NWADG Prep Rally Football Preview

15 PREP RALLY: CLASS 7A | 8.21.2022 CLASS 7A BENTONVILLE WEST WOLVERINES 2021 RECORD 6-5, 4-3 7A-West COACH Bryan Pratt RETURNING STARTERS 8 offense, 8 defense KEY PLAYERS QB Jake Casey (Jr., 6-4, 180), RB Carson Morgan (Sr., 6-1, 205), WR Ty Durham (Sr., 6-0, 180), OL Lane Jeffcoat (Jr., 6-9, 285), RB/LB Braden Jones (Sr., 6-1, 205), CB Nick Bell (Sr., 5-9, 165), DB/P Josh Buxton (Sr., 5-9, 175), DE Grant Overman (Sr., 6-3, 220), DB Thomas Willbanks (Sr., 5-10, 165), THE SKINNY Pratt calls this year's group the most experienced group he's had since West opened. … Casey leads the offense after completing 171 of 287 passes for 2,172 yards and 19 touchdowns. … Morgan didn't start at running back until conference play began, then compiled 947 yards and 9 TDs on 140 carries. … Durham, a Southern Miss baseball commit, caught 55 passes for 900 yards and 10 scores, and he will be joined by Jaxson Brust, who added 35 catches for 383 yards and three scores. … Jeffcoat returns at left tackle, where he was an all-state performer last year, and has shed 30 points. He will be joined by returnees Colin Muskrat at guard and Kaleb Chandler at right tackle. … Jones moves to inside linebacker from outside linebacker, where he had 104 tackles last year. He is joined by returnee Tate West at middle linebacker. … Bell earned all-state honors at cornerback and is joined by Buxton, who returned a blocked punt for a score against Little Rock Central. … Willbanks, a safety, gives the Wolverines a third returnee in the secondary. … Truxton Travis, Jose Meza and Ethan Grigg all return and will take care of the kicking duties, while Buxton handles punting. THAT'S WHAT HE SAID "We've known for a few years that this would be a season we would be looking forward to and a season where we would be in the position to have a lot of returning starters. Our kids have worked hard in the offseason to get bigger, stronger, faster, and our whole mentality as a team is different. The leadership from our senior class is phenomenal right now, and hopefully that will carry to the way we will play." — Bryan Pratt SCHEDULE Aug. 26 ......Tulsa B.T. Washington Oct. 7 ..................Rogers* Sept. 2 .......Cabot Oct. 14 ........... at Har-Ber* Sept. 9 .......at LR Central Oct. 21 .......... at Heritage* Sept. 23 .....at Fayetteville* Oct. 28 ...... FS Southside* Sept. 30 .....Springdale* Nov. 4 .......at Bentonville* * — Denotes 7A-West Conference game All kickoffs 7 p.m. unless noted FAYETTEVILLE BULLDOGS 2021 RECORD 10-3, 7-0 7A-West COACH Casey Dick RETURNING STARTERS 7 offense, 8 defense KEY PLAYERS LB Brooks Yurachek (Sr., 6-0, 215), WR Kaylon Morris (Sr., 6-2, 190), DB Bo Nolen (Sr., 6-2, 195), QB Drake Lindsey (Jr., 6-4, 210), WR Lachlan McKinney (Jr., 5-9, 180), DL Brooks Young (Sr., 6-0, 225), RB Omar Murray (Jr., 6-2, 200), OL Caleb Young (Sr., 6-4, 275), K Graham Witte (Sr., 5-10, 170), RB Christian Setzer (Jr., 5-9, 175). THE SKINNY Fayetteville enters the season with a 10-game win streak in conference play. … Murray returns to the offensive backfield, where he had 550 yards rushing and 5 TDs last season. … Setzer added 222 yards rushing and 120 yards on 14 receptions from last season. … Kaylon Morris caught a TD pass in last year's opener against Conway, but he missed most of the season with an injury. … Jaison DeLamar had a 40-yard TD catch as a freshman in the state championship game. … Turner-Garrett played a number of positions on the defensive line. … Yurachek returns at middle