MCGEE: Razorbacks may surprise all

— Huntsville suffers from the fact that their students are scattered over thousands of acres leaving them with the problem of getting a lot of boys out. The Eagles were 1-9 last year although they do have most of their team back. Farmington lost most of the starters that went all the way to the state semifinals while posting an 11-3 record. While the backfield will be inexperienced they do have a big line and that should be enough for a win. Gentry at West Fork

Gentry finished 1-9 in 2011 while the Tigers had a good 8-4 mark. The Tigers return a lot of experience, something that Gentry can’t claim, and West Fork has a bigger, veteran line.

While West Fork might be down a little, they should have a slight edge on Gentry. The Pioneers played many teams close last year and I keep thinking that one of these days they will have a breakthrough year.

Westville at Lincoln

Westsville is a lightly regarded Oklahoma team down the road from Lincoln. They are not highly regarded in Oklahoma, ranking 58th in their 3A classification overall.

Lincoln will be a bit if a mystery team, losing their all-state quarterback to Stilwell, Okla., before the season began. I’ll give the home field advantage and the game to the Wolves.

Lastly, I would like to “predict” a win in Berryville’s first week. Not so much because I think the Bobcats can whip their first opponent, Marshall, although I do think that could have happened. We will never know as Marshall only had 12 players suit up for fall practice, forcing them to cancel their season, forfeiting to all their opponents including their season opener with Berryville.

I believe the 4A-1 District will go 6-2 in non-conference action, although I would prefer it went 8-0.

I would like all the teams we play to have the best possible record when we defeat them.

Go Blackhawks.

Arkansas opens season

The Razorbacks will open their season withJacksonville State (Alabama) this Saturday. Jacksonville State is the team that pretty much opened the door for Houston Nutt to be kicked through after Mississippi lost to the midmajor team back in 2010.

Nutt, folks remember, was the longtime Arkansas coach who left the Hog job in a cloud of bitterness and speculation.

The Jacksonville State coach is one Jack Crowe, who was once the head coach of the Razorbacks many years ago. Crowe lost the season opener to a team (The Citadel) that was supposed to be a cream puff opponent. Crowe’s firing led to a series of events that eventually culminating in Nutt landing the Arkansas job. Years later, Crowe was on the other end of the David and Goliath matchup which to the losing team’s ouster.

This year may well be Arkansas’ year with all the right elements in place.

The scandal which led to the firing of Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino last spring has led many observers to discount the Hogs’ chances this year.

Personally, I think it might well end up being a positive thing. All the players stayed and a bumper crop of recruits have hit the campus. The coaching staff in place is outstanding with new head coach John L. Smith acting more like a CEO of a business than as a hands-on demanding coach. With the talent and expertise on hand, that might well be the best thing for 2012.

Smith might even get another year in the job if the Hogs do as well as they might, but he will probably not have a long career as head coach. He was near to retirement and he might want to go out on top.

Meanwhile, I think there is another coach who is working in Jonesboro who just might be available in a couple of years.

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Editor’s note: John McGee is an award-winning columnist and sports writer. He is the art teacher at Pea Ridge elementary schools, coaches elementary track and writes a regular sports column for The Times. He can be contacted through The Times at [email protected].

Sports, Pages 11 on 08/29/2012