Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1476475
21 PREP RALLY: CLASS 6A | 8.21.2022 VAN BUREN POINTERS 2021 RECORD 4-6, 1-6 6A-West COACH Moe Henry RETURNING STARTERS 6 offense, 5 defense KEY PLAYERS WR Malachi Henry (Sr., 6-1, 175), QB Bryce Perkins (Jr., 6-2, 175), WR Andrew Hammond (Sr., 6-0, 160), LB Grant King (Sr., 5-10, 205), OL Sam Shepherd (Sr., 6-3, 285), WR Tobey Sayaxomphou (Sr., 6-0, 170). THE SKINNY Van Buren won its first four games last year before quarterback Bryce Perkins and receiver Andrew Hammond suffered season-ending injuries. … The Pointers scored just 11 touchdowns in their final six games. … Malachi Henry is one of the state's top playmakers, catching 60 passes for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns last year but will miss the first few games of the season after arthroscopic knee surgery in early August. … The Pointers averaged just 102 yards per game rushing last season. … Van Buren won four straight games against rival Alma. … Van Buren doesn't play at home until the fourth playing date of the season and has just four home games. THAT'S WHAT HE SAID "The big thing is Bryce being back and healthy but before we lost him we lost Andrew Hammond, who was being very productive. It was a matter of getting our quarterback situation going that could help with the flow of our offense. We ended up putting Malachi in the backfield at quarterback to run some offense so that takes away our top two receivers. Our defense didn't do a great job of helping during that period. It was tough." — Moe Henry SCHEDULE Aug. 23 ...... at Alma# Oct. 7 ...... at Russellville* Sept. 2 ....... at FS Southside Oct. 14 Pulaski Academy* Sept. 16 ..... Greenbrier* Oct. 21 ... at LR Christian* Sept. 23 ..... at Greenwood* Oct. 27 . Mountain Home* Sept. 30 ..... Lake Hamilton* Nov. 4 at Siloam Springs* * — Denotes 6A-West Conference game All kickoffs 7 p.m. unless noted # — 7:30 p.m. kickoff GREENWOOD BULLDOGS 2021 RECORD 9-4, 5-2 6A-West COACH Chris Young RETURNING STARTERS 5 offense, 3 defense KEY PLAYERS QB Hunter Houston (Sr., 6-2, 202), WR Aiden Kennon (Sr., 6-1, 185), RB Jake Glover (Sr., 5-5, 145), OL Hayden Webb (Sr., 6-0, 298), OL Cooper Young (Sr., 6-4, 230), LB Evan Williams (Sr., 6-1, 190). THE SKINNY Greenwood played in its second straight state championship game last year, losing to El Dorado, and appeared in its seventh straight semifinal. … The Bulldogs return plenty of offensive firepower with returning starters Hunter Houston at quarterback, receivers Aiden Kennon, L.J. Robins, and Grant Karnes and running backs Javon Williamson and Jake Glover, both who suffered broken legs last year. … Greenwood's offense scored 506 points last year and averaged 460 yards per game. … The Bulldogs finish the regular season with games against Pulaski Academy and Little Rock Christian, two teams elevated from Class 5A due to the Competitive Equity Factor. … The Bulldogs motto this season is the Latin term Tabula Rasa, which means a blank or clean slate. THAT'S WHAT HE SAID "We lost some tough ball games last year. There is a lot of unfinished business and these guys feel like they have something to prove. It's exciting when you've got a quarterback and skilled kids around him. It gives you an opportunity to be pretty good." — Chris Young SCHEDULE Aug. 26 ...... at Stillwater, Okla.:Sept. 30 ........ at Greenbrier* Sept. 2 ....... FS Northside Oct. 14 ... Lake Hamilton* Sept. 9 ....... Mountain Home* Oct. 21 .... at Russellville* Sept. 16 ..... at Siloam Springs* Oct. 27 Pulaski Academy* Sept. 23 ..... Van Buren* Nov. 4 .... at LR Christian* * — Denotes 6A-West Conference game All kickoffs 7 p.m. unless noted SILOAM SPRINGS PANTHERS 2021 RECORD 1-9, 0-7 6A-West COACH Brandon Craig RETURNING STARTERS 4 offense, 8 defense KEY PLAYERS QB Jackson Still (Soph., 5-10, 158), RB Jed Derwin (Jr., 5-8, 195), WR Jonathon Graves (Sr., 6-5, 172), WR/CB Nick Driscoll (Sr., 5-11, 147), LB Stone Stephens (Sr., 6-0, 193), OL Saul Urena (Jr., 5-11, 215), OL Justin Burton (Jr., 5-7, 248). THE SKINNY The Panthers are looking to bounce back from a 1-9 season in 2021, where they lost three games by four points or less. … The Panthers missed the postseason in 2021 for the first time under Craig. … Sophomore Jackson Still takes the helm at quarterback after leading the freshman team to a 5-5 record in the rugged Northwest Arkansas Conference. … Still is one of several sophomores expected to play a lot this season. … The Panthers return several offensive skill players in wide receivers Jonathon Graves and Nick Driscoll and running back Jed Derwin. … Linebacker Stone Stephens heads up the Panthers' defense. … Siloam Springs hosts Alma on Sept. 2 and travels to Greenbrier Sept. 9. The Panthers and Airedales have not played in football since 2014, while Siloam Springs and Greenbrier haven't played since 2011. … Private schools Little Rock Christian and Pulaski Academy moved from Class 5A to Class 6A via the competitive equity rule. THAT'S WHAT HE SAID "We are going to be young this year. We've got a lot of sophomores that are going to play for us. But I see those guys have stepped up. They've had good summers, and they're starting show signs of grasping everything we're trying to get across to them. We're excited about having them, even though we know it's going to be a learning curve and it's going to be really fast for them. They're going to have to play." SCHEDULE Aug. 26 ......at Rogers Heritage Sept. 30 .......... Russellville* Sept. 2 .......Alma Oct. 7 . at Pulaski Academy* Sept. 9 .......at Greenbrier Oct. 14 ...........LR Christian* Sept. 16 .....Greenwood* Oct. 21 .... at Mountain Home* Sept. 23 .....at Lake Hamilton* Nov. 4 ...............Van Buren* * — Denotes 6A-West Conference game All kickoffs 7 p.m. unless noted Hunter Houston returning at Greenwood, Walker White at Little Rock Christian and Brady Barnett at Mountain Home. "It's a great conference for quarterbacks," Craig said. Pulaski Academy junior Kel Busby did receive quite a bit of playing time in a mop-up role while Van Buren junior Bryce Perkins started the first four games of the season before suffering a season- ending injury. "That was tough to bounce back from," Van Buren coach Moe Henry said. "We had gotten to the part of our schedule that was going to be tough regardless if we had everybody in deck anyway. We just happened to have our play caller go down when we got to the juggernaut of the schedule." Greenbrier and Siloam Springs will likely turn to sophomores to guide their offenses while Russellville and Lake Hamilton will play inexperienced juniors at the position. Coach Chris Young Andrew Hammond Grant King Sam Shepherd Tobey Sayaxomphoy Nick Driscoll Jed Derwin Saul Urena Bentonville Glass Inc. serving nw arkansas since 1971 • residential • automotive • commercial 507 south main street • bentonville, arkansas • 479-273-5545 Head Coach Anthony Lucas | Pulaski Academy File Photo Andrew Hammond Grant King Sam Shepherd Tobey Sayaxomphoy