Arkansas High School football

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Arkansas high school football is yet another in the long list of states (I'd say about 50, give or take

) that annually give lie to the notion that blacks are inherently superior to whites in the game of football. It's a little late in the year to talk high school, but I've been busy. So cut me some slack.

To begin this thread, I will explain the division system of Arkansas high schools, and then list and describe the state championship teams at the various levels. I'm guessing it won't be a surprise to anyone here at Caste Football how the demographics of a successful team look ...

Arkansas has six divisions, based on school enrollment, that play football in the state. The largest division is 7A, going down to the smallest, 2A. Class 1A includes schools that are too small to offer football. Private schools are forced to play up in size, meaning that they are placed in one division higher than their enrollment would dictate. (It is said they recruit, but they inevitably are all-white schools so is that even possible?)

The Class 7A (the 16 largest schools in the state) state champion, was all-white Bentonville. Considered by many to be the best overall team in Arkansas, Bentonville comfortably defeated racially diverse and pre-season #1 pick Southside (Fort Smith) in the championship contest, led by dynamic senior cornerback/return man Chase Baggett.

In Class 6A (the next 16 largest schools) all-white Lake Hamilton defeated nearly all-back El Dorado to win the state championship in a near-blowout. Lake Hamilton senior quarterback Phillip Butterfield, one of the best talents in the state, earned championship game MVP honors, passing for 140 yards and two touchdowns. Butterfield also rushed for 147 yards and two scores AND intercepted a late El Dorado pass to seal the victory. Senior receiver/safety Josh Proffit had 84 yards receiving, two touchdowns, and four pass break-ups to aid in the victory.

Class 5A (the next 32 largest schools) saw a match-up between what many claimed were the best two teams in the state: all-white private school Pulaski Academy and all-black Helena-West Helena Central. It was a game of momentum shifts and gritty performances, with Pulaski Academy overcoming injuries and a severe flu bug (resulting in vomiting and severe dehydration throughout the game) to key players and with Helena battling back from a large deficit. In the end, PA avenged its one loss of the season (to Helena in Week 1 of the season) and emerged victorious. Senior receiver Carson McKnight caught six passes for 100 yards in the first half, but injured his leg on the first play of the second half. Senior quarterback Spencer Keith, a finalist for the State Farm Awards Class 5A Offensive Player of the Year, ran for 87 yards and a touchdown, twice turning third and long situations into fourth and 1. Keith also completed 20 of 41 passes for 244 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Class 4A saw all-white private school Shiloh Christian continue its tradition of dominance. The only Arkansas high school ranked nationally (#52 Prep, #99 Rivals, #24 Vype) and arguably the best overall team in the state despite being a small Christian school, Shiloh destroyed all-black Dollarway, 42-18, to win the state championship. The 24-point margin of victory was the narrowest to a 4A opponent all season; Shiloh had beaten every other Class 4A opponent by at least 35 points, including playoff wins over all-white Clarksville 84-14 in the second round, mostly-black Lonoke 47-7 in the quarterfinals and all-black Osceola 51-12 in the semifinals. Shiloh Christian's only loss on the season was to fellow nationally-ranked Evangel Christian (Shreveport, Louisiana) in their opening game.

Class 3A saw two undefeated teams enter the contest: nearly all-white Fountain Lake with one of the most dominant rushing attacks in state history, and all-white Charleston, led by one of the most versatile talents in the state. In the end, Fountain Lake's one-dimensional ground game wasn't enough to keep up with Charleston's quarterback/cornerback, senior Jordan Shelby. Shelby threw for 280 yards and 2 touchdowns, and ran for 93 yards and 2 more scores en route to being named game MVP. All-white Charleston ended the season a perfect 14-0, while Fountain Lake fell one game short, 13-1.

In the state's smallest football classification, 2A, undefeated and mostly-white Des Arc (13-0) faced off with undefeated and mostly-black Junction City (12-0), a traditional power. In what was easily the closest championship game of the year, defense reigned supreme. Des Arc mustered just 166 yards of offense, including only 36 rushing yards, while Junction City managed a meager 209 yards and only 36 passing yards. The game was decided by a Junction City field goal as time expired to give Junction City a 10-8 victory.

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This is obviously just one year, but what an unusual year it must be for those folks who claim that blacks have a vastly superior amount of talent. Out of 6 state championship games, only one majority black team prevailed, and even it was a narrow thing born of a miracle finish. Meanwhile, five all-white teams emerged victorious. Furthermore, of the four teams in the argument to be the state's overall best, three were all-white, all won state championships, and one defeated the best all-black team in the championship game.

