The Arkansas high school football season is only 11 days away, with the first games scheduled for Monday, Aug. 31. Today, we look at the best nonconference games against out-of-state opponents.
This list was compiled from the votes of five journalists:
•Henry Apple: Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
•Leland Barclay: freelance writer, author of Almanac of Arkansas High School Football
•Andrew Hutchinson: Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
•Jeremy Muck: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
•Walter Woodie: Arkansas and Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Each journalist made his own top 10 list, then those lists were tallied using a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scoring system. The votes each game received is listed in parenthesis.
Check back later for lists of the best nonconference games against in-state opponents and the best conference games.
1. Sept. 4 – Bentonville @ Rockhurst, Mo. (40)
Jody Grant’s first game at the helm in Bentonville will be a tough one. He was hired to replace the legendary Barry Lunney after serving as the Tigers’ defensive coordinator the last two seasons.
While Bentonville will have a new head coach, it returns several key pieces of its back-to-back Class 7A championship teams. Quarterback Kasey Ford, who is committed to play baseball at Kansas State, and defensive back Tyrone Mahone, who has an offer from Eastern Illinois, will be seniors.
Bentonville’s season opener will be a rematch of one of its four losses last season, as Rockhurst beat the Tigers 17-16 to start their 0-4 skid to begin the season. The Hawklets went on to finish the season 12-2, with a 31-24 loss to Christian Brothers in the Missouri Class 6 state championship game. With Wisconsin commit A.J. Taylor and three-star offensive lineman Brendan McConnell returning, Rockhurst is No. 4 in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Class 6 preseason poll.
2. Sept. 18 – Junction City @ Haynesville, La. (38)
If Junction City can survive road games at Smackover, the preseason No. 1 team in Class 3A, and Rison, the preseason No. 2 team in Class 2A behind the Dragons, it will have a 42-game winning streak heading into its home opener against Haynesville.
The three-time defending Class 2A champions will have to do it without one of the most successful senior classes in state history: Jamario Bell (Arkansas signee), JaQwis Dancy (Louisiana Tech), Josh Armstrong (Ouachita Baptist), Taylor Mason (Harding), Keyandra Evans (Ouachita Baptist) and Randall Holyfield graduated in May. The Dragons do return all-conference offensive lineman/linebacker Matthew Freeman, though.
Haynesville is coming off a 14-1 season in which it won the Louisiana Class 1A state championship, but like Junction City, must replace several stars, as cousins Kendrick Jackson (Arkansas) and James Jackson (Louisiana Tech) graduated. However, Tony Critton will be back for his fourth year as a starter on the defensive line.
It will be a historic matchup, as it will be just the 13th time in history that a defending state champion from Arkansas will play a defending state champion from another state.
3. Sept. 4 – Pulaski Academy @ Highland Park, Texas (36)
Last year, Pulaski Academy’s only blemish en route to its fourth Class 5A state title in 12 years was a season opening 48-42 loss at Highland Park. The Bruins travel to Dallas again to open the 2015 for a rematch with the traditional Texas power.
The Scots went 10-2 last season and made the playoffs for the 20th straight year, losing to Midway 35-28 in the second round. While Highland Park has a rich football tradition (alma mater of NFL Hall of Famers Doak Walker and Bobby Layne, as well as current Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford), it is unranked in Dave Campbell’s preseason top 25.
However, that will not make it easy, as Pulaski Academy will trot out sophomore quarterback Layne Hatcher, who replaces Will Hefley (Tulsa) under center. He will have plenty of help around him, though. Tre Bruce, Zack Kelley, Cannon Smith and Caden Haws return on offense and have offers to play in college.
4. Sept. 11 – Bentonville vs. Valor Christian, Colo. (27)
A week after traveling to Rockhurst, Bentonville returns home for a matchup with Valor Christian, one of the top teams in Colorado. It will be the second straight year the Tigers have hosted a team from a non-border state. They played Bergen Catholic from New Jersey in 2014.
Valor Christian comes to Arkansas off a 10-4 season in which it lost the Colorado Class 5A state championship game by one point. It would have been the Eagles’ sixth straight state title. Despite the loss, they are still ranked No. 1 in the preseason Class 5A poll by Colorado Preps.
Like Bergen Catholic last year, Valor Christian has a four-star junior at quarterback. Dylan McCaffrey has 11 offers, including from Michigan, Missouri and UCLA. He also has incredible bloodlines.
One of his brothers plays football and Duke, while the other plays at Stanford. His father played football at Stanford, and then went into the NFL. His mother played soccer at Stanford, one of his aunts played tennis at Virginia and another played basketball at Georgetown, one of his uncles played football and wrestled at Duke, another uncle played basketball at Duke and Vanderbilt, and another uncle played basketball at Division III Husson College. Also, McCaffrey’s grandfather ran track at Duke, was an Olympic silver medalist and briefly held the world record in the 100-meter dash.
5. Sept. 4 – Har-Ber vs. Webb City, Mo. (24)
Two years ago, Har-Ber scored 28 unanswered points to upset Webb City and snap the Cardinals’ 46-game winning streak and 91-game regular season winning streak. However, Webb City got its revenge last season, crushing the Wildcats 42-13, en route to a 15-0 season and fifth straight state title.
The 2015 season will be the fourth straight year the teams have played each other, with Webb City also winning in 2012. The Cardinals’ 30-15 win over the Wildcats that year was their closest game during their undefeated title run.
Har-Ber is led by running back/wide receiver Luke Hannon, who led the 7A-West in rushing last year, and quarterback Fuller Chandler, who transferred to Har-Ber after earning all-conference honors at Springdale last year. Offensive lineman Trystan Castillo, a Missouri commit, is Webb City’s top prospect.
