MaxPreps 2015 Arkansas preseason high school football Fab 5, presented by the Army National Guard

Video: Bentonville (AR) captures its second-straight MaxPreps Cup
MaxPreps honors Bentonville High as the top athletic program in the entire country.


1. Bentonville
Coach: Jody Grant
2014 finish: 9-4
Team preview

After losing the first four games of the season last year, the Tigers sent coach Barry Lunney into retirement in style by winning the final nine games of the season, including a victory over Fayetteville for the Class 7A state championship. The title was the second in a row for Bentonville and the fourth since 2008. Lunney announced his retirement in January, ending a 10-year run that saw him lead the Tigers to a 97-25 record. The change in head coaches should be seamless, as new head coach Jody Grant was the defensive coordinator under Lunney for nine seasons. The Tigers return nine starters from last year's group, including senior quarterback Kasey Ford (6-foot-4, 240 pounds), cornerback Tyrone Mahone (6-0, 170) and safety Logan Darby (5-10, 165). Mahone ranks as the state's top defensive back, according to 247Sports, while Ford is the top pro-style quarterback.

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2. Fayetteville
Coach: Daryl Patton
2014 finish: 11-3
Team preview

The Bulldogs missed out on a chance to win their third state title in the past four seasons as they fell to Bentonville 24-21 in last year's Class 7A state championship game. Coach Daryl Patton returns many of the top players from last year's team, including junior quarterback Taylor Powell, who threw for 2,513 yards and 20 touchdowns as a sophomore. Also back are Division I prospects Eli Hale (6-5, 245) at defensive end and Noah Johnson (6-4, 280) on the offensive line. Johnson was one of just three juniors in the state of Arkansas to earn all-state first team honors last year by the Democrat Gazette.

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3. Pine Bluff
Coach: Bobby Bolding
2014 finish: 10-3
Team preview

The Zebras have reached the state championship game the past three seasons, winning a Class 6A state title last year. Coach Bobby Bolding returns nearly every starter on both sides of the line (8 on offense, 10 on defense) and has two of the top prospects in the state in all-state defensive end John Tate (6-4, 260) and wide receiver David Beasley (6-3, 180). Quarterback Ladarius Skelton returns to lead the offense after throwing for 1,800 yards last season.

See last season's Arkansas football computer rankings

4. North Little Rock
Coach: Jamie Mitchell
2014 finish: 10-2
Team preview

There is a changing of the guard at North Little Rock this year as highly successful Jamie Mitchell takes over as head coach of the Charging Wildcats. He replaces Brad Bolding, who was let go in April for alleged recruiting violations, and Bolding is still fighting the school in court. Mitchell brings a solid resume that includes a Class 5A state championship in Mississippi while the head coach at Starkville. The Charging Wildcats reached the second round of the Class 7A state playoffs, but fell to eventual champion Bentonville 42-10. North Little Rock's only other loss last year was 43-33 to Fayetteville early in the season. Although North Little Rock lost a number of Division I signees to graduation, it returns one of the state's top wide receiver prospects in Tobias Enlow.

See last season's Arkansas football playoff brackets

5. Conway
Coach: Clint Ashcraft
2014 finish: 10-1
Team preview

After going 11-0 during the regular season, the Wampus Cats suffered a 42-35 loss to Fayetteville in the first round of the Class 7A state playoffs. Coach Clint Ashcraft, who was named the Arkansas Class 7A State Coach of the Year in 2014, returns three starters on both sides of the ball, but one of them is quarterback Breylin Smith. A starter the past two seasons for the Wampus Cats, Smith has thrown for over 2,000 yards both seasons, including 2,100 yards last year. He's rated as one of the top players in the state by 247Sports. Conway will have to replace a pair of all-state players in offensive tackle Colton Jackson and kicker Matt Cummins, each of whom were honored by the Democrat Gazette.