25 games to watch in Arkansas high school football in 2024

Some of the top games this season in Arkansas high school football

Pulaski Academy plays rival Little Rock Christian in a big 7A-Central Conference game. / Photo by Tommy Land

As we are set to begin the Arkansas high school football season this week, there are some games that are highly anticipated. Some of those contests will come earlier in the season and others will be nonconference rivalry games or with teams from out of state. Others kick off later in the season and feature playoff implications.

Below is a list of the Top 25 games this season.

Arkadelphia at Malvern, Nov. 8th

One of the great regional rivalries between two traditional powers. Since the two lined up in the 4A-7 Conference, the game has often had conference title implications. This year is no different as many have picked Arkadelphia to win the league. If both teams can beat Bauxite, this game will be for the conference crown in the final week of the regular season.

Bauxite at Arkadelphia, Oct. 4th

Bauxite fans think this is the season they can win a state title. This will be one of the more important games in school history and could be a step in the right direction for a deep playoff run. The winner of this game could capture the 4A-7 Conference title. That is old hat for a Arkadelphia as the Badgers have won three league titles since 2019. The Badgers are at home, but Bauxite has one of the better players in Arkansas high school football, regardless of class, in senior Marcus Wimberly. Wimberly, a University of Oklahoma commit, plays multiple positions and very rarely leaves the field.

Benton vs. Bryant (Salt Bowl in Little Rock), Aug. 30th

The rivalry celebrates its 50th anniversary and the annual Salt Bowl game is being played for the 25th straight season. Benton dominated the series at the beginning, but Bryant has seized command and hasn’t lost a game to Benton since 2005. The matchup routinely makes this list because of what it means to their respective communities becoming a cultural phenomenon and has raised a good amount of money for each school and has routinely drawn 20,000-plus fans.

Bryant at Little Rock Parkview Sept. 13th

The Class 5A Patriots snapped Bryant’s 54-game winning streak last season, and the return game has been highly anticipated since. Parkview, who finished No. 1 in the SBLive Power 25 last season and opens No. 1 in the preseason, will be favored in this game with at least seven players who have Division I offers. They have the talent edge, but Bryant, who is Class 7A, has more depth. This could be one of the games of the year, and if it’s close will most likely be the only tight game the Patriots have with an in-state opponent.

Charleston at Booneville, Nov. 1st

These two rivals separated by around 20 miles are used to playing for big stakes. Two years ago, Charleston beat Booneville with a conference title on the line and then beat them for a state title a few weeks later. Last year, Booneville won, 25-15, at Charleston on its way to a league crown and later a state title. The two teams meet again this year as the regular season winds down, and the game will most likely be for the conference title.

Conway at Bryant, Nov. 8th

This game will most likely be for the 7A-Central Conference championship … again. Bryant is gunning for its sixth straight league crown. The past two games between the rivals have been resounding wins for Bryant, even though the Wampus Cats opened with a lead in last season’s showdown. The game has become a budding rivalry, and then last year former Bryant head coach Buck James, who engineered five straight state titles, took the Conway job before last season. Both teams are ranked in the Top 5 of the SBLive Power 25 and both could win the conference title and state championship. This will again be one of the Top 5 biggest games of the seasons for a variety of reasons.

Elkins vs. Warren (Arkansas Tech University), Sept. 13th

Both teams have a chance to play in the Class 4A state title game. Even though the game is scheduled for Week 3, it will have a playoff feel to it, especially being played at Burkle Field on the ATU campus. It will be a matchup of Warren’s high-octane offense against the stingy Elkins defense, who returns nine starters. Warren is loaded with talent including senior receiver Antonio Jordan, who is committed to the University of Arkansas. Sophomore Jackson Denton passed for more than 3,000 yards last season. Senior linebacker Brooks Williams (86 tackles last fall) returns to anchor the Elks defense which held opponents to 14 points or less eight times.

Farmington at Shiloh Christian, Aug. 30th

These teams have been league foes the past two seasons in the 5A-West, and the Cardinals upset Shiloh Christian last fall. No doubt, the Saints, who moved up to Class 6A will remember that. The Saints don’t lose often at home. Not only is this the season opener for both teams, but it is also the Farmington head-coaching debut for 72-year-old Tommy Tice, who came out of retirement in May.  

