Players to Watch in Games of Week 5

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Teams are in the thick of conference play in the Natural State and this week 5 slate is loaded with powerful prospects itching to make an imprint of the results of their Friday night showdowns.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">7A Players to Watch</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Game of the Week: No. 4 Rogers v. No. 2 Fayetteville</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Players to Watch: Rogers' WR Corp ([player_tooltip player_id='248892' first='Mabry' last='Verser'], [player_tooltip player_id='193040' first='Graycen' last='Cash'], [player_tooltip player_id='1010800' first='Jeff' last='Regan'])</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A much-anticipated match-up in the 7A West pits traditional powerhouse, Fayetteville, up against a stout Rogers Mounties squad. If the Mounties plan to upset the Bulldogs, they will have to be able to put points on the board in bulk. This wide receiver group was highly touted coming into the season with studs [player_tooltip player_id='248892' first='Mabry' last='Verser'] and [player_tooltip player_id='193040' first='Graycen' last='Cash'] being the 1A-1B, however, [player_tooltip player_id='1010800' first='Jeff' last='Regan'] has begun to make his presence felt this season for the Mounties.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">6A Player to Watch</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Game of the Week: No. 6 Marion v. No. 3 Benton</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Players to Watch: [player_tooltip player_id='149577' first='Braylen' last='Russell'] | Running back | Benton</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Razorback commit, [player_tooltip player_id='149577' first='Braylen' last='Russell'] is one of the few running backs in the state that must be game-planned for individually to ensure he doesn't beat you on his own. Russell incorporates all the tools needed into his skillset, such as knowing when to run with patience for holes to open or running with aggressiveness, the vision to hit cut-back lanes for massive gains, and the ability to pass block successfully. Look for Russell to play a pivotal role in a huge match-up for each of these impressive squads.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">5A Player to Watch</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Game of the Week: No. 10 Wynne v. Southside</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Player to Watch: [player_tooltip player_id='795245' first='Gabe' last='Witt'] | Running back | Southside</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What else must this incredible talent do to receive the attention he deserves? Running in a very run-heavy offense, [player_tooltip player_id='795245' first='Gabe' last='Witt'] produces yards in bulk. Through 4 games, Witt has a rushing line of 57/601/10, while averaging just over 10.5 yards a rush. The vision and breakaway speed are the traits that jump off the film, his innate ability to catch cut-back lanes and burst in the open field is impressive in itself and once he breaks the gap there's nothing to see but the bottoms of his cleats.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">4A Player to Watch</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Game of the Week: Pottsville v. No. 5 Bauxite</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Player to Watch: [player_tooltip player_id='264998' first='Marcus' last='Wimberly'] | ATH | Bauxite</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='264998' first='Marcus' last='Wimberly'] is arguably the most versatile player in the state because of his skills at wide receiver, running back, and not to mention safety, the position he has committed to the Razorbacks for. Wimberly hardly ever leaves the field, with a skill set such as his it's easy to see why. His versatility stems from his ease of movement at any position, Wimberly's agility and speed are traits that set him apart. A division-1 athlete to anyone watching his film, Wimberly's leadership at the back-end of the Miners' defensive unit is irreplaceable.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">3A Player to Watch</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Game of the Week: No. 6 Walnut Ridge v. No. 9 Camden Harmoney Grove</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Player to Watch: [player_tooltip player_id='1334033' first='Enrique' last='Perez'] | Running Back | Walnut Ridge</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1334033' first='Enrique' last='Perez'] leads the Bobcats in a running back committee that averages just over 41 rushes per game, including 12 rushes of his own. With such little touches to work with Perez does more with less averaging 131.8 yards per game on the ground, while also averaging one score per contest. Even though Walnut Ridge runs the ball a large amount, Perez is the only back averaging over 100 yards per contest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2A Player to Watch</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Game of the Week: Earle v. No. 3 Marked Tree</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Player to Watch: Terry Hodges Jr. | Running Back | Marked Tree</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Watch the film. With Terry Hodges Jr. it's that simple. Hodges has the talent to play anywhere in the country and still has a few high school years to bulk up and gain greater confidence in his craft, however, the sky is the limit. As a young player, he is already a game-breaker for the Indians as they are looking to compete for a state title behind Hodges. He left last week's game early because of injury but before last Friday night, he accounted for a stat line of 18/447/7.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->