The third week of the Arkansas high school football season brings another round of rankings from ArkansasVarsity.com, with several of the state’s traditional powers holding down top spots and other programs continuing to make their case early in the season.

Bentonville leads Class 7A, while Benton holds the top spot in Class 6A. Joe T. Robinson is No. 1 in Class 5A, Stuttgart leads Class 4A, Fordyce tops Class 3A and Mount Ida is first in Class 2A. Cedar Ridge leads the 8-man rankings.

Following are the Arkansas Varsity Week 3 rankings:

ArkansasVarsity.com Class 7A Rankings

1. Bentonville

2. Conway

3. Shiloh Christian

4. Bryant

5. Bentonville West

6. North Little Rock

7. Fayetteville

8. Pulaski Academy

9. Cabot

10. Springdale Har-Ber

ArkansasVarsity.com Class 6A Rankings

1. Benton

2. Searcy

3. Sylvan Hills

4. Mountain home

5. Sheridan

6. El Dorado

7. Van Buren

8. Jonesboro

9. Lake Hamilton

10. Little Rock Catholic

ArkansasVarsity.com Class 5A Rankings

1. Joe T. Robinson

2. Greenwood

3. Hot Springs Lakeside

4. Greenbrier

5. Farmington

6. Little Rock Parkview

7. Valley View

8. Jacksonville

9. Camden Fairview

10. Harrison

ArkansasVarsity.com Class 4A Rankings

1. Stuttgart

2. Nashville

3. Elkins

4. Gosnell

5. Arkadelphia

6. Ozark

7. Bauxite

8. Gravette

9. Fountain Lake

10. Lonoke

ArkansasVarsity.com Class 3A Rankings

1. Fordyce

2. Bismarck

3. Smackover

4. Rivercrest

5. Glen Rose

6. Prescott

7. Mansfield

8. Walnut Ridge

9. Palestine-Wheatley

10. Newport

ArkansasVarsity.com Class 2A Rankings

1. Mount Ida

2. Junction City

3. Baptist Prep

4. Gurdon

5. Bigelow

6. East Poinsett County

7. Earle

8. Hector

9. Poyen

10. Dierks

ArkansasVarsity.com 8-Man Rankings

1. Cedar Ridge

2. Corning

3. Magazine

4. Woodlawn

5. Izard County

Bentonville remained atop the Overall Top 10, while several changes occurred throughout the classifications in the Week 3 Arkansas Sports Media High School Football Poll for the week ending Sept. 12.

The Tigers received 12 first-place votes to remain No. 1 overall, followed by Conway. Shiloh Christian climbed two spots to No. 3, while Bentonville West remained fourth and Benton slipped to fifth.

Searcy and Benton finished tied for No. 1 in Class 6A, while Stuttgart remained the top-ranked team in Class 4A and Fordyce held onto No. 1 in Class 3A. Mount Ida continued to lead Class 2A.

Cedar Ridge took over the top spot in the 8-man rankings, moving ahead of previously No. 1 Corning.

Following is the Arkansas Sports Media High School Football Poll, including the Overall Top 10, the top five in Classes 7A, 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A and 2A, plus the top three in the 8-man division, as voted by a panel of sports media from around the state for the week ending Sept. 12. Ranking is given with first-place votes received, records, total points and ranking from the previous week’s poll:

OVERALL
Record Pts Prv

1. Bentonville (12) 2-0 165 1

2. Conway 2-1 135 2

3. Shiloh Christian (3) 3-0 127 5

4. Bentonville West (1) 3-0 109 4

5. Benton 1-1 73 3

6. Bryant (1) 0-3 69 6

7. Searcy 2-0 65 8

8. Joe T. Robinson 2-0 64 7

9. North Little Rock 3-0 59 9

10. Fayetteville 2-1 20 -

Others receiving votes: Greenwood 11, Sylvan Hills 9, Springdale Har-Ber 5, Farmington 5, HS Lakeside 5, Pulaski Academy 4, Mountain Home 3, Greenbrier 2, Sheridan 2, El Dorado 2, Stuttgart 1.

CLASS 7A
Record Pts Prv

1. Bentonville (12) 2-0 80 1

2. Conway 2-1 56 2

3. Shiloh Christian (3) 3-0 46 4

4. Bentonville West (1) 3-0 39 3

5. Bryant (1) 0-3 23 5

Others receiving votes: North Little Rock 10, Pulaski Academy 1.

CLASS 6A
Record Pts Prv

1(tie) Benton (9) 1-1 73 1

1(tie) Searcy (8) 2-0 73 2

3. Sylvan Hills 2-1 37 3

4. El Dorado 3-0 24 -

5. Mountain Home 2-1 23 5t

Others receiving votes: Sheridan 13, Van Buren 10, Jonesboro 2.

CLASS 5A
Record Pts Prv

1. Joe T. Robinson (14) 2-0 81 1

2. Greenwood (2) 1-2 52 2

3. Greenbrier 2-0 43 3

4. Farmington 3-0 33 4

5. HS Lakeside (1) 2-1 24 -

Others receiving votes: LR Parkview 12, Valley View 6, Jacksonville 4.

CLASS 4A
Record Pts Prv

1. Stuttgart (12) 3-0 72 1

2. Elkins (3) 2-0 51 2

3. Nashville (1) 3-0 49 3

4. Gosnell 3-0 18 5

5(tie) Gravette (1) 2-0 17 -

5(tie) Arkadelphia 2-1 17 -

Others receiving votes: Ozark 12, Fountain Lake 7, Hamburg 7, Bauxite 3, Lonoke 1, Pottsville 1.

CLASS 3A
Record Pts Prv

1. Fordyce (10) 1-1 67 1

2. Bismarck (1) 2-1 44 4

3. Rivercrest (1) 2-0 36 -

4. Smackover (2) 2-0 25 -

5. Glen Rose 1-2 23 3

Others receiving votes: Mansfield 21, Prescott (3) 18, Walnut Ridge 14, Palestine-Wheatley 3, Quitman 2, Newport 1, Cedarville 1.