How can this be?!?

In the next few days, I will post about some of the numerous talented white players who dominated high school football in Arkansas this year, many helping lead their team to championship game victories on all-white rosters. Sadly, most of them are being bypassed by collegiate scouts (and the accompanying scholarships) who favor their less talented, but blacker, peers.

Apparently winning isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Edited by: Jimmy Chitwood

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

Thanks for the write-up. I will look forward to reading this tomorrow night when I have time. JC wasn't Derek Lawson who plays for Arkansas State and has looked very good from Arkansas? Hopefully a lot of these players will be recruited to play in state like Lawson was.

 

[Riddlewire]

Hopefully a lot of these players will be recruited to play in state like Lawson was.

Well, I don't know which players Jimmy will be writing about, but I can already provide an answer to this one (assuming you're talking about D1A).
Petrino doesn't want them. Not the ones who play the positions we covet, anyway. He offered one receiver from in-state, and even that was under questionable circumstances. Arkansas produces multiple white QBs each year that have tons of experience running an offense similar to what Petrino does at Arkansas, but he doesn't seem to care about any of them (although I lay the blame for this at the feet of his black recruiting coordinator, who just scared away the only white QB recruit for this year, if current reports are to be believed). The most skilled and experienced receivers in spread offenses in Arkansas are all white. But Petrino doesn't want them, either. Runningback? Forget about it. Most of the high school coaches here won't let a white player line up at tailback, even at all-white (practically) schools. There are some great ones in the state (Davis at Fountain Lake has the moves of McGuffie), but they get no coverage at all, and Petrino loves those Rivals star ratings.
As for ASU, Steve Roberts has it pretty rough. Recruiting to a school that most people think is DivIII is not easy. They currently have ten commits, and they'll fill the rest up on signing day. That's pretty common. Roberts has never shown any consistent trends regarding Caste-type recruiting. Although he's under pressure from the boosters to rack up those stars. And when it comes to Arkansas high schoolers, that's just never going to be any white players. As far as offensive/defensive skill players from in-state that are committed to ASU, only two are white (and only if you count 'kicker' as an offensive skill player). But, again, the signing class isn't even half full yet.
Now, if only care that the good white players from the state get to play football ANYWHERE, then the news is much better. Most of them can get scholarships to the DivII schools in Arkansas. Although that bastard Conque at UCA won't take them.

Ok, end of an unrequested lengthy post.
But there is one more thing I want to mention.
Every friday during football season, the Rivals representative for the state of Arkansas shows up on the major sports talk radio show to talk recruiting and take questions. He's a pretty good source of information if you want to know what goes on inside the minds at Rivals. I'm pretty sure their "system" operates from a playbook. Kinda like door-to-door salesmen who are given a pamphlet on "best practices" for selling vacuum cleaners. By listening to him, I've learned a lot about the tendencies of Rivals when it comes to scouting players and schools. And from what I can tell, it's exactly as bad as we all fear.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

JC wasn't Derek Lawson who plays for Arkansas State and has looked very good from Arkansas? Hopefully a lot of these players will be recruited to play in state like Lawson was.

yes, Derek Lawson played in Arkansas. in his first year as a tailback (his senior year), Lawson broke a rushing record that was said to be unbreakable, yet his ONLY D-I scholarship offer was from Arkansas State. meanwhile, Arkansas (Fayetteville) targeted numerous black backs who had the complete trifecta in comparison to Lawson: they were smaller, slower, AND far less productive. i don't have the words to describe how wrong that is.

also, everything Riddlewire said in his above post is absolutely correct.

in a situation that is too screwed up for me to comprehend, you will be able to count the number of white skill position players from Arkansas who will earn D-I scholarships on one hand.

*************************************

in my list of talented white players, i won't mention many (if any) white linemen. several of them still garner plenty of recruiting interest, and there are lots of them around the state. what's "funny" is that many of the white linemen who get scholarships played at all-white schools and are the only white kids in school history to get offered. however, if a rare black skill position kid played there and was any good at all, he inevitably gets multiple offers. i could provide numerous examples of this, but i won't get into it.

also, i'm sure i'll miss some very good players, but i'm going to try and list only the most gifted white kids i know about, those who would have multiple big-time schools in pursuit of their services if they had blacker skin.

making this list is damn frustrating.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Unless otherwise noted, all the players I mention from here on out are seniors in 2008-09.

I'll start off talking about some players from 5A state champion Pulaski Academy. I had the chance to see them play multiple times this fall, and they looked like the old BYU teams, only with a better defense.

