Arkansas Sports 360.com - July 2008 - (Page 70) PRESENTED BY 6A OVERVIEW Wolves Ready to Howl in December By Philip Seaton Conference Predictions 6A-EAST West Memphis Jonesboro Marion Jacksonville Mountain Home Little Rock Parkview Little Rock Hall Searcy AFTER RUNNING OFF 12 STRAIGHT wins last season, Lake Hamilton’s title hopes came to halt at War Memorial Stadium with a 13-0 setback to Texarkana. This season, the Wolves are ready to make another run to the title game. Quarterback Phillip Butterfield returns and he has playmaking receivers back as well, including seniors Josh Profitt and Tauno Vannucci. Lake Hamilton’s nonconference schedule is brutal, with Little Rock Central, Pulaski Academy and Texarkana, Texas, on the early slate. West Memphis, Pine Bluff and El Dorado have the talent to contend, while Texarkana still holds the title. Favorite: West Memphis. Coach Lanny Dauksch’s squad lost in the 2007 opener to Little Rock Central and then reeled off 10 straight victories before falling to eventual state champion Texarkana in the 6A semifinals. Only three starters return for a defense that recorded six shutouts last season, but enough talent returns to make West Memphis a serious state title contender. Hot on West Memphis’ heels: Jonesboro. Coach Randy Coleman moves over from Valley View and brings the highscoring Spread offense with him. With seven starters back on offense, Coleman should find plenty of playmakers available to answer the call for the Hurricane. Don’t forget about us: Marion. Coach Mark Uhrien’s bunch returns four starters on both sides of the football, led by allstate running back Deappolis Smith. The Patriots will have enough talent to make a push for a conference crown. Sleeper: Mount ain Home. Coach Shane 6a-east STEVE BARNETT REVENGE: Lake Hamilton would like avenge a 6A title loss to Texarkana. TOUGH SPOT: Little Rock Parkview has a difficult assignment playing in the 6A-East. 6A-SOUTH Lake Hamilton Pine Bluff Texarkana El Dorado Watson Chapel Sheridan Benton Little Rock Fair Patrick’s squad had a down year in 2007, limping home with a 2-7-1 record, but seven starters are back on offense and six on defense. Chase Walker, Dalton Lind and Kent Perryman look to lead Patrick’s Wishbone attack. Favorite: Lake Hamilton. Talented quarterback Phillip Butterfield needs time to throw the football and Levi Jamison, Zach Ruth, Alec Gordan, Taylor Root and Jared Chesshir give Butterfield that luxury. October will be a key month for the Wolves with games at home against Pine Bluff and El Dorado, and then a Halloween road trip to Texarkana. Hot on Lake Hamilton’s heels: Pine Bluff. Coach Bobby Bolding won at 6a-south new to 6a Pine Bluff Little Rock Fair Down from 7A Up from 5A TOP TEN teams 1. Lake Hamilton 2. West Memphis 3. Pine Bluff 4. Texarkana 5. El Dorado 6. Jonesboro 7. Marion 8. Watson Chapel 9. Jacksonville 10. Mountain Home Stuttgart and his second season at Pine Bluff should be better than the first, which still finished on the upswing in the last two games. Junior quarterback Claude Johnson is developing into one of the top signal-callers in the state, while Martez Glass, Jarvis Mayo and Cordara Frazier are just a few of the playmakers at Bolding’s disposal. Don’t forget about us: Texarkana. The two-time defending state champion Razorbacks are not going to give up their crown without a fight. Coach Bill Keopple’s squad has five starters back on offense and four on defense. Sleeper: Benton. The Panthers had rough 2007 campaign, but coach Mike Jones’ squad has enough talent coming to make a playoff push in 2008. ❍ The ArkansasSports360.com 10 Players to Watch is not necessarily the Top 10 prospects for each classification, but 10 players that did not make our AllPreseason Team that you should be reading a lot about this fall. Brady Bone Zach Hawthorne Claude Johnson Patrick Geans Johnathan Milikin Kevin Johnson Tim Lackey Chris Giles Nathan Leonard Kowan Wright Players to Watch Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. RB/WR QB QB RB QB RB RB RB RB RB Sheridan Mountain Home Pine Bluff Jacksonville Marion Watson Chapel Texarkana LR Parkview Searcy Jonesboro games to Watch Sep. 5 Sep. 12 Sep. 19 Sep. 26 Oct. 3 Oct. 10 Oct. 17 Oct. 24 Oct. 31 Nov. 6 Texarkana Texas High at Lake Hamilton West Memphis at Pine Bluff Bryant at Texarkana Mountain Home at Jacksonville Marion at West Memphis Pine Bluff at Lake Hamilton West Memphis at Jonesboro El Dorado at Lake Hamilton Lake Hamilton at Texarkana Pine Bluff at El Dorado 70 ArkansasSports360.com July 2008 http://ArkansasSports360.com http://ArkansasSports360.com http://ArkansasSports360.com
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