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- Chuck Barrett "When you need a proven real estate professional, talk to my friends at Weichert Realtors, 7KH*ULIƓQ&RPSDQ\Ő ZZZ:HLFKHUW*ULIƓQFRP ZZZIDFHERRNFRPZHLFKHUWJULIƓQFRPSDQ\ B E N TO N V I L L E 3301 S Walton Blvd. Ste 1 Bentonville, AR 72712 (479) 268-5500 FAY E T T E V I L L E 2719 N. Drake St. Fayetteville, AR 72703 (479) 935-4090 S P R I N G D A L E 5100 S Thompson St. Springdale, AR 72764 (479) 756-1003 7KUHH/RFDWLRQV'HGLFDWHGWR6HUYLQJ1:$ 13 PreP rally: Class 7A Thursday, augusT 31, 2017 shakes out, and in a league littered with stars, Bentonville's Kam'ron Mays-Hunt may be the brightest. The All-NWADG Preseason Offensive Player of the Year totaled nearly 1,200 yards receiving as a junior and will be the leader of a pro- gram searching for its seventh league title in eight seasons. Bentonville is also looking for a state finals breakthrough after a conference title in 2016 and a pair of semifinals ap- pearances in coach Jody Grant's first two seasons guiding the program. "I have been a part of enough state championship runs since I've been here; we've won four and been there six times," Grant said. "You've got to have a little luck throughout the season. Do I think this team has the ability to be in the mix? Absolutely. We've got to avoid the injury bug, which is true with any team, and we've got to play well as a team. "I think it's a little too early to tell, but it would not surprise me to see this team playing into December." Billy Dawson brought a shift in philosophy to Fayetteville in January, one month after guiding 6A Russell- ville to its first state championship. Expectations surrounding the team remain largely intact as quarterback Darius Bowers takes over the offense post-Taylor Powell. The Purple'Dogs have won at least 11 games each of the last three seasons and played in all but one state title game the last seven years. Springdale High and Bentonville West both enter this season looking to make a move. The Red'Dogs doubled their win total in Zak Clark's second sea- son and boast the league's leading re- turning passer in Layne Hutchins (2,223 yards) as well as a number of capable options in Alex Thompson and Kamond Robinson. Arkansas commit and NWADG pre- season Defensive Player of the Year Isa- iah Nichols anchors a Red'Dogs defense (33.5 ppg in 2016) likely to improve with experience returning (Mason Hutchins, 80 tackles in 2016). Nichols recorded 12.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in 2016, and he has become a player that can not only give opposing offenses problems, but dominate stretches of games. "His progression has been nothing short of impressive," Clark said. "We know teams are going to do things to him, and he's going to face a lot of dou- ble teams and different kinds of blocks. They're going to gameplan for him, and how he handles that pressure will go a long way. I know he's going to have an outstanding year." Jadon Jackson led West to a state playoff berth in its inaugural season, and earned offers from of a handful of high-major Division I programs — Ar- kansas, Arizona State, Tulsa, Missouri — along the way. With Jackson, quar- terback Will Jarrett and key move-ins, there is a greater sense of comfort en- tering this fall compared to last. "This time last year we didn't even have a place to call home," West coach Bryan Pratt said. "The kids have a little more confidence in them, and they be- lieve in themselves. I don't think we're going to sneak up on anybody. I think they'll know that we're pretty good, so we'll see." Should the West meet resistance from the 7A-Central, Bryant and North Little Rock are the likely candidates. Bryant have won at least nine games in four of the last seven seasons and enter 2017 as league favorites after a semifinal run in coach Buck James' first season. The Hornets went 7-2 with junior quarterback Ren Hefley (1,770 yards, 12 TD) in charge last fall. The defense is in good hands as well with junior standout Kajuan Robinson (6-3, 300) starring up front. As a sophomore, Robinson start- ed every game at tackle and tallied 40 stops, six for loss, to go along with a pair of interceptions. North Little Rock graduated four all- state players, including running back Alex Day, quarterback Trey Cox and linebacker Tre Atkins (128 tackles in 2016), but returns what Jaime Mitchell believes to be a strong group of receiv- ers, defensive linemen and linebackers. Scottie Bordelon can be reached at sborde- lon@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWAScottie. 7a-West v Continued from Page 11 NWa democrat-gazette/aNdy shuPE Springdale High's Isaiah Nichols, shown here sacking Canaan ross of Bentonville last season, will anchor the red'dogs defense this season.