5A state champions Pulaski Academy

Tailback D.J. Daniel (6-0, 185, reports vary on his speed from the high 4.4's to the low 4.5's) rushed for 1,677 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 7.8 yards-per-carry as the lone back in a spread offense. He also caught 89 balls for 1,042 yards and 14 touchdowns. He averaged 197.8 all-purpose yards-per-game. He was an All-State performer.

Daniel plays very similarly to Florida's Percy Harvin. Is he a wide receiver with tailback skills, or is he a tailback who can run routes and catch like a wide receiver? Though Daniel isn't an elite sprinter like Harvin, he actually was more productive at the high school level.

But while Harvin was recruited by every big time D-I school in the nation and considered an elite recruit, Daniel hasn't been offered a single Division I scholarship.

D.J. Daniel walks in for the score in the title game

Wide receiver Carson McKnight (6-0, 185, officially runs a 4.5) caught 130 balls for 1,897 yards. He led the state in both categories, and he is only the second player in Arkansas high school history to catch at least 130 passes in a single season. (Not coincidentally, the other was also a white receiver who didn't get a scholarship offer from anyone.) McKnight also totaled 18 touchdown receptions and averaged 135.5 receiving yards-per-game en route to being named an All-State performer.

McKnight hasn't been offered a single Division I scholarship.

Carson McKnight being "covered" by the nation's best, Darius Winston. Notice he "only" got about 8 yards of separation.

Here is a brief highlight video for Daniel and McKnight and some comments from their head coach. Please notice how physically young the two players appear (indicating they both have a lot of upside), and also how the head coach modestly under-estimates McKnight's speed. Black defensive backs did the same thing all year, to their regret.

Wide receiver Neal Barlow (6-6, 205, 4.6) is the only white skill position player in the state to get a scholarship offer from the University of Arkansas. He caught 96 balls for 1,512 yards, and 23 touchdowns (which led the state). Much like NFL wideout Drew Bennett, Barlow is faster than he is quick, and runs by people on deep routes. Barlow is literally a huge mismatch downfield and on jump balls. Here are some highlights that show what I'm talking about. It will be interesting to see if he remains a wideout at Arkansas or if he is bulked up to play tight end (like current Razorback Ben Cleveland, a similar player whose career has been devastated by injuries after he was forced to put on too much weight). Barlow was named an All-State performer, and was named to the AP Arkansas Super Team (22 position players and 3 all-purpose players) as a receiver.

Neal Barlow is a big target

Quarterback Spencer Keith was honored as the State Farm Award class 5A Offensive Player of the Year. Keith won the award after breaking the Arkansas state record for passing yards in a season with 5,310 while leading the Bruins to the 08-09 state championship. Keith also received the Most Valuable Player award for the 5A State Championship game. On the year, he completed 63.4% of his passes and threw 70 touchdowns to just 24 interceptions. He also ran for 296 yards and 7 touchdowns. He was an All-State performer, and was named to the AP Super Team as a quarterback.

While I personally feel he put up such huge numbers because of all the dynamic weapons he was throwing to (much like Danny Weurffel at Florida so many years ago) and lacks the physical tools to play at a high-level D-I school, it is somewhat befuddling that Keith has not yet received a single scholarship offer to play anywhere.

record-setting quarterback Spencer Keith

Pulaski Academy had a tremendous, gang-tackling defense. However, there is one defensive player who was simply record-breaking good:

Defensive end Zeke Tanner (6-0, 235) had 54 tackles-for-loss and 28 sacks on the year. Both shattered the state record. He recorded his 20th sack in the last game of the regular season to break the previous record of 19. He went on to record 8 more sacks in the playoffs. Tanner, who would project as an outside linebacker at the collegiate level, also forced 5 fumbles, recovered 3 fumbles, and intercepted a pass. Tanner was one of three finalists for the State Farm Award class 5A Offensive Player of the Year, but didn't win. He was an All-State performer, and was named to the AP Super Team as a defensive end.

Tanner hasn't been offered a single Division I scholarship.

Zeke Tanner (right) and his younger, but bigger, brother Dirk, who is a very good sophomore.

***********************************

Now, I want you to take the following into consideration. Pulaski Academy made it to the state championship game with only two D-I scholarship players (Barlow, and o-lineman Austin Noonan, who is headed to Army after being ignored by the Razorbacks). They were matched up against all-black Helena-West Helena and the state's most hyped, and highly rated, player: Darius Winston. He is the #3-rated cornerback in the nation. Here's a blurb on him and his team:

(Helena-West Helena's) Darius Winston reports 30 scholarship offers from the likes of Arkansas, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, LSU, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and others. Winston is great in coverage, he is explosive, he has great hips, he is aggressive, he is considered a very good tackler, he has blazing speed and is considered a 'big' cornerback.