CLASS 2A
Record Pts Prv

1. Mount Ida (14) 3-0 81 1

2. Junction City 1-2 40 1

3. Baptist Prep (1) 2-0 31 3

4. Bigelow 2-1 17 -

5. Gurdon 2-1 13 5

Others receiving votes: Earle (1) 12, East Poinsett County (1) 12, Hector 12, Dierks 11, Poyen 8, Hazen 6, Des Arc 6, Marked Tree 3, Carlisle 2, Bearden 1.

8-MAN
Record Pts Prv

1. Cedar Ridge (5) 3-0 25 2

2. Corning (6) 3-0 22 1

3(tie) Magazine (1) 1-0 7 -

3(tie) Woodlawn 1-1 7 3

Others receiving votes: Izard County 5, Rose Bud 4, Strong 3.

Carlisle School District Superintendent BJ Greene says a senior football player was incorrectly ejected from Friday night’s game against Des Arc, resulting in the player missing more than half of the contest.

In a statement released Sunday, Greene said he had received several questions about rumors that the player had been reinstated and wanted to clarify what the district knew about the situation.

Greene emphasized that Carlisle was not blaming the officiating crew for its loss to Des Arc.

“Simply put, Friday night Des Arc was the better football team and earned the win on the field,” Greene said. “I am also not saying the officials caused Carlisle to lose the football game. Des Arc earned that victory.”

Instead, Greene said his concerns were limited to the ejection of a Carlisle player, which he said was incorrectly called by the officiating crew.

According to Greene, the ejection occurred with approximately nine minutes remaining in the second quarter, causing the player to miss the remainder of the first half and the entire second half.

Greene said he has since spoken directly with the head official from the game and representatives of the Arkansas Activities Association.

“The head official acknowledged that his crew made a mistake, did not submit the ejection, and sent an email to the AAA explaining the error,” Greene said.

Greene said Saturday that he was still waiting for official confirmation from the AAA that the ejection had been reversed. Based on information he had received, however, Greene said he understood that the player would not face the additional punishment normally associated with an ejection and would be eligible to play in Carlisle’s next game.

Greene said Carlisle and the head official have also reviewed video of the play and that the official acknowledged the ejection.

The superintendent said he appreciated the official’s willingness to acknowledge the mistake and recognized the difficulty of officiating high school athletics.

“Officials have an extremely difficult job, and I understand that mistakes are going to happen during the course of an athletic contest,” Greene said. “At the same time, this particular mistake resulted in a senior student-athlete losing more than half of a football game that he cannot get back.”

Greene said he has communicated his concerns directly to the AAA and requested that the situation be addressed. He said he would allow the association an opportunity to respond before discussing those conversations publicly.

The superintendent also made clear that the district’s concerns about the ejection do not change its expectations for players and coaches.

“Our coaches and student-athletes are expected to conduct themselves appropriately and are held accountable when they do not,” Greene said. “We do not condone unsportsmanlike conduct, and that will not change because of this situation.”

Greene said he also believes he has a responsibility to advocate for Carlisle students when questions arise about whether they have been treated appropriately.

“I believe I have a responsibility as superintendent to ask questions, gather the facts, and advocate for our students when necessary,” Greene said. “That is what I have done in this situation, and I will continue to do so.”

The Arkansas Athletic Trainers’ Association is calling for greater accountability and consistent enforcement of student-athlete safety requirements amid growing concerns that some high school athletic programs are not following the same rules.

The association issued a statement addressing medical authority and student-athlete safety after ArkansasVarsity reported Friday that coaches and administrators around the state have raised questions about the Arkansas Activities Association’s Wet Bulb Globe Temperature guidelines and whether those requirements are being enforced consistently.

The AATA said it has received reports from athletic trainers and others involving “inconsistent adherence to established safety requirements” and challenges to the medical authority of health care professionals.

The association said the issue creates both a safety concern and a potential competitive imbalance when one school follows heat-related restrictions while another does not.

“We are also concerned that schools and healthcare professionals who follow these requirements may feel disadvantaged when the same standards are not consistently followed elsewhere,” the AATA said in its statement.

That concern closely mirrors one raised by coaches and administrators who spoke with ArkansasVarsity off the record.

Several have questioned whether the AAA’s WBGT restrictions are too stringent for football practices, particularly when similar restrictions do not apply to games. At the same time, some said their larger concern is that programs following the rules could be placed at a disadvantage if other schools ignore them without consequences.

The AAA confirmed last month that its WBGT requirements apply to practices but not contests. In an Aug. 17 clarification, the association said WBGT equipment must be placed on the same surface and in the same location where a team practices rather than in the shade. The AAA also said benefit games are considered contests and therefore are not subject to the practice requirements, although administrators should consider measures such as later starting times and additional breaks.

Under the AAA heat policy, restrictions become progressively more stringent as WBGT readings increase. Outdoor practices are prohibited when readings exceed 92 degrees.

The AATA’s statement goes beyond whether the existing thresholds are appropriate. Its position is that whatever safety standards are in place must be followed consistently.

“Policies addressing issues such as environmental heat exposure and concussion management exist because failure to follow them can have serious consequences,” the association said. “These policies protect student-athletes only when they are consistently implemented, respected, and enforced.”

The AATA said it has communicated its concerns directly to the Arkansas Activities Association and is “actively working with them to address these concerns.”

The association’s own heat-safety information highlights what it sees as an enforcement problem. The AATA says AAA member schools are expected to use WBGT measurements and follow heat-related practice modifications, but it also says enforcement is largely left to individual schools.

The issue moved into the spotlight this week following the resignation of longtime Lakeside athletic trainer Benjamin Lewis.

Lewis alleged that football coaches at Lakeside disregarded WBGT requirements and bypassed medical clearance decisions. He said he reported his concerns to administrators and was later told the heat rules would no longer be strictly enforced and that he should not confront coaches who bypassed his medical decisions.

Lakeside Superintendent Bruce Orr has disputed Lewis’ characterization of the circumstances surrounding his resignation. The AATA did not address the details of Lewis’ employment situation in its statement.

Instead, the association addressed the larger issue of who should have final authority when health and safety decisions are involved.

“Coaches should make coaching decisions. Healthcare professionals should make healthcare decisions,” the AATA said.

