Several rivalries on this week’s agenda | The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

It’s good to be back.

Now that one week has passed, high school football is back in full swing and even more teams will take the field for the first time on Friday.

Last week was full of surprises, blowouts, rivalries that were heated until the very end, and some impressive victories over out-of-state competitors.

There looks to be a lot more action this week, with rivals Shiloh Christian-Little Rock Christian, Mountain Home-Harrison and Batesville-Newport all looking to extend their series totals.

We’ll also be keeping an eye on the Bentonville-Conway, Harding Academy-Marion and Junction City-Carlisle games.

Below is a look at some of the best games of the week:

Predicted winner in CAPITALS

Russellville (0-1) at GREENBRIER (1-0)

Kickoff will take place at Don Jones Stadium in Greenbrier, where the Panthers host the Russellville Cyclones on Thursday night. Greenbrier had one of the most impressive wins in the state last week when it defeated the top-ranked Class 4A team in Warren. Russellville suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of Morrilton. If Greenbrier’s Enoch Assan can pull off a similar performance last week, when he totaled 259 yards and three touchdowns, this should be Panthers all the way.

Bentonville (0-1) at CONWAY (1-0)

Fayetteville passed both teams en route to the Class 7A title last season, but both came within a score of turning those results around. The Wampus Cats opened their 2024 season with a comfortable win over Jonesboro, while the Tigers lost in overtime to one of the best teams in Oklahoma. Conway won this game on a field goal last season and should continue his streak of three straight wins over Bentonville.

SHILOH CHRISTIAN (1-0) at Little Rock Christian (1-0)

This was a wake-up game for Little Rock Christian last season. Shiloh Christian’s Bo Williams rushed for nearly 400 yards and the Warriors missed tackles in a lopsided loss. That snapped a nine-game winning streak to reach the state championship game. The Saints hold a 4-2 series lead, and if their offense plays like it did last week, they should add to that this time around.

HARDING ACADEMY (0-0) at Marion (1-0)

After four state championships in five seasons, Harding Academy takes its non-conference slate to the next level with Class 6A Marion. The Wildcats are preparing for their first season in Class 5A, so this should be a good indicator of where they stand in their season opener. The Patriots narrowly defeated Wynne in their opener thanks to a 34-14 second-half performance. The Wildcats have lost once in the past two seasons — in the 2022 4A state title game — so don’t expect that to start now.

MOUNTAIN HOME (1-0) at Harrison (0-1)

Mountain Home snapped a 10-year losing streak to its northern neighbors in Arkansas when it defeated Harrison 44-31 last season. The Bombers struggled with turnovers last week against West Plains, Mo., but had no trouble moving the ball 454 yards and 43 points. The Goblins were limited to seven points in their loss.

LITTLE ROCK PARKVIEW (1-0) at Maumelle (1-0)

Little Rock Parkview came out on top last week, coming back from Texas with a win. Maumelle looked every bit as good as advertised with a blowout win over Sylvan Hills. While the Hornets are much better than they were last season, the Patriots remain the No. 1 team in Class 5A for a reason, and that should show in this game.

SEARCY (1-0) at Valley View (1-0)

Both teams won their openers with ease. But it was Searcy, behind the two-headed rushing attack of senior Rickey Love and junior Curtis Goodrich, that made a splash statewide. Love came in as one of the state’s top running backs, throwing for 169 yards and one touchdown. Goodrich did that and then some, throwing for 176 yards and four touchdowns. That duo should be a tough matchup for any team in Class 5A this season.

HOT SPRINGS (1-0) at Arkadelphia (0-1)

For the second straight season, Arkadelphia has filled out its nonconference slate in hopes of helping the Badgers down the stretch. But just as last season got underway, they lost to Camden Fairview last week and now face another 5A team. The Trojans made quick work of West Memphis last week and should continue their strong start to the season here.

Batesville (0-1) at NEWPORT (1-0)

For the first time since 2011, old foes Newport and Batesville will face off this week. In what’s being called the White River Bowl, the 29-mile-apart cities will reunite. This time, it should be all Greyhounds, who showed off a diverse rushing attack in a win over Marked Tree.

Salem (1-0) at PRESCOTT (1-0)

This is just the second meeting between these teams after Prescott defeated Salem in the second round of Class 3A play in 2022. Prescott won easily last week, while Salem cruised to a two-point victory over Pocahontas. The Curley Wolves looked like a team headed for another state championship run, and that will likely remain the case for their home opener.

BIGELOW (1-0) at Mayflower (1-0)

Mayflower survived a first-half scare in the opener against Jessieville, as the Lions took a one-point lead into halftime. But the Eagles went on to score 14-0 in the second half against the Lions to open 1-0. Bigelow had a much easier time of it, beating England 25-8. This should be one of the most exciting games on this list, but the reigning state champions prevail.

JUNCTION CITY (0-1) at Carlisle (1-0)

Despite all the preseason hype surrounding Junction City, it couldn’t snap a losing streak to Camden Harmony Grove that dates back to 2018. Carlisle couldn’t resist in a 31-6 win over Drew Central. With a week to work on things, the Dragons should have everything in place just in time to earn their first win of 2024.