Prep RedZone Arkansas Mid-Season Progress Report Part One
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With the state of Arkansas having just finished up week five in high school football it is time for some progress reports on teams and players that have impressed over the past five weeks. Pleasant surprises make the list as…
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Continue ReadingWith the state of Arkansas having just finished up week five in high school football it is time for some progress reports on teams and players that have impressed over the past five weeks. Pleasant surprises make the list as well some guys that going into the season you would expect to find excelling. With half of the season still to go until the playoffs, you can expect to see more names at the end of the season progress report.
Starting first with the teams across the state that have been performing at a high level. We will try to touch on several teams and players in the conferences across the state. Starting first with the 7-A Conference in Arkansas. The defending state champions Bryant Hornets do not appear to have lost much from a state championship team. Running back Chris Gannaway Chris Gannaway 5'10" | 175 lbs | RB Bryant | 2023 State AR has a great burst and has drawn the attention of Oklahoma State and Kansas this season.
Meanwhile, in Northwest Arkansas both Bentonville and Fayetteville are each off to 2-0 starts in conference play. Each team has dynamic options on the offensive side of the ball. Bentonville has Drew Wright Drew Wright 6'3" | 195 lbs | QB Bentonville | 2022 State AR at the quarterback position who does a great job of distributing the ball to Charles Nimrod and Cooper Smith Cooper Smith 6'0" | 165 lbs | WR Bentonville | 2022 State AR . Bentonville also has a thunder and lightning combination in the backfield with Christopher Collier-Surly Christopher Collier-Surly 5'8" | 185 lbs | RB Bentonville | 2022 State AR and Josh Ficklin Josh Ficklin 5'10" | 195 lbs | RB Bentonville | 2023 State AR . While the Purple Dogs have Bladen Fike Bladen Fike 6'2" | 195 lbs | QB Fayetteville | 2022 State AR at the quarterback spot who has been lighting up the 7-A West this season. Jalen Blackburn Jalen Blackburn 6'2" | 190 lbs | WR Fayetteville | 2022 State AR and Isaiah Sategna Isaiah Sategna 5'11" | 170 lbs | WR Fayetteville | 2022 State AR have been creating big plays all season.
In the 6-A Conference, plenty of talented teams are having impressive seasons. Two teams in central Arkansas have had a phenomenal start to the season. The Benton Panthers and the Parkview Patriots are each off to impressive starts to the season. With the Panthers, quarterback Stran Smith Stran Smith 6'2" | 200 lbs | QB Benton | 2022 State AR and wide receiver Cam Harris make up a dangerous combination that can stretch the field. Meanwhile, the Parkview Patriots have a dangerous set of players on the offensive side of the ball. Running back James Jointer James Jointer 6'0" | 205 lbs | RB Little Rock Parkview | 2022 State AR , wide receiver Parker Perry Parker Perry 6'4" | 175 lbs | WR Little Rock Parkview | 2022 State AR , and quarterback Jaylon White Jaylon White 6'3" | 200 lbs | DB Little Rock Parkview | 2022 State AR give the Patriots a trio that can create explosive plays from anywhere on the field.
However, the most impressive team in the 6-A Conference has been the Lake Hamilton Wolves. The Wolves have a trio of running backs that cause opposing defenses plenty of headaches. Justin Crutchmer, Kendrick Martin Kendrick Martin 6'1" | 195 lbs | RB Lake Hamilton | 2023 State AR , and Owen Miller Owen Miller 6'0" | 205 lbs | RB Lake Hamilton | 2022 State AR can all take a game over with a variety of running styles. Lake Hamilton was state runner’s up last season and are looking to take care of some unfinished business this season. The Wolves have a tremendous style of playing physically on both sides of the ball and old school football fans will enjoy watching them as conference play continues.
We continue our look tomorrow with the 5, 4, 3, and 2-A conferences. Plenty of talented teams and players still to update about this week. The 2021 season has been an impressive one up this point and I look forward to covering the rest of the season as well as the postseason. Players and teams both still have plenty to prove and this should be a great second half of the season.