linebacker, where he compiled 58 tackles last fall. … Witte, whose job was to handle kickoffs, returns after his 40-yard field goal against Conway that sent the Purple'Dogs to the state championship. … Duece Cooper, a move-in from Alabama, will compete for a spot in the secondary. … Caleb Young is the most experienced offensive lineman with three starts late last season. … Brooks Young will provide a boost for the defensive line. THAT'S WHAT HE SAID "I don't think our identity is necessarily going to change because, number one, we believe in our kids and we have good coaches. Some of the ways we have to line up or a route or a play might be adjusted or some simple things may be re-examined. But as far as our identity or overall conception of our team, we'll still be who we were last year, both philosophically on offense and defense. We believe in our kids, and we are in a good situation." — Casey Dick SCHEDULE Aug. 26 ...... at Cabot Oct. 7 ................ FS Southside* Sept. 2 ....... North Little Rock Oct. 14 ..............at Bentonville* Sept. 9 ....... at FS Northside Oct. 21 .................. Springdale* Sept. 23 ..... Bentonville West* Oct. 28 ......... Rogers Heritage* Sept. 30 ..... at Rogers* Nov. 4 .. at Springdale Har-Ber* * — Denotes 7A-West Conference game All kickoffs 7 p.m. unless noted FORT SMITH NORTHSIDE GRIZZLIES 2021 RECORD 7-5, 3-4 7A-Central COACH Felix Curry RETURNING STARTERS 7 offense, 5 defense KEY PLAYERS QB Josh Hardwick (Sr., 5-11, 170), QB-DB DeMarion "Pum" Savoy (Sr., 6-2, 185), RB-WR T'Kavion King (Sr., 5-9, 165), WR DaMari Smith (Sr., 5-11, 160), OT Erik Barrientos (Sr., 6-3, 275), OG Jamoni Benton (Sr., 6-4, 350), LB Julius Thomas (Sr., 5-10, 230), OLB Sebastian Garcia (Sr., 6-0, 225), CB R.J. Lester (Sr., 6-3, 180), THE SKINNY Curry, the Grizzlies' defensive coordinator last year, was promoted after Mike Falleur retired. … Savoy, a two-year starter on defense, will get a chance to play some at quarterback. Hardwick, who caught the game-winning TD pass in Northside's wild win over Springdale Har-Ber, will also see action there. … King, who caught 19 passes for 408 yards and 6 TDs last season, will split his time between receiver and running back. … Smith provides the speed, having won the 200 meters at the Class 6A state meet and the Meet of Champs. … Barrientos is a returning all-conference performer and sports a 3.9 GPA. He trains at every position on the offensive line. … Benton earned all-conference honors last year as well. … Thomas and Garcia will make the move from defensive end to linebacker spots. Thomas, an all-conference performer, will be at middle linebacker after posting 65 tackles and 3 sacks last season, while Garcia will move to an outside position. … Lester, an all-conference player, had 58 tackles, 3 interceptions and 5 pass breakups. … Savoy had 41 tackles and 4 interceptions, including one with 1:27 remaining to set up the Grizzlies' winning touchdown against Har-Ber. THAT'S WHAT HE SAID "It's hard to know exactly how well things are going until you're in the fire. Replacing the Walker Catsavises, the Sunquist Churches, the Ty Masseys and then Coach Falleur, who's been a tremendous head coach — so it's a transition, no doubt. You like to think what you're putting in the kids, it'll hold up during tough times. I think the strong suit will be our offensive line with Adrian Falcon, Erik Barrientos, Jamoni Benton, Mason Metlock and some of those guys." — Felix Curry FORT SMITH SOUTHSIDE MAVERICKS 2021 RECORD 2-9, 2-5 7A-West COACH Kim