cabot's effort. They very well could be a sleeper team in Class 7A.
Bentonville took care of business against Har-Ber last night as well. Look for the Tigers to take over the number one spot in the state this week.
Conway is another Class 7A team that I think everyone should keep their eyes on. 7A certainly appears to be wide open at this time, and the Wampus Cats are a very capable team in my opinion.
It is good to see Springdale getting back on the right track. They picked up a solid victory against Rogers last night. They still have a tough row to hoe this year, but they seem to be getting some swagger back.
Could a 6A team be the number two team in the state this week? It is very possible. Greenwood's winning streak continues, and you have to respect what they are doing. They are certainly a favorite to win it all again in 6A this year.
Speaking of 6A champions, El Dorado looks to be getting into mid-season form already. They had some struggles early on, but they seem to be putting things together. They have some tough games remaining this year, and I am looking forward to making a trip down to Wildcat country sometime this year. I absolutely love covering games in their stadium. The atmosphere is electric!
Pine Bluff and Texarkana played a tough game last night. The Zebras earned the victory, but I truly think that Texarkana is going in the right direction once again. I've always been a fan of the 6A South. A lot of good football is played in that conference, and if you get Pine Bluff, El Dorado, Lake Hamilton, and Texarkana firing on all eight cylinders, it could spell trouble for the remainder of the classification.
Camden Fairview is continuing to get the job done in Class 5A. They are clearly the team to beat this year. There are only a handful of teams who I think could give them a game, and one of them is a conference foe in White Hall.The Bulldogs are looking solid as well. They have some talent that can get the job done, but they may have to literally out-score the Cardinals if they are going to be able to get the job done against them.
Pulaski Academy certainly can't be counted out. Such a solid program in multiple sports, but coach Kevin Kelley always seems to be able to get his team to produce, and they are taking care of business thus far this season.
I don't think you can count out West Helena either. They are playing some really good football right now with some solid athletes. I will be interested to see how they continue to develop as the season progresses.
In Class 4A, I think that there are a handful of teams that will be the ones to beat. Obviously I mentioned Arkadelphia. They are a solid team that will have to be reckoned with as the year goes on. Nashville and Ashdown are two more teams from the same conference that are playing some good football right now.
Watch out for Warren. The Lumberjacks picked up their first win of the season last night, but considering their non-conference schedule, don't let their record fool you. I fully expect to see Warren in the mix around Thanksgiving.
Stuttgart started off slow, but they seem to be getting a little better each week. The defending champs are young, but they could still compete for a conference title.
Highland is another team in Class 4A that is looking salty as well. They certainly look like they can win a conference title.
In Class 3A. I'm really liking Harding Academy and Charleston right now. I think that if you are going to win a title in 3A this year, you will have to go through one, if not both, of these teams.
Glen Rose is another team to keep your eyes on in Class 3A. The Beavers have solid coaching and some solid athletes, and very well could make some noise come playoff time.
In Class 2A, I still believe that Junction City is the team to beat. However, that doesn't mean that there are not some other teams who are capable of winning it all. Teams like Carlisle, Bearden, Gurdon, and East Poinsett County are very capable teams.
Speaking of Bearden, they still have at least one more big match-up this season as they have to travel to Rison in four weeks. This game will be for second place in the 8-2A conference, and should be a barn burner.
Carlisle has a big game in three weeks against Hazen. That is another game that will not disappoint if you decide to go check it out.
It's hard to believe we have played four weeks in the 2013 season. I would love to hear your thoughts on the teams that you are watching, players you believe are standing out, and who you think can make a run.
If you are interested in joining ArkansasVarsity.com and taking part in the discussion in this thread and others, you can sign up for a FREE user name and chime in if you'd like by CLICKING HERE. If you already have a Rivals.com log in, you can use it to post as well.
I truly hope everyone is enjoying the season so far.
Last night, I saw Arkadelphia take on Nashville. It really was a good football game. It was a disappointing loss for Nashville and coach Billy Dawson. I spoke with him following the game, and you could tell he wanted this one badly. It appeared that he and his team were on their way to doing so, but things just fell apart for them in the second half.
Arkadelphia is a solid team. They never gave in, and fought back. They overcame some turnovers and a solid passing game from Nashville to earn the win in the second half.