The organization said athletic trainers are nationally certified and state-licensed health care professionals who work under the direction of physicians and are trained to prevent, recognize, evaluate and manage injuries and illnesses associated with athletic participation.

“A medical restriction made by a qualified healthcare professional acting within the appropriate medical structure should not be overridden by non-medical personnel,” the association said.

The debate leaves Arkansas high school athletics with two separate questions.

One is whether the current WBGT restrictions are appropriate. Some coaches believe the practice rules are too restrictive and can interfere with properly acclimating players to the conditions they will encounter during games.

The other is whether schools are actually following the rules that currently exist.

On that issue, coaches questioning the system and athletic trainers defending it appear to have found some common ground: If Arkansas is going to have statewide heat-safety requirements, every program should be expected to follow them.

The AATA said it intends to continue working with schools, coaches, administrators, physicians and the AAA to make sure established standards are followed and medical decisions are respected.

“Advocating for athletic trainers and protecting student-athletes are inseparable,” the association said.

When Kevin Kelley took over the Sheridan football program, he talked about doing things that hadn’t been done in a long time.

Three games into his latest season with the Yellowjackets, Sheridan has accomplished one of them.

Sheridan is 3-0 for the first time since 2000 after Friday night’s 51-13 victory over Warren, and Kelley believes the start is a reflection of a senior class that has grown up in his program and embraced what he and his coaching staff have asked of it.

Kelley admitted he didn’t realize just how long it had been since Sheridan last opened a season with three consecutive victories.

“Somebody had said it’s been a long time, but with you reciting what it was, I mean, that’s 26 years,” Kelley said. “I couldn’t be more proud of the kids.”

Read more

Week 2 of the Arkansas high school football season delivered everything from one-point thrillers and overtime finishes to several dominant performances Friday night.

One of the night’s biggest results came at War Memorial Stadium, where national power St. Frances Academy of Maryland defeated Bryant 40-7 in the Patriot Bowl.

Hot Springs Lakeside pulled out one of the closest wins of the night, edging Benton 42-41, while Green Forest needed overtime to defeat Mountain View 21-20. West Memphis survived another thriller with a 39-36 victory over Wynne.

Sheridan continued its strong start by rolling past Warren 51-13. The Yellowjackets improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2001 behind an offense that produced 465 yards on 27 plays with its starters in the game for less than a half.

Several other teams turned in convincing performances.

Conway shut out Marion 48-0, while Stuttgart defeated White Hall 55-12. Farmington rolled past Prairie Grove 49-7, Fort Smith Northside beat Russellville 42-6 and Marked Tree defeated Episcopal Collegiate 44-6.

El Dorado handed Pine Bluff a 42-7 loss, while Jacksonville doubled up Lake Hamilton 40-20. Little Rock Central defeated Little Rock Southwest 35-3.

There was no shortage of offense elsewhere.

Heber Springs scored 60 points in a 60-41 victory over Dardanelle. Fayetteville outlasted Sylvan Hills 52-42, Greenbrier defeated Van Buren 50-42, Dover edged Berryville 55-48 and Rivercrest won a 54-43 shootout against Paragould.

Nashville scored 54 points in a 54-34 victory over Arkansas High, while Hamburg defeated Camden Fairview 55-28 and Dierks topped Fouke 55-34.

Not every game turned into an offensive showcase.

Arkadelphia held off Bauxite 10-6, Morrilton defeated Harding Academy 14-6 and Malvern earned a 21-14 victory over Haskell Harmony Grove. Springdale Har-Ber also picked up a close victory, defeating Little Rock Christian Academy 21-16.

Week 2 scores

St. Frances Academy (Md.) 40, Bryant 7

Hot Springs Lakeside 42, Benton 41

Arkadelphia 10, Bauxite 6

Bismarck 33, Glen Rose 28

Maumelle 34, Hot Springs 19

Jacksonville 40, Lake Hamilton 20

Sheridan 51, Warren 13

Springdale Har-Ber 21, Little Rock Christian Academy 16

Morrilton 14, Harding Academy 6

Little Rock Central 35, Little Rock Southwest 3

Farmington 49, Prairie Grove 7

Fayetteville 52, Sylvan Hills 42

Greenwood 28, Rogers 14

North Little Rock 42, Springdale 17

Conway 48, Marion 0

Stuttgart 55, White Hall 12

Hamburg 55, Camden Fairview 28

Alma 28, Vilonia 17

Dover 55, Berryville 48

Heber Springs 60, Dardanelle 41

Malvern 21, Haskell Harmony Grove 14

Quitman 42, Conway Christian 19

Dierks 55, Fouke 34

Bigelow 22, Perryville 13

Rivercrest 54, Paragould 43

Fort Smith Northside 42, Russellville 6

Valley View 30, Jonesboro 21

West Memphis 39, Wynne 36

Pryor (Okla.) 43, Fort Smith Southside 7

Greenbrier 50, Van Buren 42

Mountain Home 44, Rolla (Mo.) 21

Mills University 47, Monticello 28

Batesville 41, Beebe 14

Green Forest 21, Mountain View 20, OT

Star City 39, Drew Central 28

Marked Tree 44, Episcopal Collegiate 6

Haynesville (La.) 23, Junction City 7

Poyen 38, Magnet Cove 14

Nashville 54, Arkansas High 34

DeWitt 37, Helena-West Helena 18

El Dorado 42, Pine Bluff 7

WARREN — Sheridan quarterback Easton Barksdale threw for 345 yards and five touchdowns, and the Yellowjackets scored twice on interception returns in a 51-13 victory over Warren on Friday night.

The game was called early in the third quarter after lightning moved into the area. By that point, Sheridan had already built a 38-point advantage and improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2000.

Sheridan’s starting offense finished with 465 yards on just 27 plays despite playing less than a full half.

Barksdale completed 20 of 21 passes, spreading the ball among a group of receivers that Warren struggled to contain. Dylan Smith caught four passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns, Walker Shields had six receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown, and Hunter Social caught three passes for 57 yards and a score.