Fayetteville at Bentonville, Oct. 18th

These teams make a habit of playing for big stakes. Regular season games for conference titles and state championships. Last fall, Fayetteville swept the ‘big’ games with the Bulldogs winning 42-21 in the regular season and 22-16 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock in the 7A title game. This year’s game in October will again be for the conference title. Whoever wins it will have a leg up in the playoffs with a potential No. 1 seed, and the loser will have to play at a 7A-Central foe most likely in the semifinals. Last year, that was OK for Bentonville, who upset No. 1 seed Bryant. Another twist to this game will be Fayetteville linebacker Dax Horton, a Bentonville transfer, playing against his old team.

Glen Rose at Perryville, Oct. 11th

There are some who think Perryville can win the 3A-4 Conference and make a state playoff run. To do that, though, the Mustangs will have to go through 3A power Glen Rose. The Beavers have one of their more inexperienced teams in recent memory with five total returning starters. That makes them a little vulnerable, and Perryville is playing at home with a team that returns 16 staters, including two-way star Connor Frith, who picked off 12 passes a season ago.

Greenwood at Shiloh Christian, Sept. 27th

What a way to enter Class 6A. Shiloh Christian’s 6A debut, after moving up from 5A, will be against juggernaut 6A power, Greenwood. The Bulldogs are the defending Class 6A state champions and are heavily favored to win it all again. This 6A-West Conference opener offers an intriguing QB matchup with four-star Greenwood junior Kane Archer against Shiloh sophomore Cole Creighton, who is a potential college prospect. Archer does have the benefit of three Division I receivers. This will be one of the more hyped games in Northwestern Arkansas featuring two of the winningest programs in the area.

Harding Academy at Marion, Sept. 6th

The Wildcats, who moved up from Class 4A to 5A, have never shied away from a challenge playing larger schools in nonconference games. Marion, who could contend for a 6A-East Conference title, is a good early-season challenge for the defending Class 4A state champion Wildcats, who are led by University of Central Arkansas QB commit Owen Miller. If Harding is going to pull off the road win, they will have to slow down Patriots senior running back Jalen Smith, who ran for nearly 1,600 yards last fall.

Hot Springs at Hot Springs Lakeside Nov. 8

An inner-city rivalry that rounds out the 5A-South Conference slate with playoff positioning on the line. It’s very likely that Little Rock Parkview will run away with the league crown, but the all-important second place will be up for grabs with these two teams and Camden Fairview in the mix. Last year the Rams knocked off the Trojans 31-27. That was only Hot Springs second loss of the year, but it tumbled them to the No. 3 playoff seed where they ended up playing at Shiloh Christian, the eventual Class 5A runner-up. Hot Springs wants to avoid that again. They lose some key offensive cogs but return nine on defense. Lakeside only returns 9 total starter but has built something under second-year head coach Garren Rockwell, who led them to an 8-4 record and a playoff win last fall.

Junction City at Carlisle, Sept. 6th

This early-season nonconference game could be a 2A state championship game preview. Both small-school powers are considered contenders by pundits. Carlisle is two years removed from a title-game appearance and a semifinal appearance last fall. The Bison return 12 starters from that team. Junction City played in the Class 3A state playoff quarterfinals in 2023 and moves back to 2A with 15 returning starters.

Kimball High School (Texas) at Pine Bluff, Sept. 7th

Pine Bluff head coach Micheal Williams, who coached in the Dallas Metroplex, calls on an inner-city Dallas opponent to fill a non-conference slot for the Zebras. Interestingly, this will be the second straight Saturday affair for Pine Bluff, who opens the season in a neutral-site classic game against Millwood (Oklahoma City, Okla.) in DeSoto, Texas on Saturday, Aug. 31. Both games will be challenging, but the Zebras get Kimball in their home opener after a deep run in the Class 5A playoffs last fall. Kimball returns some talent from its 2023 playoff-qualifying team including three-star safety Juan-Milleon Aguilar. The Z’s will be strong on the defensive line with tackle Danny Johnson and end Julius Stribling leading the charge.

Little Rock Christian Academy at Pulaski Academy, Nov. 8th

The two west Little Rock private-school rivals are no strangers to games that involve more than bragging rights. This regular-season finale could be important to both teams but for a different reason than before. Both clubs got moved to 7A from 6A because of the Arkansas Activities Association competitive equity factor. Both teams expect to play for conference and state titles, but being in the 7A-Central with the likes of Bryant and Conway will be tough because both schools have half the players many of their opponents will have. This game will likely be for third place in the Central unless one of the two can upset Bryant or Conway. But third isn’t bad in this league and either team could make a run in the playoffs with that playoff positioning.