He is one of six very good senior prospects out of Helena-West Helena Central High School. He had another fantastic season and helped lead Helena to the state championship game. He made the cut for the US Army All-America Bowl Game.

So Helena has six D-I signees in its senior class alone, and P.A. has a total of just two. Now let's take a look at the stats of the championship game and see how the two teams did.

Pulaski Academy mustered 446 yards of offense to West Helena's 219.

P.A. was forced into three turnovers (two interceptions and a fumble), while Helena was forced into four (two interceptions and two fumbles).

Non-scholarship-worthy receiver Carson McKnight had 6 catches and 100 yards receiving at halftime, being covered man-to-man by the aforementioned "phenom" Darius Winston. McKnight was injured on the first play of the second half. Neal Barlow, despite a severe flu and severe dehydration, caught 6 passes for 63 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Also battling a severe flu and severe dehydration, non-scholarship-worthy tailback D.J. Daniel had 23 carries for 87 yards and a touchdown, and 4 catches for 13 yards. Helena's entire backfield with all its "speed" managed just 80 total rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Non-scholarship-worthy quarterback Spencer Keith was 21 of 42 for 256 yards and 2 touchdowns with two interceptions through the air, and ran for 91 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

Non-scholarship-worthy defensive end/linebacker Zeke Tanner had 3 sacks, 6 tackles-for-loss, and a fumble recovery.

Oh, and just for kicks, offensive lineman Austin Noonan gave up ZERO total tackles or sacks to the #3-rated player in Arkansas (and #20 defensive end in the nation), black defensive end Eric Smiley. Smiley has a scholarship to Ole Miss.

Austin Noonan (74) owned Eric Smiley all night.

It is very clear, of course, that scholarships are given out based strictly on merit. Skin color has nothing at all to do with it. Right?

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Great thread JC! To help put this info into perspective, your readers should know that about 68% of the overall student population (not just public high schools) of Arkansas in 2006-2007 was white. The rest were 23% black, 8% mexican, 1% asian, and less than 1% native American.


[url]http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/ar/district_profile/69#s tudents[/url]

 

[Colonel_Reb]

A couple of years before that data was collected, I remember that Arkansas public high schools were roughly 55% white and 45% black. The mexican population, like thatof several Southern states, has increased dramaticallyover the last few years.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

I think maybe JC's thread could be an article for the homepage? It could be called "A look at Arkansas H.S Football Brings Proof of a Caste System".

It's baffling that D.J Daniel and especially Carson McKnight were snubbed by Div. IA. Carson got open consistently against the 3rd ranked CB in the nation in the biggest game of the year and runs an official 4.5; yet gets no interest.

I am literally so sick of this. Rivals and ESPN are the biggest enemies this nation has as far as building a fair society.

I just checked the 2010 ESPN 150 Watch List and that "vermin of a man" (or should I just say leech) Tom Luginbill has one white WR out of about 45 or so WRs on the list. He has zero white tailbacks out of about 45 and a mere 4 white Athletes on the list; two projected to play LB by Rivals already in college, one a Safety by Scout and one a running QB.

Now lets take a look at a black kid on the ESPN 150 Watch List: Andrew Carswell is a 6'4 WR who ran a pathetic 4.97 40 yard dash at the Scout.com Nike Combine. How about 6'3 WR John Harris running a 4.73 40 yard dash and pathetic 7.64 3-cone; he's also on the 150 Watch List.

Then there is RB James Hall from this year's class; although he wasn't ranked that high by any service this kid is a tiny 5'7 170 lbs. running a mere 4.74 40 yard dash for his small stature. Also he is from the football non-powerhouse state of New Mexico. But he has an in state New Mexico State scholarship offer.

His stats are good, but you can bet if this kid were white he'd be very lucky to get even an FCS offer. Just look at the case of Shad Bride if you don't believe it. Shad was the top RB statistically in Arizona and runs a 4.55 and is much bigger than Hall. Shad is definitely a better prospect and gets nothing.

Edited by: ToughJ.Riggins

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

6A state champions, Lake Hamilton.

Lake Hamilton had a trio of offensive weapons who were every bit as good as Pulaski Academy's four.