Isaiah Stephens provided another big-play threat, rushing five times for 91 yards and a touchdown while adding an 80-yard touchdown reception.

Read more

There probably aren’t any Arkansas high school football coaches who would argue against protecting kids from dangerous heat.

That’s not really the argument that is currently ongoing.

The argument some coaches and school administrators are making privately is whether the Arkansas Activities Association’s Wet Bulb Globe Temperature guidelines have gone too far — and whether everybody is actually playing by the same rules.

ArkansasVarsity.com has spoken off the record with multiple coaches and administrators who believe Arkansas’ WBGT restrictions are too strict when it comes to football practices. They have questioned how a team can be told conditions are too dangerous to practice normally, yet those same players can be allowed to line up and play a football game in similar heat.

That’s a fair question, but there’s another side to this thing, too.

Lakeside High School athletic trainer Benjamin Lewis resigned this week after 10 years at the school, alleging coaches and administrators repeatedly disregarded medical decisions and student-athlete safety protocols — including WBGT requirements. Lakeside Superintendent Bruce Orr disputes Lewis’ characterization of what happened.

Now the Arkansas Athletic Trainers’ Association has gotten involved, saying it has concerns about whether established safety requirements are being followed consistently around the state.

Put all of that together, and Arkansas high school athletics has a conversation that probably needs to happen.

Not next year. Not after something bad happens. It needs to happen now.

What coaches are saying privately

WBGT isn’t simply the temperature you see when you open the weather app on your phone. It takes several environmental factors into consideration to determine the amount of heat stress being placed on an athlete.

The AAA uses those readings to determine what teams can and cannot do during outdoor practices.

As the reading climbs, restrictions increase.

Nobody I have spoken with is saying coaches should be able to drag kids outside in dangerous conditions, deny them water and run them until they fall over.

Those days need to stay in the past.

What I am hearing instead is that some coaches believe the rules have become so restrictive that they’re making it harder to properly prepare football players for the conditions they’re eventually going to face.

This is Arkansas.It’s hot in August. It’s usually hot in September. Humidity can make an 85-degree afternoon feel downright miserable.

And football season isn’t moving to November.

Coaches have questioned whether limiting what players can do during practice actually prepares them to play when Friday night rolls around and the conditions aren’t much different.

That practice-versus-game distinction has been a particular source of frustration.

If it’s too dangerous to practice football at a certain WBGT reading on Thursday, coaches want to know why it can suddenly be acceptable to play football under similar conditions on Friday.

There’s also the matter of pushing practices later and later into the evening waiting for the reading to drop.

That affects coaches. It affects players. It affects parents who have to pick those players up. It affects kids who still have homework to do and have to be back at school the next morning.

Those aren’t reasons to ignore legitimate medical dangers. They are reasons to have a discussion about whether the current rules are accomplishing exactly what they’re intended to accomplish.

Then there’s the enforcement problem

This is where the conversation gets complicated.

Some coaches and administrators have also told ArkansasVarsity.com they don’t believe AAA rules and guidelines are consistently enforced the way they’re written.

Their argument is pretty simple: If School A follows every rule to the letter while School B doesn’t, School A shouldn’t be punished for doing the right thing.

Interestingly enough, athletic trainers are now saying something pretty similar.

They’re just coming at it from the other direction.

The Arkansas Athletic Trainers’ Association said it is increasingly concerned about reports from athletic trainers and others across the state involving inconsistent adherence to established safety requirements. The organization specifically said schools and health care professionals following the requirements could feel disadvantaged when the same standards aren’t being followed elsewhere.

That’s important.

Because before anybody decides whether the rules are too strict, we probably need to know whether the rules we already have are being followed equally.

If one school is shutting down or changing practice because its WBGT reading requires it while another school down the road keeps rolling along, we’ve got a problem.

And if that’s happening, writing another rule in the handbook isn’t going to fix it. Enforcement will.

Lakeside situation brings issue into the open

Until this week, much of what I have heard about WBGT regulations came during private conversations.

Lewis’ resignation changed that.

Lewis alleged football coaches at Lakeside recently disregarded WBGT requirements and bypassed medical clearance decisions made by athletic trainers or physicians. He further alleged that after reporting those concerns, he was told WBGT requirements would no longer be strictly enforced and that he shouldn’t confront coaches who bypassed his medical decisions.

Those are Lewis’ allegations, and they shouldn’t be presented as established fact.

Orr has disputed Lewis’ characterization of the events.

“While I respect his right to share his perspective, I do not agree with his characterization of the events and circumstances described in his public resignation letter,” Orr said.

Lewis also said policies established at Lakeside in 2018 gave sports medicine personnel, working under the direction of team physicians, final authority over whether athletes could participate. He alleged some of those medical decisions had been overruled by administrators.

The Arkansas Athletic Trainers’ Association didn’t comment specifically on Lewis’ employment situation, but its statement left little doubt about where it stands on medical authority.

“Coaches should make coaching decisions. Healthcare professionals should make healthcare decisions,” the association said.

That’s pretty hard to argue with.

A football coach shouldn’t be diagnosing a concussion.

A superintendent shouldn’t be deciding whether an injured knee is ready for contact.

And an athletic trainer shouldn’t be calling plays on 3rd-and-7.

Everybody has a job, and they should stick to that job.

Maybe both sides have a point

That’s what could get lost if this turns into another argument where everybody picks a side and starts yelling.

Two things can be true.

Arkansas’ WBGT guidelines can be overly restrictive in some situations and still serve an important purpose.

Coaches can legitimately question those restrictions while athletic trainers can legitimately demand that the rules currently on the books be followed until they’re changed.

And there is a big difference between saying a rule needs to be changed and simply deciding not to follow it.

If coaches and administrators believe the WBGT guidelines aren’t practical, take that argument to the AAA. Put together the information. Talk to doctors and athletic trainers. Get coaches involved. Look at how Arkansas kids acclimate to Arkansas weather. Then decide whether something needs to change.

But until it changes, everybody needs to be playing by the same rules.

That’s really the heart of this entire issue.

Coaches deserve reasonable rules that allow them to prepare their teams.

Athletic trainers deserve the authority to do the medical job they’re trained and licensed to do.

