It is a light week in prep football with teams across Arkansas getting the week off, but that does not mean there are not headliner games.
The one most will be following is defending 7A state champion Fayetteville (2-0) hosting the Texas High Tigers (3-0) at Harmon Field.
Texas High, based on the Texas side of Texarkana right across the state line in the deep southwest corner, comes in 3-0 and has mostly not been challenged as the Tigers have outscored their opposition 140-61.
The Tigers returned 16 starters, eight on offense and as many on defense, from a squad that finished 11-2, 5-1 in 7-5A DII district play, and are Class 5A DII’s No. 4 team this week per Dave Campbell’s Football.
Senior David J. Potter is back leading the offense and currently has 1,017 yards of offense to go with 9 touchdowns. Potter has two dynamic weapons in his arsenal, beginning with junior four-star Oregon commit Tradarian Ball (5-11, 185, 4.5 speed) who has compiled 471 yards of offense (206 rushing and 265 receiving) with 4 touchdowns, while senior three-star Stephen F. Austin commit Javari Johnson (5-8, 170, 4.5) leads the team in rushing yards and touchdowns with 319 and 5, respectively.
The Tigers have also gotten a lot of production out of junior wide receivers Kameron Wrightener (15 receptions, 277 yards, 2 touchdowns) and Shavante Montgomery (12 receptions, 301 yards, 4 touchdowns). Defensively, the Tigers have five players who have collected 20 or more tackles.
Fayetteville (2-0) had last week off to rest and prepare following a come-from-behind win over Broken Arrow (Okla.) in which the Purple Dogs scored 22 points in the fourth quarter to escape 30-23. The Purple Dogs will need a much faster start against Texas High as they were shut out in the first half against Broken Arrow.
Senior UNLV commit Garyt Odom, the son of Rebels’ head coach Barry Odom, has compiled 582 yards (447 passing and 135 rushing) of offense 5 touchdowns in his first season with Fayetteville, while classmate Christian Battles is averaging 8.3 yards per carry with 249 yards and 6 scores.
It’s not crazy to say that Fayetteville might have the most overlooked wide receiving corps in Arkansas. It starts with senior Arkansas baseball commit Jaison DeLamar, who leads the team in all major categories (11 receptions, 198 yards and 2 touchdowns), while rising junior Catavion Taylor is right behind DeLamar with 8 catches for 116 yards and a score. Also, don’t forget Charlie Graves, a Daytona (Fla.) State baseball commit, who is off to a slow start (3 receptions for 51 yards), but caught 44 passes for 506 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior.
Greenwood Takes State’s Longest Active Win Streak
Bryant’s 20-point triumph over Parkview last Friday snapped the Patriots’ state-leading 27-game win streak.
The new leader is River Valley powerhouse, defending 6A state champion, and arguably the No. 1 overall team in the state – Greenwood. The Bulldogs’ recent 56-19 win over Springdale Har-Ber put their current consecutive wins at 16 dating back to last year’s season opener. They also boast an impressive 65-game streak at Smith Robinson Stadium. Fayetteville and Booneville are right behind Greenwood, each with 15 consecutive victories.
Greenwood (3-0) is not only undefeated, but off to another dominant start after sweeping a non-conference schedule compiled of all 7A-West programs by a combined score of 184-54. The Bulldogs are off this week before traveling to Champions Stadium on Sept. 27 for a highly anticipated matchup against Shiloh Christian to open 6A-West play.
Bismarck Not Satisfied with Newfound Success
Coming off of its best season in school history that included 10 wins and a 3A quarterfinal finish, Bismarck (3-0) is out to prove last fall was not a fluke.
The Lions edged Mansfield, a defending 3A semifinalist, by four points in Week 0 then left no doubt in their final two non-conference contests as they smoked Mineral Springs and Glen Rose by a combined 108-21. They start 3A-7 play at home against Parkers Chapel on Sept. 27.
Team stat leaders include senior quarterback Ben Keithley, who has compiled 987 yards of offense (807 passing and 180 rushing) with 16 touchdowns and is completing just under 70% of his passes.
Junior Caedmon Keithley leads the Lions on the ground with 222 yards and 3 scores on just 17 touches, while junior Preston Hughes tops all receivers with 12 receptions for 212 yards and 4 scores, plus is tied for the team lead with Ben Keithley as each have nabbed 2 interceptions on defense. Senior Malachi Stevenson leads the Lions in total tackles with 21.
PA’s Cobb Gunning AND Running
Pulaski Academy is once again off to a great start after winning a thriller against West Monroe (La.) to sweep the non-conference schedule. Senior quarterback Brandon Cobb had a huge game through the air, but really shined with his legs as he rushed for 103 yards and two touchdowns in the win. He also rushed for a career-high 205 yards on just 13 carries in the Bruins’ 61-36 win over Madison-Ridgeland (Miss.) Academy on Sept. 6.
Cobb came into 2024 with 22 varsity games under his belt and has already cemented his status in a long line of PA quarterbacks who have compiled big numbers through the air. Cobb currently leads the state – per stats recorded on MaxPreps – in passing with 1,121 yards to go with 14 touchdowns and 4 interceptions while completing 61% of his passes.
While Cobb previously knew how to utilize his legs to move around effectively in the pocket, it is clear a quarter of the way through the season that Cobb has turned into a legit dual threat as he leads the Bruins (3-0) in rushing with 336 yards, as well as 2 touchdowns, and is averaging a solid 9.1 yards per carry.
For comparison, the 6-foot-4 signal caller combined for 567 and 6 touchdowns the past two years while averaging just over three yards per tote.
The Bruins will need that continued effort from Cobb as they now navigate through the state’s highest classification. They kick off 7A-Central play at North Little Rock on Sept. 27.
(Cover photo by Jimmy Jones)
Kyle Sutherland is a journalist and podcast host (Arkansas Preps Weekly) for The Natural State Sports Network. His written work has been featured in outlets including the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Best of Arkansas Sports and Hooten’s Arkansas Football. He is also the color commentator for 103.7 The Buzz’s high school football Game of the Week. Email Kyle at kyle@naturalstatesports.com.