Dameron RETURNING STARTERS 6 offense, 8 defense KEY PLAYERS RB Amari Tucker (Jr., 5-8, 190), RB- WR Isaac Gregory (Jr., 5-9, 180), WR Xander Conder (Sr., 6-4, 195), OL Miguel Solis (Sr., 6-1, 300), OL Cade Nally (Sr., 6-0, 215), OL Cooper Anderson (Jr., 6-5, 275), DL Kage Castling (Sr., 6-2, 205), DE John Parkinson (Jr., 6-2, 215), DB Russell Key (Sr., 6-0, 160), K Jackson DeLassus (Sr., 5-7, 160). THE SKINNY The Mavericks must regroup after losing QB David Sorg for the season because of an injury. George Herrell or Carter Zimmerman will try to take over for the 6-foot-5, 210-pound Sorg, who threw for 2,774 yards and 26 TDs last season. … Tucker combined for more than 850 yards and 9 TDs rushing and receiving last year. … Gregory can do the same, where he had almost 350 yards rushing and receiving. … Conder has the potential to be a college prospect at receiver. … Solis returns for a second year as center after starting his sophomore season at tackle. … Nally is also a two-year starter at guard. … DeLassus earned all-state honors last season at placekicker, where he missed only two PATs and hit field goals in games against Greenwood and Fayetteville. … Castling may move around to different spots on the defensive line and could see action at linebacker. … Parkinson recorded 64 tackles last season as defensive end, and that included 13 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. … Key had 57 tackles, including 10 in a game against Springdale Har-Ber, and added 2 interceptions. … Devin Huggins had 66 tackles last and could split time between cornerback and safety. THAT'S WHAT HE SAID "We started nine sophomores, especially in the offensive line, running backs and receivers. Those kids have grown up a lot, and you can see that we're going to be a junior-senior dominated football team as opposed to a sophomore- junior team last year. It's a little bit more in the maturity level, and it's the third season in the system for some of them. They understand what's expected, and when I show up at practice every day, there isn't a lot that is different." — Kim Dameron SCHEDULE Aug. 26 ..... FS Southside# Oct. 7 .............. Jonesboro* Sept. 2 ...... at Greenwood Oct. 14 .............at Conway* Sept. 9 ...... Fayetteville Oct. 21 .. North Little Rock* Sept. 23 .... at Bryant* Oct. 28 ................ at Cabot* Sept. 30 .... at LR Central* Nov. 4 ........LR Southwest* * — Denotes 7A-Central Conference game All kickoffs 7 p.m. unless noted. SCHEDULE Aug. 26 ...... at FS Northside# Oct. 7 ................at Fayetteville* Sept. 2 ....... Van Buren Oct. 14 ......... Rogers Heritage* Sept. 9 ....... Wynne Oct. 21 . at Springdale Har-Ber* Sept. 23 ..... at Rogers* Oct. 28 .....at Bentonville West* Sept. 30 ..... Bentonville* Nov. 4 ................... Springdale* * — Denotes 7A-West Conference game All kickoffs 7 p.m. unless noted Bo Nolen Kaylon Morris Adrian Falcon Grant Overman Cade Nally Ty Durham 479-273-7071 904 SE.21st Street, Bentonville Hours: 8am-5pm Mon-Fri www.timsautomotiveandtowing.com After Hours Towing: Call 479-903-2978 Tim's A N D T O W I N G • Complete Engine Analysis • Clutch/Transmission Service • A/C Service • Engine Repair or Replacement • Brakes & CV's • And Most Any Other Auto Repair Need • Best of Northwest Arkansas 2017, 2018, 2019 winner Imports & Domestic Minor Tune-Ups to Major Engine Repair BRING YOUR CAR IN FOR A CHECK- UP! Bentonville's longest Running Auto RepAiR shop...45+ YeARs! Best of Northwest Arkansas the

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