Arkansas Sports 360.com - July 2008 - (Page 63) Cabot Has Reloaded for 7A Title Run By Philip Seaton OVERVIEW 7A PRESENTED BY CABOT’S LAST PLAYOFF VICTORY came in 2002, but coach Mike Malham’s squad has the talent to make a deep run this season. With 18 starters back, it is tough to consider the Panthers anywhere but the top spot of Class 7A in the preseason. What happens after that will be up to such players as Spencer Neumann, Michael James, Vince Aguilar, Chris Bayles and Wesley Sowell, who give Malham plenty of depth to work with in the backfield. Fayetteville didn’t win the 7A-West conference crown last season, but the Bulldogs won a bigger prize. After a sixwin regular season, coach Daryl Patton’s team won three straight to win the school’s first state football title. Patton must find a replacement for the graduated Blake McDonald at quarterback, but talented sophomore Brandon Allen, whose father is longtime Razorback assistant coach Bobby Allen, will get his chance. Allen will be surrounded with seven returning starters on offense. Favorite: Cabot. The Panthers didn’t win the conference last season, but that should change this season. Malham, with running back Michael James, will be able to pound the football the way he did back in the late 1990s up to 2000’s state championship. James rushed for more than 1,700 yards last season. Hot on Cabot’s heels: Little Rock Catholic. Coach Scooter Register’s team returns nine starters on offense, including the dangerous Mayborn Peters at running back. Paul Drake is a talented receiver and Garrett Uekman is a weapon at tight Conference Predictions 7A-CENTRAL Cabot Little Rock Catholic North Little Rock Little Rock Central Bryant Russellville Conway Van Buren BRYANT HIGH SCHOOL FREIGHT TRAIN: Gareth Patterson of Bryant hopes to keep the Hornets in the 7A title hunt this season. 7a-Central end. Register must find seven staarters on defense. Don’t forget about us: North Little Rock. Coach Brad Bolding’s second season should see the Charging Wildcats in the postseason. College prospects Audi Smith, a running back, and Anthony Rogers, a defensive end, will give opponents fits. Sleeper: Bryant. The 2007 conference co-champions must find six new starters on offense and eight on defense, but coach Paul Calley has talent to work with, including receiver Tim Floyd and free safety Dijon Benton. Favorite: Fayetteville. The Purple Dogs are champs until someone takes away their crown. With Franco Broyles, Kellen Summers, Colby Berna, Tyler McKee and Cody Hammer, t h e cupboard is not bare 7a-West TOP TEN teams 1. Cabot 2. Fayetteville 3. Fort Smith Southside 4. Little Rock Catholic 5. Bentonville 6. North Little Rock 7. Springdale 8. Rogers 9. Little Rock Central 10. Bryant and his team has all the makings to repeat as state champions. Hot on Fayetteville’s heels: Fort Smith Southside. The Rebels had a down season a year ago, but closed out with a win over rival Fort Smith Northside in week 10. Lead by senior running back Daniel McGee, the Rebels have talent. Don’t forget about us: Bentonville. Coach Barry Lunney’s team were conference co-champs a year ago, but stumbled to eventual state champion Fayetteville in the semifinals of the playoffs. Lunney will need to do some reloading on offense with only three returning starters, but his Tigers have nine defenders back. Sleeper: Rogers. It is tough to call any team a sleeper in the rugged 7A-West, but the Mounties fit that bill as much as anyone. With the split of the school district, coach Ronnie Peacock lost some depth to Heritage High, but the seniors are all at Rogers High led my talented athlete Michael Tibbs, the state decathlon champ. SPENCER NEUMANN ASPEN TREVINO FRANCO BROYLES LADARIUS ECKWOOD 7A-WEST Fayetteville Fort Smith Southside Bentonville Springdale Rogers Fort Smith Northside Springdale Har-Ber Rogers Heritage new to 7a Rogers Heritage New school Players to Watch Franco Broyles Anthony Warren Dax Dupire Ladarius Eckwood Zach Faust Damien Lee Daniel McGee Mayborn Peters Michael Tibbs Aspen Trevino The ArkansasSports360.com Top 10 Players to Watch is not necessarily the top 10 prospects for each classification, but 10 players that did not make our All Preseason Team that you should be reading a lot about this fall. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. WR Fayetteville RB Fort Smith Southside QB Fort Smith Northside WR Springdale QB Springdale Har-Ber WR/TE Little Rock Central RB Fort Smith Southside RB Little Rock Catholic RB Rogers RB Bryant games to Watch Sep. 5 Sep. 12 Sep. 19 Sep. 26 Oct. 3 Oct. 10 Oct. 17 Oct. 24 Oct. 31 Nov. 6 LR Central at Fayetteville Springdale at LR Catholic Fort Smith Southside at LR Central Fayetteville at Bentonville LR Catholic at Cabot North Little Rock at Cabot Fort Smith Southside at Fayetteville Bryant at Cabot Bentonville at Springdale Bryant at LR Central July 2008 ArkansasSports360.com 63 http://ArkansasSports360.com http://ArkansasSports360.comts360.com
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