Fortunately, the caste system still allows white quarterbacks to get noticed for stellar performance and outstanding physical attributes. Lake Hamilton quarterback Phillip Butterfield is going to Arkansas State University after a record-setting high school career.

Butterfield started every game of his high school career and led Lake Hamilton to back-to-back state championship games, winning as a senior. The most prolific passer in Lake Hamilton history with 6, 937 career yards, Butterfield threw for 2,761 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior to go along with 462 yards rushing and 15 more touchdowns. Like all great quarterbacks, he came up big in his team's biggest games. Butterfield threw for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns, ran 15 times for 147 yards and 2 more touchdowns, and with 1:30 left in the game, he intercepted a pass in the endzone to seal the victory. Named the Little Rock Touchdown Club's 6A Offensive Player of the Year, Butterfield was also named to the AP Arkansas Super Team as an All-Purpose player in addition to being named an All-State performer.

Regarded by most as the top quarterback in the state, Butterfield originally committed to Tulsa but later backed out and is now committed to Arkansas State. Arkansas didn't offer him, but at least he's playing D-I, unlike his two talented receivers.

Wide receivers Josh Proffitt and Tauno Vannucci are both 2-time All-State performers, and were named the starting wideouts on the Vype All-Central Arkansas team this season. Vannucci and Proffitt are very similar players, both in build and performance. Vannucci is slightly taller and thinner (6-2, 175) than Proffitt (6-1, 180), though both have 4.5 speed and are equally outstanding as defensive backs. Vannucci plays cornerback, and Proffitt is primarily a safety.

Tauno Vannucci (left) and Josh Proffitt

Another thing the duo has in common is their complete rejection by Division One football programs despite having ideal size and speed for the wide receiver position, as well as dominant on-field production.

Vannucci finished the season with 60 catches for 997 yards and 10 touchdowns, bringing his career total at Lake Hamilton (in just two seasons) to 95 catches for 1,778 yards, and 16 touchdowns.

Proffitt set a school record as a junior in '07 for receiving yards with 976 yards on just 45 catches for 11 touchdowns. He broke that record this year with 1,003 yards on just 47 catches for 11 more touchdowns, two of which came in the state championship game. You can do the math for his two-year total.

You can see Tauno Vannucci's junior year highlights here. Josh Proffit's highlights from a couple of early games this season can be found here.

Unlike many talented white kids in Arkansas, at least these two will get scholarships, albeit to lower division schools. Proffitt will be playing college ball at Southern Arkansas University, in the Gulf South Conference. Vannucci has committed to the University of Central Arkansas, which very rarely recruits white skill position guys.

Lake Hamilton has a history of producing talented football players who get bypassed by D-I programs. In the class of 2008, All-State cornerback Cole Lorigan didn't get a single scholarship offer, despite giving up only 3 completions all season and being a dynamic return man.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

The 7A state champion Bentonville Tigers had an abundance of talented players. Their talent, depth, and balance made them successful, but it prevented most of their players from putting up huge numbers. However, two seniors still shone bright.

Erik Ragsdale breaking through tacklers

Linebacker/strong safety Erik Ragsdale (6-1, 195, 4.7) was awesome on both sides of the ball, a rarity in the state's largest classification. Ragsdale, the MVP of the State Championship, played with a determination to win that the rest of the team fed off of while watching the senior shed tackler after tackler all the way to the Class 7A crown.

In the state championship game, Ragsdale ran for game-highs of 125 yards and three touchdowns (one a 90-yarder that can be seen on this short championship game video) on just 11 carries. Ragsdale also intercepted a pass late in the first half that set up a field goal.

In spot duty as a tailback this season, Ragsdale rushed for 800 yards and 15 touchdowns on 107 carries. On defense, the versatile athlete completely dominated with 135 tackles, 6 interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), 3 sacks, and 2 blocked punts.

Ragsdale was an All-State performer, was named to the AP Arkansas Super Team as a linebacker, and was the Vype Western Arkansas Player of the Year. He doesn't have a single scholarship offer from anywhere.

Chase Baggett returns an interception

Cornerback Chase Baggett (5-10, 175, 4.7) was brilliant as a cover corner and kick/punt returner while coming up with a big play seemingly every time Bentonville needed one.

In the State Championship, besides locking down Southside receiver Chase Dixon from his position at cornerback for the second time this season (Bentonville played Southside in conference action), Baggett made another big play. The play.

Or two plays. Whatever. "Big Play" Baggett made good things happen.

Bentonville was reeling when he blocked an extra point attempt that kept the Tigers ahead, 19-13. He then returned the ensuing kick 61 yards to set up what proved to be the game-winning touchdown.

