5A-West takes no prisoners

Bob Dylan has a famous song titled ‘The Times They Are a-Changin’ that came out in 1964.

Little did Dylan know that he was talking about the landscape of high school football in Northwest Arkansas nearly six decades later.

Pea Ridge entered the fracas that is the 5A-West last season right in the middle of a global pandemic that is still raging across America.

The Blackhawks endured a rough 1–7 campaign under Jeff Williams, who has since gone into administration at Siloam Springs.

Williams handed the keys to Brey Cook, a former all-state offensive lineman at Har-Ber who also started for the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Cook has 14 returning starters back for its second team in Class 5A, and they hope to build off last year’s playoff appearance, which saw them fall to Magnolia on the road in the first round.

Harrison will be the favorite in the league, having won 22 consecutive games in it. The Goblins return 12 starters and should have an improved defense, which let them down in the playoffs a year ago.

Vilonia is relying on 35 seniors and a three-year starter at quarterback to challenge Harrison’s firm grip on the conference crown.

Greenbrier hadn’t won a playoff game since 2017 before last year’s triumph over Brookland.

The Panthers scored 55 points a week later but gave up 76 to Magnolia in the next round. They return all-conference quarterback Cooper Wilcox.

Morrilton may fall on hard times after only returning six starters from last year’s 6-5 team.

The Devil Dogs will lean on guard Dawson Granberry, a three-year starter who has 24 starts on his resume.

Alma is entering year two of the Rusty Bush era, and the Airedales, after an extremely slow start a year ago, caught fire at the end, beating Farmington and then playing Texarkana off its feet in the opening round of the playoffs.

Speaking of Farmington, the Cardinals will be coached by someone other than Mike Adams for the first time since 2002 this fall.

Adams retired in January after winning more than 200 games at Charleston, Fayetteville and Farmington over a nearly 40-year career.

J.R. Eldridge, a Fayetteville native, was named the coach back in the spring. He most recently was at North Little Rock, where he went to the state championship. He also won two state titles and coached in another title game at Arkadelphia.

Clarksville, which has 14 starters back and is coming off its first playoff victory since 2011, should make some noise.

Quarterback Bryce Buckner, the son of head coach Khris Buckner, will head the controls for the Panthers.

TIMES photograph by Annette Beard Blackhawk offensive skills coach Jacob Meyers with players No. 23 Amarion Williams, jr., wide receiver; No. 6 Cade Mann, jr., RB; No. 3 Kayden Rains, jr., WR; No. 20 Mason Jones, soph., WR; No. 81 Nic Hiett, soph., TE; No. 26 Seth Foster, soph., RB; No. 38 Sam Shamburger, jr., K/WR; No. 15 Gavin Dixon, soph., QB; No. 40 Orlando Hernandez, jr., LB/H; No. 41 Bowen Phillips, soph., H; No. 10 Caden Thompson, soph., WR; No. 11 Will Anderson, sr., WR; No. 2 Joe Adams sr., DB/RB; No. 27 Cody Morales, soph., RB/LB; No. 80 Austin James, soph., WR; No. 14 Jonathan Lyons, jr., WR/DB; and No. 34 Peyton Hardcastle, jr., WR.

TIMES photograph by Annette Beard Blackhawk head football coach Brey Cook, holding jersey No. 24 for Ayden Cotton, former Blackhawk football player who died Jan. 9, 2020, and whose jersey was retired, with players No. 56 Braidon McCarley, sr., OL ; No. 68 Austin Quillen, soph., DL; No. 61 Connor Pierce, jr., OL; No. 59 Ashton Howell, soph., OL; No. 50 Mason Harling, jr., OL; No. 64 Greer Marler, soph., OL/DL; No. 78 Peyton Carney, fresh., OL; No. 52 Ryan Kahrl, soph., OL; and No. 58 Clay Sebree, sr., OL.