6. Sept. 11 – Van Buren @ Poteau, Okla. (17)
First-year Van Buren head coach Greg Werner will have to go back to the school he just left in his second game with the Pointers. In three seasons as Poteau’s head coach, Werner was 24-11 and led the Pirates to the 2013 Class 4A state championship game.
The Pointers have struggled in recent years, with only one winning season since 2001, but did beat Poteau 41-8 last season. Poteau also lost to Alma 28-0 last year, meaning the Pirates were outscored 69-8 by Arkansas teams in 2014.
Werner will have the dynamic Jordan Barlow-Jaylynn Dye quarterback-wide receiver duo in his arsenal, while Forrest Mazey, Werner’s replacement in Poteau, will have a solid senior core of quarterback Ben Klutts, running back Rogers Barcheers and linebacker Austin Archey to help the transition.
7. Sept. 4 – Texarkana vs. Texarkana, Texas (15)
The Texas High-Arkansas High game is a rivalry that has received national press and last year’s game did not disappoint. In the 100th meeting between the two schools, Arkansas High won 20-14 in overtime, the Razorbacks’ first win in the rivalry since 2000.
In 2007, the game ended in a 17-17 tie because it was played on the Arkansas side of the border and rules prevented an overtime period from being played. However, there is no chance of that happening this year, as the Arkansas Activities Association created a rule this offseason that allows overtime in nonconference games.
t-8. Sept. 11 – Har-Ber vs. Rockhurst, Mo. (14)
A week after hosting Bentonville, Rockhurst will come to Arkansas to play Har-Ber. It will be the fourth straight year the Wildcats have played two Missouri teams, as they have played Webb City each year, Rockhurst in 2014 and Columbia Rockbridge in 2012 and 2013.
Rockhurst, a nine-time Missouri state champion, beat the Wildcats 46-22 last season. The loss dropped Har-Ber’s record to 7-7 all-time against out-of-state opponents.
t-8. Sept. 11 – El Dorado @ St. Thomas More, La. (14)
Playing in the tough 6A-South, El Dorado struggled to a 6-4 regular season record last year, but managed to reach the Class 6A semifinals. St. Thomas More had the opposite season in 2014, posting a 9-1 regular season record before losing its first playoff game.
In 2015, both teams have high expectations. The Wildcats are ranked No. 3 in Hooten’s preseason 6A poll, while the Cougars are No. 21 across all divisions in The Times-Picayune’s preseason poll.
Kawon Love, who threw for 1,391 yards and 16 touchdowns and ran for another 908 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, will be under center for El Dorado. St. Thomas More’s top player is kicker Bailey Raborn, who is committed to UCLA.
t-10. Sept. 18 – Fayetteville vs. Muskogee, Okla. (11)
Fayetteville has a pair of games against Oklahoma schools, but its final nonconference game looks like it might be the better of the two.
Muskogee returns six offensive and five defensive starters from last year’s team that went 3-7. Despite the bad record, the Roughers hung with the eventual Arkansas Class 7A runner-up, but ultimately lost 24-10. MaxPreps has Muskogee at No. 6 in its preseason Oklahoma Class 6A-II rankings.
The Bulldogs appear to be primed for another state championship run, with several players who already have offers to play college football, including junior quarterback Taylor Powell, wide receiver Tyson Morris, offensive lineman Noah Johnson and defensive end Eli Hale.
t-10. Sept. 11 – Texarkana @ Liberty Eylau, Texas (11)
Although it doesn’t get as much publicity, Texarkana plays another school on the Texas side of the city.
Liberty Eylau is No. 7 in Dave Campbell’s preseason 4A-DII rankings and is loaded with college talent. Defensive backs Andre Wiley Jr. and Ke’mon Freeman have multiple FBS offers, while wide receiver Thurman Morbley has an offer from Stephen F. Austin. The Leopards’ best prospect, though, is junior Lagaryonn Carson, a four-star defensive end with eight offers, including Alabama, Arkansas and Texas.
The Razorbacks have a high-profile recruit, as well, in Texas Tech defensive tackle commit Nick McCann.
Also receiving votes:
Sept. 11 – Shiloh Christian vs. Bastrop, La. (8)
Seven-time state champion Shiloh Christian hosts Bastrop and its pair of studs – linebacker Travez Moore (offers from Florida and LSU, among others) and wide receiver Isaiah Graham (offers from Arkansas and Nebraska, among others) – in Week 2.
Sept. 18 – Shiloh Christian @ Victory Christian, Okla. (8)
This Week 3 matchup is a rematch from last season, as Victory Christian beat Shiloh 41-27. Victory Christian quarterback Keats Calhoon is only about 2,000 yards shy of Oklahoma’s all-time state passing record and linebacker Jon-Michael Terry is committing to Oklahoma.
Sept. 4 – Fayetteville vs. Lawton Eisenhower, Okla. (6)
Playing with a two-quarterback system last season, Fayetteville nearly lost to Lawton Eisenhower, but returned to Arkansas with a 45-38 win. Taylor Powell is the Bulldogs undisputed starter now and will receive all the reps in this year’s Week 1 matchup.
Sept. 25 – Pulaski Academy vs. Jennings, Mo. (3)
When North Pulaski dropped its football program in March, Pulaski Academy had to find a new Week 4 opponent. The Bruins found their replacement in Jennings, which is coming off a 9-3 season.
Sept. 18 – Rogers vs. Jefferson City, Mo. (3)
Rogers won its first and last game last year, but none in between, including a 37-21 loss to Jefferson City. The Jays are a traditional power in Missouri, with 10 state titles in school history, and are No. 8 in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Class 6 preseason rankings.