Most importantly, kids deserve to know the adults making these decisions are putting their safety ahead of winning a football game.

The answer probably isn’t getting rid of heat guidelines.

It also shouldn’t be treating every question about those guidelines as though somebody doesn’t care about player safety.

Arkansas needs to take a good hard look at the rules, decide whether they make sense and then make darn sure everybody follows whatever rules we decide to have.

That seems like a pretty reasonable place to start.

The 2026 high school football season gives ArkansasVarsity.com another opportunity to evaluate one of the state’s deepest groups of rising seniors.

The ArkansasVarsity.com Class of 2027 Top 25 is about more than recruiting attention. These rankings are our evaluation of the best players in Arkansas based on production, physical ability, potential, impact on their high school teams and what we’ve seen from them entering and during their senior seasons.

These rankings will remain fluid. Players will move. New names will emerge. What happens on Friday nights matters.

For our first Class of 2027 Top 25, Bryant defensive standout Samuel Nelson takes the No. 1 spot, while Marion running back Jeremiah Dent and Jacksonville running back Mason Ball round out the top three.

Sheridan is particularly well represented with three players in the Top 20 — Isaiah Stephens, Bradley Sturdivant and Eythan Cowden.

Read more

With the 2026 Arkansas high school football season entering its third week, several players have already put together eye-catching numbers on both sides of the football.

Statewide statistics show big starts from players representing programs across the classification spectrum, with Pulaski Academy, Sheridan, Booneville, Nashville and Hector among the schools represented near the top of the offensive leaderboards.

Read more

Arkansas high school football enters another busy Friday night with intriguing matchups scattered across the state, ranging from national-level showdowns to games featuring traditional powers and teams looking to establish themselves as contenders.

Bryant will take on one of the nation’s premier programs, while Arkansas’ top-ranked team heads across state lines. Sheridan, meanwhile, puts an undefeated record and one of the state’s most explosive offenses on the line at Warren.

Here are 10 games worth watching Friday night:

Read more

Lakeside High School athletic trainer Benjamin Lewis has resigned from his position, alleging school administrators and coaches repeatedly disregarded medical decisions and student-athlete safety protocols, including heat-related safety requirements.

Lakeside School District Superintendent Bruce Orr disputed Lewis’ characterization of events while praising his work at the district and saying officials are working to find a qualified replacement.

Lewis announced his resignation in a written statement, saying it was effective immediately and that he had also delivered a physical resignation letter to the high school office.

Lewis said he spent the past 10 years developing Lakeside Sports Medicine and helped establish policies in 2018 that gave the school’s sports medicine staff, under the direction of team physicians, final authority over athletes’ participation status.

Read more

Barton will play 8-man football in 2026, a move that will have an impact well beyond the Bears’ program as the high school football season gets underway across Arkansas.

The Barton School District announced it does not have enough senior high players to safely field an 11-man team this fall and is working to transition the Bears to an 8-man schedule.

For Barton, the move allows its players to continue competing rather than canceling the season.

For the rest of the 8-3A Conference, it creates an unexpected hole in the schedule.

Read more

The 2026 Arkansas high school football season has arrived, and several traditional powers will begin the year atop the inaugural Arkansas Varsity rankings.

Bryant leads Class 7A, while Benton takes the top spot in Class 6A. Greenwood opens at No. 1 in Class 5A, Stuttgart leads Class 4A and Fordyce begins the season atop Class 3A.

Junction City is the No. 1 team in Class 2A, while Cedar Ridge takes the top spot in the 8-man rankings.

While preseason rankings provide an early look at the teams expected to contend for state championships, Week 0 will begin the process of determining which teams live up to those expectations and which programs emerge as early-season surprises.

Following are the Arkansas Varsity Week 0 rankings:

ArkansasVarsity.com Class 7A Rankings

1. Bryant

2. Conway

3. Bentonville

4. Shiloh Christian

5. Bentonville West

6. Fayetteville

7. North Little Rock

8. Cabot

9. Pulaski Academy

10. Springdale Har-Ber

Bryant enters as the clear team to beat in the state’s largest classification, while Conway and Bentonville begin immediately behind the Hornets. Shiloh Christian and Bentonville West complete a strong Top 5.

ArkansasVarsity.com Class 6A Rankings

1. Benton

2. Mountain Home

3. Searcy

4. Sylvan Hills

5. Marion

6. El Dorado

7. Sheridan

8. Van Buren

9. Jonesboro

10. Fort Smith Southside

Benton begins the season as Arkansas Varsity’s No. 1 team in Class 6A. Mountain Home gets the slight edge over Searcy for second, while Sylvan Hills and Marion round out the Top 5.

ArkansasVarsity.com Class 5A Rankings

1. Greenwood

2. Joe T. Robinson

3. Hot Springs Lakeside

4. Greenbrier

5. Farmington

6. Little Rock Parkview

7. Camden Fairview

8. Valley View

9. Harrison

10. Wynne

Few classifications appear deeper entering the season than Class 5A. Greenwood and Joe T. Robinson lead the way, while Lakeside moves into the No. 3 position ahead of Greenbrier. Farmington completes the Top 5, with perennial power Parkview waiting at No. 6.

ArkansasVarsity.com Class 4A Rankings

1. Stuttgart

2. Nashville

3. Elkins

4. Bauxite

5. Warren

6. Arkadelphia

7. Monticello

8. Southside Batesville

9. Booneville

10. Ozark

Stuttgart begins as the favorite in Class 4A, but there is plenty of championship pedigree behind the Ricebirds. Nashville and Elkins occupy the next two positions, while Bauxite and Warren complete the Top 5. Arkadelphia sits just outside that group at No. 6.

ArkansasVarsity.com Class 3A Rankings

1. Fordyce

2. Bismarck

3. Mansfield

4. Atkins

5. Glen Rose

6. Rivercrest

7. Charleston

8. Smackover

9. Newport

10. Walnut Ridge

Fordyce begins the year atop Class 3A, with Bismarck and Mansfield close behind. Atkins moves into the No. 4 position, followed by Glen Rose. Rivercrest and Charleston lead the second half of a Top 10 that could see considerable movement once games begin.