During their first match-up of the season, Bentonville's Baggett helped pick off then-top-ranked Fort Smith Southside during a 14-7 win. Literally. Baggett had three interceptions in the upset for the then-No. 2 Tigers. His second interception led to what proved to be the game-winning touchdown and his third interception came late in the fourth quarter to help seal the victory. "He's a very good corner," said Bentonville coach Barry Lunney Sr. "I know a lot of times, receivers look out there as a mismatch because he's not real tall, but he's got a good vertical. One of the things about Chase is he can turn and jump and elevate, and some guys can't do that, even bigger guys. When we looked at him, I think that's what we saw. He just kept making plays."

While his timed speed isn't phenomenal, opposing coaches learned to their detriment that he plays faster on the football field than he does on a stopwatch. "Every time you thought you had him in a bad match-up or situation, you couldn't take advantage of him," said rival Fayetteville head coach Daryl Patton, "He didn't get beat deep. And the kicking game, that's another area he was a big, big threat." Not coincidentally, Fayetteville passed for a season-low 101 yards when they played Bentonville.

Baggett averaged 30 yards-per-kick return, including a 99-yard touchdown in the second round of the playoffs, while finishing the season with 8 interceptions (third most in the state) despite most teams trying to throw away from him. He also had 39 solo tackles (60 total), 6 pass break-ups, and recovered 3 fumbles (1 returned for a touchdown).

In addition to being named an All-State performer, Baggett was named the Little Rock Touchdown Club 7A Player of the Year (just click on his name to see some highlights), the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Defensive Player of the Year, and the Vype Most Dynamic Player of the Year.

Despite all the accolades, he hasn't been offered a scholarship to play anywhere.

A player to keep an eye on is Bentonville junior running back Shane Boedeker (5-11, 175, 4.5). Boedeker led the Tigers in rushing this year (his first as a starter) with 1,210 yards and 11 touchdowns. As of yet, no colleges have shown interest in him, either.

Shane Boedeker leaves a defender in his wake

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Good stuff JC!

 

[johnnyboy]

Jimmy,

this stuff is priceless man. this is a monumental article/post for this website and this cause.

God Bless

 

[Electric Slide]

Jimmy, have you considered starting a blog specifically about high school football? From my understanding it is not too hard to do, and it can have it's own domain name and such. It seems like you combine the stats with just the right amount of commentary and appropriate links that would easily capture a lot of people's interest. I think a lot of high school kids would look at a high school specific blog, and it can have "friends" links to castefootball as well as the myspace page.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

thanks for the kind words, gentlemen.

Electric Slide, i have actually thought about it. and not just one for high school football, but college basketball and football, as well. unfortunately, it would take a lot of time i don't have. and while posting info for Caste Football is a work of love, it doesn't pay the bills. so unless i could make enough to live on, i don't see it happening any time soon.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

"Somehow" State Champion and nationally ranked Shiloh Christian completely dominated Arkansas football like no other team this season. Why did I put "somehow" in quotation marks? Because Shiloh only had one player sign a scholarship to play college football at any level. O-lineman/d-lineman Nick O'Quinn (6-2, 265) signed to play D-I football at Arkansas State.

And while it's true that Shiloh Christian was an incredibly young team, this still stretches the limit of legitimacy. That is, of course, if football recruiters are color blind.

The cupboard is far from bare for the Saints, however, as they have an abundance of gifted underclassmen returning. The most notable are sophomore lineman Samuel Harvill (6-1, 250, 4.8), sophomore tailback/free safety Garrett Harper (5-10, 175, 4.5), and sophomore o-lineman Travis Bodenstein (6-4, 290).

Harvill is simply an athletic beast. He has the world bench press record for his age (500 pounds), can rep 225-pounds 42 times, squats 550 pounds, and can run a 4.8 40. He was Schuman's National Underclassmen Combine Overall MVP last summer, an AP Arkansas Super Sophomore, and Arkansas Sophomore Defensive Player of the Year. He is simply incredible.

Harper was the Team MVP of the 13-1 State Champions. He led the team in receiving yards and tied for the lead in receiving touchdowns (24 catches for 558 yards and 6 touchdowns) while rushing for 392 yards and 5 touchdowns on just 50 carries. He was an AP Arkansas Super Sophomore.

Bodenstein was the only sophomore to crack the AP Arkansas Super Team, composed of the state's top players regardless of class. He has already been offered a scholarship to Tulsa.

