Arkansas High game canceled because of COVID-19 pandemic

Leave it to Arkansas High head football coach Barry Norton to find a silver lining in an otherwise dark situation.

Norton’s Razorbacks had their Conference 5A-South home football game with Hot Springs canceled late Thursday because of the COVID-19 issue. It was the fourth game Arkansas High has had canceled this season, including two conference games. The Razorbacks are 4-0 overall and 2-0 in conference.

“What it means to us is that if we win our final two games (at Hope, De Queen), we win the conference championship and go the playoffs as the No. 1 seed,” Norton said Friday. “We can’t do anything about those four games we’ve lost. We have to worry about the things we have control over.

We can control if we win the games, provided we’re able to play them.”

The Razorbacks two conference games to be canceled were against Hot Springs (2-1 league) and Magnolia (1-1). Arkansas High’s final two opponents, Hope (1-6) and De Queen (0-8), are a combined 1-14. Hope’s lone win came against De Queen.

The Hogs, the lone unbeaten team in the conference, travel to Hope on Oct. 30 and close out the regular season at home against De Queen.

Norton admitted his players are growing anxious about having so many games canceled, but he added, “For the situation, they’re remaining positive and looking forward to playing our next game,” Norton said. “We have to take care or our business and hopefully everything will work out.”