Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
With power shifting to 7A-Central, 7A-West teams ready for battle
Teams have much to prove in the 7A-West, which used to be the dominant conference in Arkansas’ largest classification.
Not anymore.
That distinction clearly belongs to the 7A-Central, which has produced consecutive state champions in North Little Rock and Bryant, which beat North Little Rock in the championship game last season at War Memorial Stadium. North Little Rock’s win in 2017 ended a stranglehold for teams from the 7A-West, which had produced every state champion in Class 7A from 2005 to 2016.
Bryant is now a major force in Arkansas high school athletics, and the Hornets finished as state runners-up in basketball last spring after winning their first state championship in football. That mark fell just short of North Little Rock, which won state championships in football and basketball in the same (2017-18) calendar school year.
Bryant is picked to repeat in the 7A-Central after finishing 11-2. The Hornets are followed in the league coaches’ poll by North Little Rock, Conway and Fort Smith Northside.
Northside coach Mike Falleur said the power shift from the 7A-West to the 7A-Central is primarily a result of the changing demographics in the state.
“I believe it has a lot to do with most of those schools being a one-town, onehigh school setup,” Fort Smith Northside coach Mike Falleur said of the 7A-Central. “When you have this, everyone is pulling in the same direction with no splitting of athletes, resources, etc. We are at a disadvantage, but our kids work very hard and believe they can compete with the best. To have a chance in Central, that’s what we’ll have to do.”
Bryant returns a handful of returning starters, including linebacker Catrell Wallace and defensive lineman Austin Bailey, who are ranked among the top recruits in Arkansas this season. North Little Rock returns Brandon Thomas, a Division I prospect who rushed for more than 1,800 yards last season for a team that was undefeated before losing to Bryant in the championship game.
There was a major shakeup in the spring at Fayetteville, where football nomad Billy Dawson resigned unexpectedly after guiding the Bulldogs to 16 wins in two seasons. He was replaced by Casey Dick, the former Arkansas quarterback who was 4-7 in one season as coach at Van Buren.
“Coach Dick is young, but he knows what he’s talking about, and he brings a lot of energy to the team,” said Connor Flannigan, who led the state in receiving last season. “We’re fired up to have him, and we’re buying into the changes, for sure.”
No team has more to prove than Springdale Har-Ber, which missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006. But there is renewed optimism at Har-Ber, which returns a combined 16 starters on offense and defense. The Wildcats enter the year with some momentum after winning the Southwest Elite 7on7 Showcase at Shiloh Christian.
Bentonville West hopes for better luck after losing its quarterback in the season-opener, and Rogers Heritage is starting over with a new coach after the War Eagles failed to win a game for the second time four years.
There is no instability at Bentonville, which has won 11 of the past 12 conference championships in the 7A-West. Preston Crawford is an all-state running back, and his brother, Chris Crawford, is a returning all-conference player for a defense that is traditionally among the best.
“There’s quality opponents in both conferences,” Bentonville coach Jody Grant said. “In our conference alone, there are no easy weeks. For us, we get everybody’s best shot each and every time. Our kids have embraced that.”
Springdale appears relevant again under Zak Clark, who took over as coach of the Bulldogs after an 0-10 finish in 2014. Springdale went 7-4 last season despite losing starting quarterback Grant Allen to a broken leg.
Rogers High will attempt to muster enough support for Hunter Loyd, a threeyear starter at quarterback for the Mounties. Crosby Tuck takes over at Van Buren, which will drop to Class 6A beginning in 2020. Tuck was the defensive coordinator last season when the Pointers finished 4-7.
Fort Smith Northside hopes to avoid another league slide after the Grizzlies won five of their first six games last season. Northside will rely heavily on senior running back Jackson King and a defense with seven returning starters, including Khaden Washington, an all-conference player at end.
Change is coming at Fort Smith Southside, which will rejoin the 7A-West Conference for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Southside expects to be improved with the return of eight players who started on defense last year for the Mavericks, who finished 6-6.