Other underclassmen that should draw recruiters to Shiloh Christian include sophomore wide receiver Zann Jones (6-0, 180, 4.65), junior center Josh Salsbury (6-0, 245, AP Super Sophomore in '07), junior linebacker Mitchell Roberts (6.2, 220. 4.8, already has offer from Tulsa as an H-back), sophomore wide receiver Jon Hawes (6-3, 200, 4.7), and junior wide receiver/cornerback Jake Ryan (5-10, 160, 4.5).

To put the caste system in perspective yet again, Shiloh plays two quarterbacks and both are sophomores. The only black kid on the team is one of them, and he already has a D-I scholarship offer. Black sophomore Kiehl Frazier (6-2, 195, 4.7) got more snaps, but split time with white sophomore David Matthews (5-10, 160, 4.7). Frazier went 74-115 passing for 1,069 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. Matthews threw 46-78 for 1,082 yards, 13 touchdowns, and only 1 interception. Frazier ran more times for more yards (actually, due to getting more snaps ran 10 times as much and totaled 12 touchdowns to Matthews 1), but Matthews had the higher yards-per-carry average. One of these guys has scouts drooling, the other is looking at a future not involving football.

The numbers make it pretty clear, eh? No, not really.

Shiloh has a really sweet website, if you want to check it out.

 

[johnnyboy]

Garrett's Youtube Highlights

Hey Jimmy,

i found this highlight video of Garrett. i had posted it back in Nov. 07 but then i couldn't find more info on the kid. its great to see he's kicking butt.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

JC, I posted your original post on the CF myspace page, just so you know.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

thanks, Colonel and johnnyboy.

I think the point has been made about the big schools in Arkansas by now, so from here on out I'll be focusing on individual players.

Versatile Charleston quarterback/defensive back Jordan Shelby (5-9, 160, 4.58) could project as a tailback, slot receiver, or cornerback at the college level.

In his first year at quarterback, Shelby not only led his team to an UNDEFEATED SEASON and a State Championship, he rushed for 1,500 yards, passed for 1,340 yards, and accounted for 36 total touchdowns. (He led his team in receiving a year ago.)

Like all great players, he played his best in the biggest games. Shelby ran for 172 yards and 2 touchdowns and threw for another TD in a 27-20 state tournament semi-final win over Lamar. Shelby then won MVP of the State Championship game, going 8-13 passing for 280 yards and 2 touchdowns and running 16 times for 93 yards and 2 more touchdowns.

In addition to being the state championship MVP, he was named the State Farm 3A Offensive Player of the Year and was even better on the defensive side of the ball, where he was named to the AP Arkansas Super Team as a defensive back.

He wasn't offered a scholarship offer from anyone at any level.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

I think it's usually an easier switch for a running QB to play tailback than WR (IMO that is definitely what Eric Crouch should have been tried at in the NFL if QB didn't work out, not WR); although you said this kid also has had receiving work in this case.

I have never seen the guy play, but he must be very athletic to accomplish what he has.

A 4.58 40 time for an FBS starting CB isn't all that special, but it's good enough; it sounds like this guy could at least make a good mid-major FBS starter with his all round ability and accomplishments. Any highlights of him? I'm guessing he's very agile.Edited by: ToughJ.Riggins

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

sorry, Tough. i don't have any video of him. i actually called his coach today to confirm my information, and he was COMPLETELY BAFFLED at the lack of interest in Shelby. the coach simply couldn't believe this kid didn't even get an offer from a small in-state school!

and as for his 40 time, you are absolutely correct. it's not phenomenal, but it's certainly good enough to play D-I.

the reason he's been ignored, of course, is as simple as black and white.

maybe his head coach should artificially lower his time like they do with so many black players... otherwise, how is it possible for these entire recruiting classes for teams to run sub-4.4s then run 4.6s and 4.7s 4-5 years later at their Pro Days.

the drunk white fans are so f-ing stupid to keep believing that crap.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Taylor Genz tailback/wide receiver/defensive back (6-1, 175, 4.51 laser-timed 40) from West Fork was "THE" guy on an otherwise terrible team. He had a quarterback that couldn't throw, and an offensive line that couldn't block (click here for video evidence from his junior year), but this year Genz led his team to its first conference title since 1985, and its first undefeated conference season since 1968.

Genz led West Fork on the ground with 960 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. He also led the team in receiving touchdowns with 3 and third most receiving yards with 275. The senior finished his high school football career with 2,425 total yards, 30 touchdowns and the school's most successful run in over two decades.

He was an All-State performer.

A natural athlete who plays multiple sports, Genz is also looking to lead his basketball team to its second consecutive state tourney appearance.