ArkansasVarsity.com Class 2A Rankings

1. Junction City

2. Mount Ida

3. Magnet Cove

4. Des Arc

5. Carlisle

6. Baptist Prep

7. Bigelow

8. Earle

9. Bearden

10. Poyen

Junction City gets the preseason nod in Class 2A, followed by Mount Ida. Magnet Cove moves into the third spot, while Des Arc and Carlisle complete the Top 5. Baptist Prep leads the second half at No. 6.

ArkansasVarsity.com 8-Man Rankings

1. Cedar Ridge

2. Strong

3. Corning

4. Woodlawn

5. Magazine

6. Lafayette County

7. Izard County

8. Southside Bee Branch

9. Johnson County Westside

10. Rose Bud

Cedar Ridge begins as Arkansas Varsity’s top-ranked 8-man program, while Strong-Huttig and Corning occupy the next two positions.

Woodlawn starts at No. 4 and will face an early challenge with starting quarterback Ethan Saeler expected to miss most of the season after undergoing surgery during the summer. Saeler is expected to have an opportunity to return late in the season.

Magazine rounds out the Top 5, with Lafayette County, Izard County, Southside Bee Branch, Johnson County Westside and Rose Bud completing the rankings.

The 2026 Arkansas high school football season arrives with familiar powers at the top, programs facing new challenges and several championship races that could look considerably different by the time the playoffs arrive.

Bryant remains the standard at the state’s highest level. Benton enters as the clear preseason favorite in Class 6A. Class 5A could produce one of the deepest championship races in Arkansas, while Stuttgart, Fordyce and Junction City begin the year atop their respective classifications. Meanwhile, in 8-man football, the race appears wide open.

Read more

Bryant will begin the 2026 high school football season as the top-ranked team in Arkansas.

The Hornets received all 12 first-place votes in the Overall Top 10 and Class 7A rankings in the 2026 Preseason Arkansas Sports Media High School Football Poll, which is voted on by a panel of sports media members from across the state.

Bryant collected 120 points in the overall poll, followed by Bentonville with 102 and Conway with 101.

Benton and Bentonville West tied for fourth with 57 points apiece, while Shiloh Christian, Greenwood, Joe T. Robinson, North Little Rock and Fayetteville rounded out the Overall Top 10.

Benton received 11 of the 12 first-place votes to lead Class 6A, while Greenwood edged Joe T. Robinson for the top spot in Class 5A. Stuttgart begins the season No. 1 in Class 4A, Fordyce leads Class 3A and Junction City holds the top spot in Class 2A.

Cedar Ridge is the preseason No. 1 team in the 8-man division.

Following is the complete preseason poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, followed by record and total points:

Overall Top 10

1. Bryant (12)
Record: 0-0
Points: 120

2. Bentonville
Record: 0-0
Points: 102

3. Conway
Record: 0-0
Points: 101

T-4. Benton
Record: 0-0
Points: 57

T-4. Bentonville West
Record: 0-0
Points: 57

6. Shiloh Christian
Record: 0-0
Points: 50

7. Greenwood
Record: 0-0
Points: 45

8. Joe T. Robinson
Record: 0-0
Points: 29

9. North Little Rock
Record: 0-0
Points: 27

10. Fayetteville
Record: 0-0
Points: 19

Others receiving votes: Rogers 18, Searcy 10, Mountain Home 6, Little Rock Christian 6, Cabot 5, Pulaski Academy 3, Stuttgart 3, Little Rock Parkview 1, Springdale Har-Ber 1.

Class 7A

1. Bryant (12)
Record: 0-0
Points: 60

2. Bentonville
Record: 0-0
Points: 42

3. Conway
Record: 0-0
Points: 41

4. Bentonville West
Record: 0-0
Points: 15

5. Shiloh Christian
Record: 0-0
Points: 11

Others receiving votes: North Little Rock 6, Fayetteville 4, Pulaski Academy 1.

Class 6A

1. Benton (11)
Record: 0-0
Points: 59

2. Searcy (1)
Record: 0-0
Points: 44

3. Mountain Home
Record: 0-0
Points: 33

T-4. Marion
Record: 0-0
Points: 10

T-4. Sylvan Hills
Record: 0-0
Points: 10

T-4. Van Buren
Record: 0-0
Points: 10

Others receiving votes: Fort Smith Southside 6, El Dorado 6, Jonesboro 2.

Class 5A

1. Greenwood (8)
Record: 0-0
Points: 56

2. Joe T. Robinson (4)
Record: 0-0
Points: 52

3. Greenbrier
Record: 0-0
Points: 21

4. Little Rock Parkview
Record: 0-0
Points: 17

5. Farmington
Record: 0-0
Points: 16

Others receiving votes: Hot Springs Lakeside 12, Valley View 6.

Class 4A

1. Stuttgart (8)
Record: 0-0
Points: 54

2. Elkins (4)
Record: 0-0
Points: 35

3. Nashville
Record: 0-0
Points: 24

4. Arkadelphia
Record: 0-0
Points: 22

5. Warren
Record: 0-0
Points: 21

Others receiving votes: Bauxite 8, Gosnell 5, Booneville 3, Southside Batesville 2, Ozark 2, Lonoke 2, Monticello 1, Gravette 1.

Class 3A

1. Fordyce (8)
Record: 0-0
Points: 55

2. Mansfield (4)
Record: 0-0
Points: 39

3. Glen Rose
Record: 0-0
Points: 32

4. Bismarck
Record: 0-0
Points: 27

5. Salem
Record: 0-0
Points: 7

Others receiving votes: Rivercrest 6, Atkins 5, Charleston 5, Prescott 3, Smackover 1.

Class 2A

1. Junction City (8)
Record: 0-0
Points: 54

2. Mount Ida (2)
Record: 0-0
Points: 47

3. Des Arc (1)
Record: 0-0
Points: 27

4. Carlisle
Record: 0-0
Points: 18

5. Magnet Cove
Record: 0-0
Points: 13

Others receiving votes: Baptist Prep (1) 9, East Poinsett County 5, Earle 4, Cross County 1, Poyen 1, Hackett 1.

