Vote: Who should be SBLive Arkansas' team of the week? (10/30/2023)
Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Arkansas High School Team of the Week.
Read through the nominees and cast your vote. Voting will conclude Sunday, November 5, at 11:59 p.m.
Baptist Prep Eagles volleyball
The Lady Eagles swept Hackett for the second consecutive season in the 3A finals to win back-to-back state championships. Senior Abby Renshaw was tabbed the tournament's Most Valuable Player, finishing the match with 26 kills and six digs while hitting .306.
Benton Panthers volleyball
In what turned out to be an instant classic, the Lady Panthers had a heroic performance against a feisty Greenwood squad and earned their second consecutive 5A state championship in five sets. Junior Isabella Lagemann was named the tournament's MVP and finished the match with 18 kills, 20 assists, 19 digs, three blocks, along with adding an ace.
Bergman Panthers boys basketball
Bergman, the defending 3A runner-up, advanced to 5-0 on the season starting with a six-point victory over LISA Academy North and then won with authority over the weekend in the Acorn Classic against Cossatot River and host Acorn.
Bergman Panthers girls basketball
Like the boys team, the Lady Panthers played in the Acorn Classic and had their way with Cossatot River and host Acorn by a combined score of 129-54. They are 4-0 on the year heading into the new week.
Bigelow Panthers football
The Panthers wrapped up both the 2A-1 conference championship and an undefeated season in their 22-15 win over Conway Christian. They led by five following a defensive first half and a clutch 95-yard touchdown pass from Rhett Neumeier to Ryan Hobbs ended up securing Bigelow's fourth consecutive win over the Eagles.
Brinkley Tigers football
The Top 5 8-Man sanctioned matchup between the No. 5 Tigers and third-ranked Izard County Consolidated, the defending state champion, lived up to the hype, but the Tigers were the victor in the high-scoring affair. Out of the 114 points scored, Brinkley held on to win 58-56 and clinched the No. 2 playoff seed out of the North conference.
Brookland Bearcats volleyball
The Lady Bearcats were one step away from the top of the mountain multiple times before getting there last year. They have now done it for the 4A title in consecutive seasons following another sweep of Shiloh Christian. The tournament's MVP went to senior Rylee Walker, who had 28 digs and three aces in the match.
El Dorado Wildcats football
The Wildcats won their third consecutive game following a resilient come-from-behind 22-21 victory over Catholic and could be heating up at the right time. Down 21-0 at halftime, El Dorado brought a completely different team back out of the locker room and pitched a second half shutout while the offense capitalized on it.
Fayetteville Bulldogs volleyball
Despite coming into the year with a plethora of new faces, the Lady Purple Dogs ended in the same position they have the previous three seasons as 6A state champions. Conway gave Fayetteville all it wanted, but the Lady Purple Dogs survived the fifth set 16-14 to take the match. Senior Regan Harp was tabbed the tournament's MVP and finished the day with 29 kills.
Mansfield Tigers volleyball
The Lady Tigers were one of two teams going for a four-peat on Saturday and they capitalized on the opportunity powered by a dominant third set in a sweep of Conway Christian for the 2A state title. University of Nebraska-Omaha softball commit Alyson Edwards earned her second straight tournament MVP award and finished the match with 20 kills.
--Kyle Sutherland | k_sutherlandAR