"He's an athlete," said David Ferrell, West Fork's head basketball coach. "He's not really a basketball player. He can't go to his right or left and he's not a very good shooter, but he always ends up with 10 or 12 points and 10 or 12 rebounds. He's an athlete and a competitor."

This raw, natural athlete has received exactly ZERO scholarship offers from any level.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

sorry, Tough. i don't have any video of him. i actually called his coach today to confirm my information, and he was COMPLETELY BAFFLED at the lack of interest in Shelby. the coach simply couldn't believe this kid didn't even get an offer from a small in-state school!

and as for his 40 time, you are absolutely correct. it's not phenomenal, but it's certainly good enough to play D-I.

the reason he's been ignored, of course, is as simple as black and white.

maybe his head coach should artificially lower his time like they do with so many black players... otherwise, how is it possible for these entire recruiting classes for teams to run sub-4.4s then run 4.6s and 4.7s 4-5 years later at their Pro Days.

the drunk white fans are so f-ing stupid to keep believing that crap.

You are correct about a lot of the top prospects out of H.S running significantly slower 3 or 4 years latter at the Combine or their Pro-day. But two things about the Combine. The Combine until a year or two ago if I recall was a slow track and electronic times are usually a little slower than hand-times, b/c hand-times start on first motion. That could account for probably a .05-.08 second difference. But you would think these guys would be getting faster through training in college and that wouldn't explain why many of these guys run significantly slower at their Pro-days which are almost always hand-timed 3 or 4 years latter.

As far as average CB times for guys invited to the NFL Combine; I think it was 4.48 last year if I recall from Draftdaddy, which is maybe just a little faster than usual. But still, compare that to the RB electronic averaged time of 4.56 last year and a WR electronic average of 4.57 if I recall. It is listed on Draftdaddy somewhere so I will check it tomorrow.

But what this tells us is that CB is absolutely the fastest position amongst the elite prospects playing in the NFL and the only position that blacks probably have a "slight" natural advantage at. Most other positions in football are either race neutral or a small white advantage.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Cornerback Nick Brill (5-11, 175) of Siloam Springs. I couldn't find an official 40 time for him, but Brill was known for his closing speed and leaping ability.

Despite being the best defensive back on a below average team in a very tough big-school conference (Class 5A) and having teams scheme to stay away from him, Brill still led the state with 12 interceptions and was in on 72 tackles.

Brill was the key component in the winningest senior class at Siloam Springs in more than 50 years. He was named an All-State performer.

He was not offered a scholarship by anyone at any level.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Tailback Derek Brinker (6-0, 209, 4.6) of Springdale Har-Ber is your classic power running back. His powerful running style punishes defenders until they don't want to get smacked any more, yet he has surprisingly nimble feet. He also is an excellent receiver out of the backfield. You can see his skill set by clicking here. He looks like a young Brock Bolen.

Coaches polled said Brinker was the best player they faced all season, not to mention the toughest to stop. The Wildcats' senior rushed for 1,582 yards and 14 touchdowns on 304 carries while also catching 23 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns. As a junior he carried the ball 194 times for 1,015 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Brinker turned in one of his best performances of the season in a 37-21 win against North Little Rock in the first round of the state playoffs. The Wildcats' senior rushed for 194 yards and 3 touchdowns, scoring on runs of 57, 73 and 1. His 57-yarder came on the game's third play and gave Har-Ber a 7-0 lead it would never relinquish.

Named the Vype.Com Arkansas Most Valuable Offensive Player, Brinker was also an All-State performer.

He wasn't offered a scholarship to play football anywhere.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Greenwood wide receiver Zach Turpin (6-2, 185, has timed from the mid 4.5s to the low 4.6s) has been one of the most feared/respected wide receivers in the state for the past two years. His size and toughness, a rare trait in a wideout, along with his solid speed and superb hands made him a match-up nightmare on a weekly basis.

Last season, Turpin led his team with 59 receptions for 1,155 yards and 18 touchdowns while catching passes from Razorbacks freshman Tyler Wilson. This season, Turpin again led his team, making 59 catches for 1,023 yards and 18 touchdowns, returning 24 kickoffs for 584 yards and a touchdown, and returning 12 punts for 103 yards. He also intercepted two passes in limited defensive action.

For his career, Turpin had 126 receptions for 2,373 yards and 39 touchdowns and won 2 State Championships (as a sophomore and junior). He is a 2-time All-State performer and was his conference's Outstanding Back this year.

He didn't receive a single scholarship offer to play at any level.