Cobras vs. Trojans ‘Kickoff’ to be more than ‘just a game’
Representatives from the Fountain Lake and Hot Springs school districts announced a week of events to incorporate the community and an estimated 700-1,000 students between the two high schools ahead of the first football matchup between the Cobras and the Trojans since 2007.
The 2018 First Security Bank Kickoff Classic was announced Tuesday at The Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce. An initial agreement between the districts will have the two teams kick off the next two seasons with plans to continue the series for a number of years.
“It is today, with great excitement, that we officially announce the First Security Bank Kickoff Classic to be played between the Fountain Lake Cobras and the Hot Springs Trojans on Thursday, Aug. 30 at the Trojans’ field,” said Scott Dews, president of First Security Bank in Hot Springs.
“It is going to be the first game in Garland County for the 2018 football season. It is also going to renew a rivalry that has not played since 2007.”
Dews said First Security was immediately on board when they were approached by athletic directors Marc Davis, Fountain Lake, and Tony Hines, Hot Springs. Davis said the collaboration was boosted by existing relationships both districts already had with First Security.
Davis said the idea began when Hot Springs coach Chris Vereen called Fountain Lake coach J.D. Plumlee in September about a potential matchup between the two teams. Plumlee said Davis was immediately on board.
“This is a dream,” Davis said. “This is something we have thought about. About Week 3, when Chris called J.D. on the phone after we just beat Smackover. After the phone call, J.D. met me in the parking lot at Smackover and said, ‘Hey, Hot Springs wants to play.’ And here we go. Next thing you know, here on April 3, we are talking about a huge event for Garland County.”
Plumlee credited Davis for wanting to work with the community to plan out events similar to that of a college football bowl game. He said nonconference games offer programs an opportunity to choose who they play outside of the Arkansas Activities Association’s conference selections.
“It is going to be a fun week, a big week, and what a better way to kick off the 2018 season with a
crosstown rivalry,” Plumlee said. “You don’t always get to pick who you play in conference, because that is AAA, but in nonconference, us head coaches have the opportunity to get out there and decide who we play.”
Davis said he hopes to involve Lakeside coach Jared McBride and Lake Hamilton coach Tommy Gilleran with visits by Plumlee and Vereen to local Rotary Club meetings the week of the game. Lakeside and Lake Hamilton also opted to renew their rivalry in
2018 after escalating incidents caused the schools to discontinue their series in 1999.
The Cobras and the Trojans are currently scheduled to be the first senior high football game of the 2018 season in Garland County. The school districts and First Security worked with The Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce, Hot Springs Village Area Chamber of Commerce and other community entities to plan events throughout Aug.
27-30.
Both schools’ volleyball teams will meet on Aug. 27 at 4 p.m. at Fountain Lake. The Special Olympics Unified teams from both schools will also play on Aug. 27.
Food drives sponsored by First Security and the Beta clubs at Fountain Lake Charter High School and Hot Springs World Class High School will begin on Aug. 27 and continue throughout the week. The high school Family, Career and Community Leaders of America club at Fountain Lake will host a blood drive on Aug. 27. Another drive will be held on Aug. 28 at Hot Springs.
Davis said the schools plan to participate in a visit on Aug. 28 to CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs coordinated by Tiffani Butler. He said the visit will include student-athletes on the football teams, volleyball teams, cheer squads and marching bands, all of which were represented at Monday’s announcement.
The seventh-grade teams will meet at 5:30 p.m. on Aug.
28 at Fountain Lake’s Allen Tillery Field at Beckham Memorial Stadium. The junior high game will follow at 7 p.m.
A quiz bowl match between the two schools is scheduled for Aug. 28, as well as a pep rally at the parking deck in downtown Hot Springs. The event will be sponsored by Levi Sports Medicine and feature cheer and dance squads and band members from both schools.
Also featured will be an eating challenge between the two offensive lines. Food and a trophy will be provided by Smokin’ In Style BBQ. Allen Tillery Auto will sponsor a challenge during halftime of the senior high game on Aug.
30.
“As coach (Davis) indicated, it is more than just a game,” Hines said. “For years, we have been friends and family and we did things together, but in some kind of way that was kind of let go. We want to continue this tradition, continue to make it better and make it grow.”
“As a community, the Garland County superintendents, we are working together collaboratively and I think that shows here in this big announcement and in the years to come,” Hot Springs Superintendent Stephanie Nehus said.
“On behalf of Hot Springs School District and our board of directors, we are excited about the First Security Bank Kickoff Classic and we look forward to this rivalry that will be renewed, and the excitement that goes with it. And it will be a friendly rivalry. We will so much look forward to building that community with our Fountain Lake friends.”
Fountain Lake Superintendent Michael Murphy, in his second year with the district, said both districts place the goal of enhancing academics with the benefits of extracurricular activities at the forefront of their partnership.
“Some of these kids might have a chance to do something different someday,” Murphy said. “The question will be, will they be at a junior college trying to figure out how to make a grade or will be they
D1 or D2 because they know how to make the grades?”
Murphy noted learning about the annual Salt Bowl football game between rivals Benton and Bryant when he moved to Arkansas from his previous position in Missouri.
“Maybe one day, we can be a secondary element to build something that people look forward to here in Garland County,” Murphy said. “It is getting it started, then sustaining and making it more than a game, but make it something bigger than that for both communities involved.”
“It is going to be a big game and a big gate for both schools, and it is bragging rights throughout town,” Plumlee said. “We are always in town. We wear our purple and gold everywhere we go and they wear their black and gold everywhere they go.”
Plumlee and Vereen shared their excitement for beginning the series again.
“It is awesome, awesome to see our administrators, our leaders of our school district putting the kids first, getting excited about the kids and getting them involved,” Vereen said.
“That week is going to take a lot of people doing their jobs and you won’t always see the guys in the forefront getting all of the recognition,” Plumlee said. “There is a whole bunch of stuff behind the scenes, and that is with any event.
“We don’t want those people to go unnoticed, but we want to give them thanks and hope to see everybody out that week at some point. We are just excited to get after it.”
Gary Troutman, Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, and Michael Dollar, executive director of Hot Springs Village Area Chamber of Commerce, noted the collaboration between the chambers, districts and members of the community.
“We don’t think of Hot Springs and Hot Springs Village as two separate communities, per se,” Troutman said. “Certainly, Fountain Lake and Hot Springs are both in the great Hot Springs area, but the two communities are going to be even more one here in just a couple of years with the completion of the expressway.”
“When organizations work together, it benefits the community at large,” Dollar said. “That is why I am excited this morning to hear about two organizations that are cooperating and collaborating, and I know how that is going to affect our whole region and be a benefit to them.”