With the 2A, 3A and 4A state football championships in the books, the 2018 football season has come to a close.
Last year's 3A state runner-up Junction City dropped down into 2A this year and they ran the table, finishing off their perfect season with a 36-22 drubbing of Hazen.
In the 3A class title game, the struggle wasn't one as Booneville hammered Osceola 35-0. The Bearcats got 0 yards passing but rushed for nearly 400 to totally dominate the Seminoles. Booneville's record for the past two years was 26-2, with both losses coming at the hands of the Pea Ridge Blackhawks. The 'Hawks beat the 'Cats in their opener in 2017, then Pea Ridge eliminated them in the playoffs to end their season.
Over in the 4A, defending state champion Arkadelphia shook off a season starting a five-game losing streak to win their last 10 in a row to win another crown. They beat Little Rock Robinson 28-0 in an unexpected one-sided affair.
For those who may notice, the classifications for football are unlike any other sport in Arkansas. The AAA wanted to streamline the classes, eliminating the 7A classification and moving teams down into lower groupings in all sports like basketball, track, baseball, etc. Football was left alone precisely because the AAA's greatest source of income is the football playoffs. Dropping 7A football would have hurt their bottom line, so stay it did.
It could well be that the next classification count, maybe coming up next year, will see the Blackhawks being elevated to the 5A football class for the 2020 season (they are already locked into 4A status for the 2019 season). It is nigh on to a certainty that the 'Hawks will remain 4A in all the other sports for quite awhile as they rank a little below the middle of the pack in enrollment. The school will continue to steadily add enrollment but it will take a lot more students than Pea Ridge currently has attending to make that jump.
Polls see lots of change
The CBS/MaxPreps 4A basketball polls that came out a week before the current bear little resemblance to the one that was released over the weekend.
In the boys polls, the Top 10 was decimated with several dropping out. Pea Ridge was the only Top 10 team (third) to retain their same ranking.
The Top 25 was scrambled and the 4A-1 lost a lot of its luster with so many teams losing their prior rankings. Former top-ranked Harrison dropped to fourth, last weeks' fourth-ranked Huntsville team dropped to 18th, and seventh-ranked Berryville plummeted all the way to 30th. Interestingly, though their media and message boards have been trumpeting the arrival of one of their best teams ever, Shiloh is off to a 1-6 mark and is ranked 42nd by CBS.
Though it could and may change dramatically eventually, only seven of the 16 formerly 5A teams that were dropped into 4A this year reside in the Top 25. The only two former 5A teams in the Top 10 are Harrison (fourth), and Farmington (10th).
As I have ofttimes said, polls are for fans and supporters. The only polls that really count are the ones at season's end. Conference play will determine the best of the league members and the playoffs will determine the best overall.
Over on the girls side things are a little more stable with Berryville still atop the rankings with an unblemished record. The Lady Bobcats have traditionally been solid in girls sports as their trophy case in their Carroll County school can attest.
The girls blasted usually powerful Ozark 53-31 in non-league play last week. As Heath Neal's team gels a solid sophomore class syncing with a an experienced upper class roster, they have a legitimate chance to go far in the playoffs in 2019.
The Lady 'Hawks will be traveling to second-ranked Farmington's fieldhouse on Dec. 18 in a big contest, then one month later on Jan. 18, they will host No. 1-ranked Berryville. Six of the 'Hawks' eight conference opponents are ranked in the state's Top 25, so if the Blackhawks can win their way through a very tough league, they will be well situated to make a run in the playoffs.
MaxPreps/CBS 4A
State basketball poll
Girls Top 25 list
Friday, Dec. 7, 2018
1. Berryville^9-0
2. Farmington^7-0
3. Highland^5-1
4. Batesville^7-0
5. Brookland^4-2
6. DeQueen^5-1
7. Star City^8-1
8. Pea Ridge^9-2
9. Clarksville^8-2
10. Harrison^5-0
11. Heber Springs^5-0
12. Stuttgart^7-0
13. Morrilton^6-3
14. Pocahontas^6-2
15. Gentry^5-2
16. Bauxite^8-2
17. Nashville^3-1
18. Prairie Grove^4-2
19. Crossett^4-1
20. Camden^6-2
21. Dardanelle^3-3
22. Pottsville^3-5
23. ESTEM^6-4
24. Ozark^5-5
25. Huntsville 2-4
MaxPreps/CBS 4A
State basketball poll
Boys Top 25 list
Friday, Dec. 7, 2018
1. Brookland^6-1
2. Westside^6-1
3. Pea Ridge^9-2
4. Harrison^5-1
5. Stuttgart^5-0
6. Blytheville^4-2
7. Pottsville^5-0
8. Subiaco^8-2
9. Warren^3-1
10. Farmington^5-3
11. Monticello^5-1
12. ESTEM^8-5
13. Magnolia^2-1
14. Southside^4-2
15. Forrest City^3-3
16. Star City^3-0
17. Dardanelle^5-1
18. Huntsville^5-3
19. Mills^3-3
20. Valley View^5-2
21. Mena^4-3
22. Morrilton^4-4
23. Ozark^5-3
24. Robinson^3-2
25. Highland^4-2
•••
Editor's note: John McGee, an award-winning columnist, sports writer and art teacher at Pea Ridge elementary schools, writes a regular sports column for The Times. The opinions expressed are those of the writer. He can be contacted through The Times at [email protected].
Sports on 12/12/2018