Major struggles on tap in 2nd round of playoffs
If the first round of the high school football playoffs wasn’t fun enough, Friday’s slate of games should do the trick.
The top seeds in Class 7A, 6A, 4A and 3A join the fray as the state championship games grow nearer.
Nine teams upset higher seeds in the first rounds, so let’s take a look at 10 games to watch out for in the second round:
BISMARCK AT CHARLESTON
Bismarck and Coach Daniel Keithley are in the midst of their best season of this century with nine wins thus far. The Lions have won nine of their past 10 games, including a 42-13 victory over Hackett last week. Bismarck has averaged 41.7 points per game this season, compared to Charleston’s 29.5. Charleston weathered a brutal nonconference slate to finish second in the 3A-1. The defending champion Tigers have won seven of their past eight games.
DES ARC AT BIGELOW
This is the first meeting between these schools since Des Arc knocked Bigelow out in the 2020 quarterfinals. Bigelow got over the first-round hiccup that sank its season a year ago with a win over Mount Ida last week. Bigelow completed its fourth straight undefeated conference slate this season. The Eagles feature a dynamic rushing duo of quarterback Cache Flanagan and running back Daviyon Bell. They has combined for 2,330 yards on the ground this season.
HOT SPRINGS LAKESIDE AT PINE BLUFF
Second-year Coach Michael Williams and the Zebras won their first playoff game since 2019 last week, 41-21 over Nettleton. Now they’re favored to win two in the same season for the first time since reaching the Class 6A title game in 2017. Under first-year Coach Garren Rockwell, Hot Springs Lakeside has seen one of the state’s more impressive turnarounds from last season’s 2-7 finish. At 8-3, the Rams have won five of their past six games and won their first playoff game since 2020 last week over Harrison.
MALVERN AT HARDING ACADEMY
There’s a chance we see a few rematches from last season’s championship games, but this will be the first. Malvern won the Class 4A title game 64-39 behind a historic game by running back Jalen Dupree. Harding Academy has been on a mission this season to find its way back to Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium and get its hands on that trophy. The Wildcats have won every game this season by 15 points or more. Junior quarterback Owen Miller has thrown 33 touchdowns with zero interceptions.
MARKED TREE AT MURFREESBORO
Marked Tree upset defending champion Hazen 22-12 last week. The Indians have won in nearly every fashion this season with shootout wins over Early and East Poinsett County and defensive battles against Cross County and Hazen. Murfreesboro features Class 2A’s top defense, holding opponents to 6.8 points per game. Last week, the Rattlers cruised to a 48-6 win over Johnson County Westside.
MILLS
AT LITTLE ROCK PARKVIEW
Little Rock Parkview is one of 12 remaining undefeated teams in the state, and the Patriots have held the No. 1 spot in the overall rankings since September. The Patriots have held Class 5A teams to just 5.9 points per game and shut out Alma in their playoff opener. Mills ended its regular season with a loss to Vilonia that gave Pine Bluff the conference title. In response, the Comets beat Wynne 3521 last week to advance to a matchup of Little Rock heavyweights.
NASHVILLE AT CAC
The addition of first-year Coach Ryan Howard and his staff has been a revelation for Central Arkansas Christian, turning a 2-8 team into an 8-2 co-conference champion. The next challenge will be securing the Mustangs’ first playoff win since 2019. CAC averaged 48.1 points per game this season, compared to Nashville’s 36.5. The Scrappers will look to create havoc in the Mustangs’ backfield with sophomore defensive end Zacheus Harris, who leads the state with 23 sacks.
PULASKI ACADEMY AT MARION
The first round didn’t go how the 6A-East Conference would have hoped as it lost all four games. Marion is one of just two teams from the division left. Pulaski Academy has won its last 16 playoff games, including four state championship games. The Bruins cruised past El Dorado in the first round 41-13. Marion lost its most recent game, 38-34 to Little Rock Catholic on Nov. 3. This will be the first time these programs have met.
SHILOH CHRISTIAN AT VALLEY VIEW
These two combined for one conference loss, but it is that loss — Shiloh Christian’s 31-28 defeat to Farmington — that sets up the first-ever meeting between these programs. The Saints have rebounded in emphatic fashion, outsourcing their opponents 164-43 since. Valley View fought its way through a late-season gauntlet to claim the 5A-East title. The Blazers haven’t advanced past the second round since 2013, when they made it to the semifinals.
ROGERS AT BRYANT
After suffering its first instate loss in four years, Bryant closed the regular season on a seven-game win streak to clinch the 7A-Central crown in convincing fashion over Conway. First-year Coach Quad Sanders now has his first playoff opportunity in front of him and the Hornets as they host the Rogers Mounties. Rogers finished 4-3 in conference play, but those losses came by an average of six points.