8-man

1. Cedar Ridge (5)
Record: 0-0
Points: 17

T-2. Corning (3)
Record: 0-0
Points: 13

T-2. Strong-Huttig (2)
Record: 0-0
Points: 13

Others receiving votes: Woodlawn (1) 11, Magazine 7, Izard County 3, Lafayette County 1, Johnson County Westside 1.

Conway secured the first spot in the championship game of the 2026 Arkansas American Legion AAA State Tournament on Sunday, while Fort Smith stayed alive by eliminating Sheridan to set up a Monday showdown with host Bryant.

Conway remained unbeaten in the tournament by routing Bryant 11-0 in the winners bracket final, while Fort Smith defeated Sheridan 11-5 in an elimination game.

Bryant and Fort Smith will meet at 5 p.m. Monday in the tournament’s final elimination game. The winner will advance to face Conway in the state championship game at 7:30 p.m.

Read more

The opening two days of the 2026 Arkansas American Legion AAA State Tournament featured offensive outbursts, comeback victories and dominant pitching performances as five of the state’s top teams battled to keep their championship hopes alive.

Sheridan opened tournament play with an impressive comeback win over Cabot before falling to host Bryant, while Conway advanced in the winners bracket behind a standout performance from Braxton Harbin. Bryant also remained unbeaten after erupting for 13 first-inning runs against Sheridan.

Read more

Arkansas American Legion baseball’s summer season reaches its final stage Friday as five of the state’s top Senior AAA programs battle for a state championship at Bryant High School.

The five-team, double-elimination tournament begins Friday evening and concludes Tuesday, with Bryant, Cabot, Conway, Fort Smith and Sheridan all vying for the title and an opportunity to advance beyond the state tournament.

The five-team format gives tournament host Bryant a first-round bye, while the other four clubs must survive an opening-round matchup to remain in the winners bracket.

Tournament play opens Friday at 7 p.m. when Sheridan faces Cabot in Game 1. The winner advances to face Bryant at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Game 3, while the loser drops immediately into the elimination bracket.

The tournament’s second opening-round contest will be played Saturday at 5 p.m., matching Fort Smith against Conway in Game 2. The winners of Games 2 and 3 will meet Sunday at 5 p.m. in the winners bracket final with a berth in Monday night’s championship bracket game on the line.

For the teams that suffer an early loss, the road to a championship becomes considerably more difficult.

The losers bracket begins Sunday at 2:30 p.m. with the losers of the opening-round games meeting in Game 4. The winner advances to Sunday’s 7:30 p.m. contest against the loser of Game 3, while Monday’s schedule features another elimination game at 5 p.m. before the undefeated winners bracket champion meets the last remaining team from the losers bracket at 7:30 p.m. in the championship.

If needed, a Tuesday championship game is scheduled for 6 p.m if the team from the losers bracket defeats the team from the winners bracket.

Each of the five teams enters the tournament believing it has the pitching depth and roster to make a championship run, but managing arms over a five-day, double-elimination event will likely be one of the biggest factors in determining the eventual champion.

The 2026 Arkansas American Legion Senior AAA State Tournament runs Friday through Tuesday at Bryant High School, where one team will emerge as state champion after surviving one of the summer’s most demanding postseason formats.

Eligibility rules, football classification, sportsmanship penalties and a complete rewrite of the Arkansas Activities Association handbook are among the issues that will come before member schools when the AAA Governing Body convenes for its annual meeting Monday.

The meeting is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. July 27 at the Statehouse Convention Center in downtown Little Rock. Representatives from member schools across Arkansas will vote on 13 proposals that could affect student-athletes beginning with the 2026-27 school year, while several football-related measures would not take effect until future classification cycles.

Among the most notable proposals are a simplified eligibility rule for junior high and high school students, increased penalties for fighting, revisions to the state’s football competitive equity model and a comprehensive modernization of the AAA Constitution and Bylaws.

The proposals are as follows:

Proposal No. 1 — Intradistrict Participation

The first proposal would create a new rule allowing seventh- and eighth-grade students to participate in classes, academic programs or extracurricular activities at another school within the same district if those opportunities are not available at the school they attend.

The proposal gives local administrators discretion to approve participation as long as the activity is offered at the same competitive level.

Supporters say the change provides flexibility for districts with multiple campuses, allowing students greater access to academic and extracurricular opportunities without transferring schools.

The proposal requires a majority vote, would take effect during the 2026-27 school year and is open to voting by all junior high and middle schools. The AAA Board of Directors unanimously recommended approval on an 18-0 vote.

Proposal No. 2 — Years of Eligibility

One of the most significant proposals would simplify eligibility rules by tying participation directly to a student’s first enrollment in grades seven, eight and nine.

Under the proposal, students would receive one calendar year of eligibility after initially enrolling in seventh grade, one calendar year after initially enrolling in eighth grade and four consecutive calendar years beginning with their first enrollment in ninth grade.

Students repeating seventh or eighth grade would become ineligible until advancing to the next grade level.

According to the proposal, the change eliminates complicated interpretations involving semesters, participation opportunities and previous eligibility determinations by replacing them with clearly defined eligibility periods.

The measure requires a majority vote, applies to all schools and received unanimous support from the Board of Directors.

Proposal No. 3 — Athletic Dead Periods

The AAA is also proposing revisions clarifying both its summer and Christmas athletic dead periods.

Schools would continue observing the mandatory two-week summer dead period during the week before July 4 and the week of July 4, when coaches would be prohibited from conducting practices, workouts, training sessions, competitions or travel with student-athletes. Athletic facilities would remain closed during that period.

The proposal also clarifies that schools possessing the only baseball or softball fields or track facilities within their communities could allow public use during the dead period, provided school teams are not participating and school coaches are not involved.

The proposal also formalizes a three-day Christmas dead period. Schools would choose three consecutive days between Dec. 23-27 during which coaches could not conduct athletic activities and school athletic facilities would be closed.

The Board unanimously recommends approval.

Proposal No. 4 — Junior Varsity Volleyball Limits

Another volleyball proposal would increase scheduling opportunities for junior varsity programs.

