Looking at the past, present and future of high school football in the Natural State.
Staff Report
MaxPreps.com
Best Player: Darius Winston, DB, Central (West Helena)
Ranked the 20th top senior recruit in the country by rivals.com, the 6-foot, 180-pound Winston plays long, fast (sub 4.4 speed in the 40) and he’s physical. He’s reportedly de-committed from Arkansas and is leaning toward Michigan, though he can pick just about any school in the country. Few threw in his direction last season when he had three interceptions and 40 tackles. Returning state leaders - Passing: Spencer Keith (Pulaski Academy) 371 of 623 for 4,768 yards, 51 TDs; Rushing: Michael Dyer (Little Rock Christian) 279 attempts, 2,710 yards, 28 TDs.
2008 Must See: Lake Hamilton at Texarkana
No costumes needed for this Halloween showdown in Texarkana as this is a rematch of the 6A state finals, a 13-0 win for Texarkana. It’s hard to believe that Texarkana could contain the lethal trio of QB Phillip Butterfield to WRs Tauno Vannucci and Josh Profitt for a second straight game.
On The Throne: Lake Hamilton
Ranked 71st nationally by MaxPreps, the Wolves are coming off a 12-1 season that ended with that loss to Texarkana. They graduated four All-State players but return three more in Butterfield and Vannucci (6-1, 180) and Profitt (6-3, 180) . The Tulsa-bound Butterfield (6-2, 210) threw for a school-record 2,794 yards and 30 scores last year.
Best Rivalry: Northside (Fort Smith) vs. Southside (Fort Smith)
According to arkansasbusiness.com reporter Leland Barclay, there is simply nothing more bitter than the Battle of Rogers Avenue, the city’s main thoroughfare that originally divided the school districts. Northside leads the series 27-16-2, including a 28-21 win last season. That gave the Rebels a 17-16 edge over the past 33 years. The game holds 7A playoff implications almost every year topped off in 1987 and 1988 when the rivals met for the state title. In 1987, Southside won the regular-season matchup, but Northside took the state crown, 27-7. The following year, Northside romped in the regular season before Southside won the state title 7-6 on a blocked extra kick. This season Southside hosts the regular season-finale Nov. 7.
Future Star(s): QB Brandon Allen (Fayetteville)
The son of assistant coach Bobby Allen is set to take over the reigns for the defending state 7A champions following the graduation of Blake McDonald. The younger Allen, a 6-foot sophomore, might have been ready to play last season but the team has a policy of not bringing up freshmen to varsity. Allen isn’t the only sophomore QB that should make a big impact. Kiehl Frazier (6-2, 195) led the West Fork JV team to a 9-1 mark before being called up at the end of the season as a freshman. He’s transferred to Shiloh Christian, the same school that will start another sophomore in Samuel Harvil, a 6-1, 250-pound DL who bench pressed 155 pounds 56 times last year and is reported to be able to bench press 500 pounds. He had 78 tackles last year, 14 for losses.
Fun Fact
Pulaski Academy coach Kevin Kelley never punts. No, not him personally, but he never to rarely orders his team to punt. It’s a percentage thing with him and his unusual fourth-down gambling philosophy has drawn attention from national publications throughout the land. He told arkansassports360.com the following: “If I'm on my own 5-yard-line and it's fourth and 10, if I punt in high school or in college, you’re going to net 30 to 34 yards on average ... You're giving them the ball inside your own 40. The numbers say they’re going to score 77 percent of the time after getting the ball inside your 40. If you give them the ball inside your own 10-yard line, the percentage goes up only to 92 percent. I say only, I know 92 percent sounds high, but it's only 15 percent difference.”
MaxPreps Preseason All-State Team
WR – Neal Barlow, Pulaski Academy
WR – Quinn Franklin, Warren
WR – Clarence Harris, Lonoke
TE – Austin Tate, Harrison
OL – Colby Berna, Fayetteville
OL – Tyler Stauch, Vilonia
OL – Jake McDonald, Corning
OL – Matt Chester, Valley View
OL – Nick Partridge, White Hall
QB – Phillip Butterfield, Lake Hamilton
QB – Spencer Keith, Pulaski Academy
RB – Michael Dyer, Little Rock Christian
RB – Turrell Williams, Helena-West Helena
RB – Semaj Edwards, Northside
ATH – Ashton Glaser, Springdale
K – Paulo Henriques, West Memphis
DL – Anthony Rogers, North Little Rock
DL – Derek Johnson, Hoxie
DL – Eric Smiley, Helena-West Helena
DL – Chantz Wilson, Harrison
LB – Cody Hammer, Fayetteville
LB – Aaron Cluck, Alma
LB – Ross Estes, Vilonia
LB – Dustin Ball, Junction City
LB – Jasper Lee, Central Arkansas Christian
DB –Darius Winston, Helena-West Helena
DB – Dijon Benton, Bryant
DB – Greg Carter, El Dorado
DB – Deondra Johnson, Helena-West Helena
P – Tyler Campbell, Little Rock Catholic
