McGEE: Conference play set

other team with a win is Shiloh, who bested 34th-ranked Truman 35-7 in their last game.

The top three teams in the 4A-1 according to MaxPreps before the season began was Prairie Grove, Pea Ridge and Gravette. Those teams are all 0-2. However, all three teams took on tough schedules to prepare them for the conference battles.

Gravette lost 44-7 to Tulsa Casia Hall, the sixth-ranked team in Oklahoma, then they lost to the 5A 15th-ranked Farmington team. Prairie Grove lost to Farmington by 3 then were beaten convincingly by fifth-ranked Dardanelle 35-17. Maybe this might actually be a down year for Prairie Grove. They haven’t had one in many a year, and though they lost a ton of talent of talent through graduation, most folks, myself included, always assume they will just reload like their always do. Maybe not this year.

What looks like the two teams destined to finish at the bottom of the league may well be Gentry and Green Forest. The Pioneers were whipped by Dardanelle 38-12 but then were thoroughly beaten by 5A team Huntsville 35-6. Gentry beat the Eagles last year so the turnaround is remarkable.

The undisputed weakest team in the league right now looks to be Green Forest. They are 0-2 against lowranked teams in the lowest classifications in Arkansas and Oklahoma. Arkansas 2A Yellville beat them 14-7 before Oklahoma 1A Commerce bulldozed them 32-0. Only a dozen boys in Green Forest even worked out this summer, with only a few more joining the crew once school started. Since we play the Tigers late on the schedule, I just hope they have enough players in uniform for the ’Hawks to be able to play them in October.

It seems the better teams in the state loaded up some tough competition in their first three games. Arkadelphia has the toughest strength of schedule rating in all of 4A with a 23.3 rating, with Heber Springs second best with a 22.3 rating with our Blackhawks having the third toughest schedule with a 21.7 rating. All three teams have yet to win in 2018, but somehow I don’t think it really bothers the coaching staffs of those schools in the long run.

What really counts is what happens during the conference season and the playoffs. The three games prior to district games don’t really count for anything outside poll standings. Arkadelphia is the 4A state defending champion but they are 0-3 against 7A and 6A competition. Though they are 0-3, they are still considered solid contenders for a state final berth in December.

Taking our lumps early may well steel the team for greater success later on. I think the ’Hawks might well be hosting their final regular season game in early November with the winner of that game taking the No. 1 seed for the playoffs.

MaxPreps 4A State Football poll

Sept. 9, 2018

1. Warren 2-0

2. Robinson 2-1

3. Rivercrest 2-0

4. Nashville 3-0

5. Dardanelle 3-0

6. Bauxite 3-0

7. Southside 1-1

8. Ozark 1-1

9. West Helena 2-0

10. Dumas 2-0

11. Arkadelphia 0-3

12. Pottsville 1-1

13. Westside 2-1

14. Pocahontas 1-1

15. Hamburg 2-1

16. Dewitt 3-0

17. Shiloh 1-1

18. Stuttgart 1-2

19. Gosnell 1-2

20. Heber Springs 0-2

21. Ashdown 2-1

22. Fountain Lake 2-0

23. Prairie Grove 0-2

24. Pea Ridge 0-2

25. Elkins 2-0

26. Bald Knob 1-1

27. Harmony Grove 2-0

28. Star City 1-1

29. Lincoln 2-0

30. Malvern 0-2

31. Mena 2-1

32. Highland 1-2

33. Central Arkansas 1-1

34. Trumann 0-2

35. Lonoke 1-1

36. Riverview 1-2

37. Gravette 0-2

38. Crossett 0-2

39. Mills 0-2

40. Monticello 0-2

41. Dover 0-2

42. Brookland 0-3

43. Waldron 1-1

44. Berryville 1-1

45. Cave City 0-2

46. Gentry 0-2

47. Subiaco 1-1

48. Green Forest 0-2

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