Marked Tree at Cross County, Nov. 1st

There are a couple of games in the 2-4A to choose from. Marked Tree is the popular pick to win this league, but Des Arc and East Poinsett County will be in the mix as well as Cross County. Marked Tree isn’t a surprise with a team loaded with talent, including QB Kenyon Cater (3,400 yards passing). The Indians return 14 starters. The Thunderbirds welcome legendary head coach Van Paschal as its head man. Paschal hopes his team can surprise and contend in this ultra-tough league. He did guide a listless Heber Springs to success in just one season last year. His hope is entering this early November game with a chance to finish in the upper echelon.

Little Rock Parkview at Melissa (Texas), Aug. 31st

This game is a part of the Wipe Out Kids Cancer Classic being played at Melissa’s state-of-the-art stadium with a capacity of 14,000. Melissa finished 10-2 last season in Class 5A Division II. The Cardinals have a handful of Division I recruits, including mammoth offensive lineman Owen Hollenbeck, an Oklahoma recruit. Melissa, like Parkview will be breaking in a transfer QB. Noah Schuback comes to the Cardinals from perennial power Hoover (Ala.) High School where he started for two seasons. The senior has offers from Ole Miss, Texas Tech and more. This game and the Week 2 home tilt with Bryant may be the only challenges of the season.

Prescott at Bismarck, Oct. 25th

Most are picking the Curley Wolves to win the 3A-7 Conference, but that doesn’t mean it will be a cakewalk. A veteran Lions club welcomes Prescott for a late-season clash that will most likely be for the league title. All-state QB Ben Keithley, who’s dad DJ is the Bismarck head coach, leads the Lions coming off a dynamic junior year in which he totaled more than 2,000 yards of offense. Prescott is the most athletic team in 3A with Tulsa commit Decari Prater playing QB this fall along with defensive back.

Salem vs. Prescott (At Hendrix College in Conway), Sept. 5th

Two of the favorites meet in a neutral site game. This is a big test for both clubs as they have designs on deep runs in the Class 3A state playoffs. The Greyhounds have some spots to fill on offense but returns most of its key defensive players. Prescott is loaded with experience and talent from a team which was the state championship runner-up last fall.

Sheridan at Marion, Oct. 25th

New head coach Kevin Kelley has the Yellowjackets faithful thinking playoffs even though some preseason rankings have them last in the 6A-East Conference. Sheridan will play its best football late, and the Patriots will be a big test and could have playoff implications. Sheridan QB Brady Dillon should shine in Kelley’s pass-happy offense and sophomore running back Isaiah Stephens is the best 2027 prospect in the state. Still, Marion returns 11 starters, including four-star offensive line prospect Carius Curne, who is committed to LSU.

Texas High (TX) at Fayetteville, Sept. 20th

The Purple Dogs’ final tune up before the conference season is a challenge. The Tigers finished 11-2 last fall and are looking to make another run this year. The nonconference slate is big for Bulldogs transfers such as UNLV QB commit Garyt Odom to get acclimated before the tough 7A-Conference games begin.

Valley View at Harding Academy, Oct. 4

New Class 5A member Harding Academy looks to claim the 5A-East Conference title and set up a state title run in the playoffs with the No. 1 seed. Defending league champ Valley View is the major hurdle standing in the way. However, the Wildcats have won three of the past four meetings between the clubs and returns a veteran group core from last year’s 4A stat title team, while the Blazers look to fill some key spots created by graduation. Former receiver Drew Gartman slides over to QB to replace graduated two-time all-stater Carson Turley.

Wynne at Valley View, Oct. 11th

 The 5A-East is loaded. Whoever wins it, will have to win some tough games. The Blazers know how to win it as defending champions and Wynne hopes to be in that conversation. Yellowjackets head coach Clay Totty is one of the winningest coaches in the game and has the program on the right footing after enduring a tumultuous transition from former coach Van Paschal,w ho wasn’t retained, and recovering from a massive tornado that wiped out the school and town. This game is pivotal for both teams as they battle with Harding Academy for a league title.

Walnut Ridge at Rivercrest, Oct. 18

These teams are not only contenders to win the 3-3A Conference, but also state title contenders. A win here will most likely seal the conference title and with a No. 1 seed, help the victor on the road to Little Rock. Rivercrest was there last year as a 4A member and drops down. They have one of the more athletic rosters in the class and return 10 starters, including electric QB Cavonta Washington. The Bobcats are the more experienced team with 16 returning starters, including 9 on defense.

-- Nate Olson | nate@scorebooklive.com | @ndosports