Currently, varsity teams are limited to 30 regular-season matches. Under the proposal, junior varsity teams would be permitted to play up to 20 matches.

Junior high varsity teams would remain limited to either 20 matches and two invitational tournaments or 18 matches and three tournaments, while middle schools would continue to be limited to 18 matches.

Supporters say the proposal would improve player development while giving schools additional opportunities to schedule nonconference competition.

The proposal requires a majority vote from high schools and would take effect during the 2026-27 school year.

Proposal No. 5 — Volleyball Benefit Events

A companion volleyball proposal would move the start date for benefit events supporting the AAA Catastrophe Insurance Fund.

Rather than limiting benefit matches to earlier portions of the season, schools would be allowed to hold one varsity-only benefit event between Weeks 6 and 16.

Supporters say the adjustment reflects changes to the volleyball calendar, including expanded regional competition, while providing additional scheduling flexibility and helping reduce player fatigue.

If approved, the change would take effect during the 2027-28 school year and requires a two-thirds constitutional vote.

Proposal No. 6 — AAA Handbook Rewrite (Bylaws)

Member schools will also consider approving an extensive rewrite of the AAA Bylaws.

Association officials say the rewrite modernizes the handbook by updating outdated language, aligning policies with current laws and practices, simplifying rules, improving organization, protecting against litigation and making the handbook easier to understand and reference.

Although the rewrite does not necessarily create sweeping policy changes, it represents one of the most comprehensive organizational updates to the governing document in recent years.

The proposal requires a majority vote and received unanimous approval from the Board of Directors.

Proposal No. 7 — AAA Constitution Rewrite

Closely related to Proposal No. 6, this measure would modernize the AAA Constitution using many of the same objectives.

Association officials say the constitutional rewrite is intended to improve consistency, reflect current practices, simplify administration and provide clearer references throughout the handbook.

Because it amends the Constitution, the proposal requires approval by two-thirds of the voting membership.

The Board unanimously recommends passage.

Proposal No. 8 — Increased Fighting Penalties

The AAA is proposing tougher consequences for fighting by athletes, coaches, administrators and spectators.

Under current rules, most ejections result in missing the next comparable contest.

If approved, anyone ejected for fighting would receive enhanced penalties. A first offense would result in suspension for the next two comparable contests or eight football quarters. A second fighting ejection during the same season would result in suspension for four comparable contests or 16 football quarters.

The proposal also expands the handbook’s definition of fighting to include attempted punches, kicks or strikes regardless of whether contact occurs, as well as unsporting conduct intended to provoke another individual into fighting.

Association officials say the proposal is intended to strengthen sportsmanship and discourage violent conduct.

The Board voted 17-0 to recommend approval.

Proposal No. 9 — Senior Accountability for Fighting

A related proposal would eliminate what some schools view as a loophole for graduating seniors.

Under the proposed rule, seniors ejected for fighting during the final contest of a sport would be required to serve the suspension in the next sport they participate in during the same school year.

Supporters say the proposal ensures seniors remain accountable rather than avoiding penalties simply because their season has ended.

The Board unanimously recommends passage.

Proposal No. 10 — Public School Football Competitive Equity

Perhaps the most debated proposal would create an optional classification adjustment for struggling public-school football programs.

Schools winning 20% or fewer of their conference games in three of the previous four seasons could choose to move down one classification.

To remain in the lower classification, those schools would have to maintain a conference winning percentage below 30% during the following two-year cycle and could not win a state playoff game.

The proposal also limits schools to one classification reduction, applies only to public schools and would not force another school to move up if conferences become larger than eight teams.

Supporters argue some football programs struggle because actual participation numbers are significantly lower than student enrollment figures used for classification.

The AAA Board of Directors, however, voted 18-1 to recommend defeating the proposal, saying schools should compete in the classification assigned by average membership.

If approved, the measure would begin with the 2028-30 classification cycle.

Proposal No. 11 — Act 91 Participation

This proposal addresses students affected by unusual district reorganizations.

The amendment would allow participation opportunities created under Act 91 to continue following Act 919 of the 2025 Regular Session, which allows formation of an isolated school district.

Students whose schools become separated through the legislative process could continue participating with their previously consolidated district when their assigned school does not offer the same academic or extracurricular opportunities.

The Board of Directors issued no recommendation, instead allowing member schools to decide the issue.

Proposal No. 12 — 6A Conference Certification

The proposal would revise postseason qualification procedures for 6A baseball, basketball, soccer, softball and volleyball.

Rather than automatically advancing a fixed number of teams from conferences with uneven membership, the proposal would determine state tournament qualifiers using a percentage-based formula designed to keep postseason access relatively equal.

For example, under the proposal, a nine-team conference would qualify seven teams while a seven-team conference would qualify five teams, creating similar qualification percentages.

Supporters say the change promotes competitive equity, transparency and consistency as conference membership fluctuates.

The proposal affects only 6A schools, requires a two-thirds vote and received no recommendation from the Board of Directors.

Proposal No. 13 — Competitive Equity Football Point System

The final proposal would significantly revise the competitive equity model used for non-public school football programs.

The proposal resets current football competitive equity placements before implementing a new point system beginning with the 2028-30 classification cycle.

Rather than accumulating multiple categories of points, schools would receive only the highest point value earned each season. Programs would receive one point for winning or receiving a bye in a state playoff game, two points for reaching the semifinals, three points for advancing to the state championship game and four points for winning a state title.

Programs earning zero or one point could potentially move down one classification, provided they also meet additional competitive requirements. Schools earning between two and five points would remain in their current classification, while programs accumulating six or more points over the two-year evaluation period would move up one classification.

The proposal also limits classification adjustments to one level per cycle and includes transition provisions for schools currently classified more than one level above their enrollment-based placement.

AAA officials say the revised model creates a more balanced method of determining whether non-public football programs should move between classifications based on competitive success rather than enrollment alone.

The Board of Directors voted unanimously to recommend approval.

If adopted, several of the proposals would take effect immediately for the 2026-27 school year, while the football classification changes would be phased in during future competitive cycles. Member schools will decide the fate of all 13 proposals during Monday’s annual Governing Body meeting.