Keep your eyes on Nashville though. They are a team that is loaded with underclassmen talent, and they are going to be strong not only at the end of this year, but in the next couple of years as well.
You can read more about the Arkadelphia vs. Nashville game by Clicking Here.
Now, on to some other games.
I have to give a shout out to Cabot. They are playing some really good football right now, and took it to the number one team in the state last night. Yes, North Little Rock is without Juan Day, but take nothing away from Cabot's effort. They very well could be a sleeper team in Class 7A.
Bentonville took care of business against Har-Ber last night as well. Look for the Tigers to take over the number one spot in the state this week.
Conway is another Class 7A team that I think everyone should keep their eyes on. 7A certainly appears to be wide open at this time, and the Wampus Cats are a very capable team in my opinion.
It is good to see Springdale getting back on the right track. They picked up a solid victory against Rogers last night. They still have a tough row to hoe this year, but they seem to be getting some swagger back.
Could a 6A team be the number two team in the state this week? It is very possible. Greenwood's winning streak continues, and you have to respect what they are doing. They are certainly a favorite to win it all again in 6A this year.
Speaking of 6A champions, El Dorado looks to be getting into mid-season form already. They had some struggles early on, but they seem to be putting things together. They have some tough games remaining this year, and I am looking forward to making a trip down to Wildcat country sometime this year. I absolutely love covering games in their stadium. The atmosphere is electric!
Pine Bluff and Texarkana played a tough game last night. The Zebras earned the victory, but I truly think that Texarkana is going in the right direction once again. I've always been a fan of the 6A South. A lot of good football is played in that conference, and if you get Pine Bluff, El Dorado, Lake Hamilton, and Texarkana firing on all eight cylinders, it could spell trouble for the remainder of the classification.
Camden Fairview is continuing to get the job done in Class 5A. They are clearly the team to beat this year. There are only a handful of teams who I think could give them a game, and one of them is a conference foe in White Hall.The Bulldogs are looking solid as well. They have some talent that can get the job done, but they may have to literally out-score the Cardinals if they are going to be able to get the job done against them.
Pulaski Academy certainly can't be counted out. Such a solid program in multiple sports, but coach Kevin Kelley always seems to be able to get his team to produce, and they are taking care of business thus far this season.
I don't think you can count out West Helena either. They are playing some really good football right now with some solid athletes. I will be interested to see how they continue to develop as the season progresses.
In Class 4A, I think that there are a handful of teams that will be the ones to beat. Obviously I mentioned Arkadelphia. They are a solid team that will have to be reckoned with as the year goes on. Nashville and Ashdown are two more teams from the same conference that are playing some good football right now.
Watch out for Warren. The Lumberjacks picked up their first win of the season last night, but considering their non-conference schedule, don't let their record fool you. I fully expect to see Warren in the mix around Thanksgiving.
Stuttgart started off slow, but they seem to be getting a little better each week. The defending champs are young, but they could still compete for a conference title.
Highland is another team in Class 4A that is looking salty as well. They certainly look like they can win a conference title.
In Class 3A. I'm really liking Harding Academy and Charleston right now. I think that if you are going to win a title in 3A this year, you will have to go through one, if not both, of these teams.
Glen Rose is another team to keep your eyes on in Class 3A. The Beavers have solid coaching and some solid athletes, and very well could make some noise come playoff time.
In Class 2A, I still believe that Junction City is the team to beat. However, that doesn't mean that there are not some other teams who are capable of winning it all. Teams like Carlisle, Bearden, Gurdon, and East Poinsett County are very capable teams.
Speaking of Bearden, they still have at least one more big match-up this season as they have to travel to Rison in four weeks. This game will be for second place in the 8-2A conference, and should be a barn burner.
Carlisle has a big game in three weeks against Hazen. That is another game that will not disappoint if you decide to go check it out.
It's hard to believe we have played four weeks in the 2013 season. I would love to hear your thoughts on the teams that you are watching, players you believe are standing out, and who you think can make a run.
If you are interested in joining ArkansasVarsity.com and taking part in the discussion in this thread and others, you can sign up for a FREE user name and chime in if you'd like by CLICKING HERE. If you already have a Rivals.com log in, you can use it to post as well.
