Class 4A Super Six
No. 1 Arkadelphia
COACH J.R. Eldridge
CONFERENCE 7-4A
2018 RECORD 10-5
KEY RETURNERS QB Cannon Turner (Sr., 6-1, 205); RB/LB Kyren Harrison (Sr., 5-10, 195); OL/DL Lorenzo Lawson (Sr., 6-0, 260)
NOTEWORTHY After an 0-5 start last season, Arkadelphia went on to win its second consecutive Class 4A state championship. The Badgers became the first team to defeat four No. 1 seeds in the postseason — Warren, Stuttgart, Shiloh Christian and Joe T. Robinson. … Senior QB Cannon Turner, a two-time most outstanding player in the Class 4A state championship game, enters his fourth season as the Badgers’ starter. … The Badgers have advanced to at least the Class 4A semifinals three of the past four seasons (2015, 2017, 2018).
No. 2 Joe T. Robinson
COACH Todd Eskola
CONFERENCE 7-4A 2018 RECORD 12-3
KEY RETURNERS QB Buddy Gaston (Jr., 6-4, 205); RB Hunter Smith (Jr., 5-11, 165); OL E’marion Harris (So., 6-6, 305)
NOTEWORTHY Joe T. Robinson played in its first state championship game in 38 years last season, but lost to 7-4A rival Arkadelphia 28-0. … The Senators host Class 4A state championship contenders Arkadelphia and Nashville in consecutive weeks, Oct. 4 and Oct. 11.
No. 3 Warren
COACH Bo Hembree
CONFERENCE 8-4A
2018 RECORD 9-2
KEY RETURNERS RB Vincent Steppes (Sr., 5-9, 175); WR Davante Smith (Jr., 5-9, 180); OL/DL Michael Miranda (Sr., 6-0, 260)
NOTEWORTHY Senior RB Vincent Steppes will be the Lumberjacks’ leader offensively. He rushed for 1,500 yards last season as he stepped up offensively in place of WR Treylon Burks, whose season ended with a torn ACL. … Warren failed to reach the Class 4A quarterfinals last season for the first time since 2011. … Coach Bo Hembree is entering his 20th season as the Lumberjacks’ head coach. He has led the school to four state championships.
No. 4 Nashville
COACH Mike Volarvich
CONFERENCE 7-4A
2018 RECORD 10-3
KEY RETURNERS RB Keyshawn Stewart (Jr., 5-10, 175); WR Ty Basiliere (Sr., 6-2, 180); LB Devonte Witherspoon (Sr., 5-9, 160)
NOTEWORTHY Nashville won 10 games for the third time in four seasons under Coach Mike Volarvich last season. … The Scrappers advanced to the Class 4A quarterfinals, losing at Shiloh Christian. … After fielding one of the youngest teams in Class 4A last season, Nashville is experienced this season with 11 starters coming back. … Volarvich led Nashville to a Class 4A state championship in his first season at the school in 2015.
No. 5 Shiloh Christian
COACH Jeff Conaway
CONFERENCE 1-4A 2018 RECORD 12-2
KEY RETURNERS QB Eli Reece (Sr., 5-9, 170); WR Truitt Tollett (Sr., 6-1, 175); LB Hunter Mason (Sr., 5-11, 210)
NOTEWORTHY Shiloh Christian played in the Class 4A semifinals for the second time in three seasons in 2018, but lost to eventual state champion Arkadelphia. … Jeff Conaway enters his sixth season at Shiloh Christian after arriving from Greene County Tech.
No. 6 Pea Ridge
COACH Stephen Neal
CONFERENCE 1-4A
2018 RECORD 7-4
KEY RETURNERS QB Tate Busey (Sr., 6-2, 170); RB Sam Beard (Sr., 5-11, 185); WR Hunter Rains (Sr., 5-8, 150)
NOTEWORTHY Pea Ridge returns 11 starters from a 7-4 team that lost to Helena-West Helena 8-0 in overtime in the Class 4A first round. … Senior
QB Tate Busey finished with 1,357 offensive yards, including 930 passing, and threw for 11 touchdowns a year ago.