Penultimate weekend of high school football kicks off
Three teams that played for state championships last year battle in Arkansas high school football’s Class 2A semifinals tonight.
Defending 2A champion Foreman (11-1) is home against Junction City (10-2), while Mount Ida (11-2), a finalist the last two years, travels to Hazen (12-0). Hooten’s Arkansas Football picks Foreman by four points over Junction City, the Dragons back in Class 2A after reaching the Class 3A final last year, and Hazen by eight over Mount Ida.
Both games start at 7 p.m. with the winners advancing to Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium for the state final at 7 p.m. Dec. 7.
Mount Ida, seeded third from 2A-7, goes on the road for the third-straight game, winning, 50-48, at Conway Christian (10-3) after pounding Hector (7-4), 38-21. Mount Ida yearns for a finals rematch with Foreman after losing to the Gators last December in Little Rock and when traveling for a conference matchup in October. The Lions downed Hampton in the 2017 championship game, Mount Ida’s second state championship in football. Last year marked the Lions’ third title-game appearance, all under coach Michael White.
War Memorial is host to three championship games this weekend, all conference rematches. The Class 5A final today, at 7 p.m., pits four-time defending champion Pulaski Academy and Little Rock Christian, both 12-1.
Both won high-scoring affairs last week, PA 75-54 over visiting Harrison (13-1) and Christian, 61-42, at Morrilton (9-5). Pulaski Academy coasted, 56-14, at home in the teams’ Week 5 meeting Sept. 28.
Greenwood (11-1) plays Benton (10-2) at noon Saturday for the Class 6A title and North Little Rock (12-0) follows against Bryant (92) at 6:30 p.m. for the Class 7A crown. Greenwood and North Little Rock are defending champions and downed their finals opponent Saturday as regular-season hosts. Greenwood outraced Benton,
62-33, in Week 8 while North Little Rock, in the state’s highest classification, slipped past Bryant, 34-28, in Week 9.
Benton and Bryant return to War Memorial after starting the season in the Salt Bowl on Aug. 25. One of the season’s most highly anticipated games, matching Saline County rivals, ended abruptly in the second half after a disturbance in the stands with Bryant leading, 28-14.
As in Class 2A, two other classifications have semifinal games tonight with Dumas (12-1) at Joe T. Robinson (11-2) and Arkadelphia
(8-5) at Shiloh Christian (12-1) in Class 4A. Winners meet at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at War Memorial, defending champion Arkadelphia looking to extend an eight-game winning streak after starting 0-5.
The Class 3A semifinals send Rison (13-0) to Osceola (12-1) and Prescott (12-1) to Booneville (13-0). A new champion is guaranteed since 2017 winner Rivercrest advanced to 4A, the Colts losing to Dumas in the quarterfinals last week. The 3A final is noon Dec.
8 at WMS.