New territory

Brookland will play its first game in the 5A-East Conference on Friday.

The Bearcats moved up from Class 4A for the 2020-22 Arkansas Activities Association classification cycle after playing in the 4A-3 Conference.

First-year Coach Eric Munoz, who was hired in the offseason from 5A-East member Valley View, likened the Bearcats’ nonconference schedule — former 4A-3A rivals Gosnell, Jonesboro Westside and Rivercrest — to what the 5A-East represents. That’s something Munoz preached to his players over the past three games as they prepared for conference play.

“We played some good teams in 4A,” Munoz said. “You see a lot of athletes. There’s a lot of big teams and more athleticism in the 5A-East. Our kids will expect to see more kids on the other sideline, but I told them it doesn’t matter.”

Brookland has 56 players in its program, Munoz said. He hopes to get that number into the 70s for the 2021 season.

The Bearcats host Wynne on Friday at Jordan’s Stadium in Brookland, and they’ll have to face a triple-option offense that is averaging 31.3 points per game and is led by senior quarterback Marterius Ross.

Stopping the triple option is crucial for the Bearcats, Munoz said.

“They have to do their job,” he said. “We have to stop the run, and we have to run the football. If we don’t get stops, it’s going to be a long night.”

Munoz wants Brookland to be able to compete every

Friday night in the 5A-East, which also features Batesville, Valley View and Nettleton, among other teams.

“I’ve told our kids, if you can compete for four quarters and if we do what we’re supposed to do, we’ll have a chance to win some games,” Munoz said.