Arkansas High School Football Scores - Week 1

Arkansas High School Football Scores
Thursday, September 1. 2011

Cabot 34, Jacksonville 13
Catholic 38, Springdale 10
Colcord, Okla. 21, Gentry 15
Heber Springs 36, Shiloh Christian 17
Little Rock Christian 28, Oak Grove 24
Rogers Heritage 37, Hillcrest, Mo. 20
Star City 21, Lonoke 17
Vilonia 45, Sylvan Hills 14
Watson Chapel 32, Dumas 2

Gurdon High School Soph Dies During Football Practice

by Jeff Fisher

Arkansas High School Football Huddle

For the second year in a row, an Arkansas high school football player has died during fall camp.

A 15-year old Gurdon High School sophomore died during his team's football practice last evening.

Law enforcement authorities are reporting that Montel Williams died after practicing for about an hour-and-a-half on Tuesday evening.

Officials are not saying with the death is heat-related, but an autopsy is being conducted.

Williams is the fourth player to die during the first two weeks of fall practice.  An assistant coach in Texas also passed away on the practice field last week.

Last year, Tyler Davenport of Lamar High School died during fall football camp.

Arkansas Varsity Releases High School Football Top 10

by Jeff Fisher
Arkansas High School Football Huddle

According to ArkansasVarsity.com, Bentonville, which has won two of the last three Arkansas Class 7A championships, is the team to beat again this year.

The website that is part of Rivals.com put the Tigers #1 in its recently released Preseason Top 10 Poll.

Here's a look at the Top 10 in all six classifications:

Class 7A
1. Bentonville
2. Fort Smith Southside
3. Springdale Har-Ber
4. North Little Rock
5. Fayetteville
6. West Memphis
7. Conway
8. Springdale
9. Bryant
10. Little Rock Central

Class 6A 
1. Lake Hamilton
2. Pine Bluff
3. El Dorado
4. Texarkana
5. Russellville
6. Jonesboro
7. Jacksonville
8. Marion
9. Searcy
10. Little Rock Parkview

Class 5A 
1. Greenwood
2. Camden Fairview
3. Batesville
4. Watson Chapel
5. Greenbrier
6. White Hall
7. Alma
8. Vilonia
9. Greene County Tech
10. Beebe

Class 4A
1. Pulaski Academy
2. Nashville
3. Shiloh Christian
4. Star City
5. Heber Springs
6. Dumas
7. Stuttgart
8. Pottsville
9. Warren
10. Lonoke

Class 3A
1. Charleston
2. Rison
3. Fountain Lake
4. Prescott
5. Harding Academy
6. Bald Knob
7. Rivercrest
8. Fordyce
9. Earl
10. Hoxie

Class 2A
1. Magazine
2. Strong
3. Danville
4. Bearden
5. Junction City
6. Mineral Springs
7. McCrory
8. East Poinsett County
9. Carlisle
10. Parkers Chapel

Arkansas Moving Toward a Reduction in Football Classifications

by Jeff Fisher
Arkansas High School Football Huddle

Less than a week after releasing the 2012-2014 reclassification numbers, the Arkansas Activities Association is moving toward the reduction of classifications.

Sometime in July, the state's governing body will vote on going from six classifications to five.

There are two proposals that will be voted on. Both eliminate the current 7A classification.

Under the first proposal there would be 32 teams in 6A, 32 in 5A, 48 in 4A, 48 in 3A and the remaining teams in 2A. The second proposal would put the top 16 enrollment schools in a 6A class with the next 32 in 5A; followed by 32 in 4A, 64 in 3A and the remaining schools in 2A.

Click here to see the reclassification numbers.

Shiloh Christian is the Focus of PBS Documentary

by Jeff Fisher
Arkansas High School Football Huddle

Watch the full episode. See more FRONTLINE.

Caitlin McNally, who is one of the producers of Football High, which focuses on three-time Class 4A champ Shiloh Christian, was a guest on Sunday's NHSCA Sports Hour to talk about the PBS documentary.

It's a well-done documentary on the pressures associated with the explosive growth of high school football in America.

Click here to listen to McNally on the NHSCA Sports Hour.