Arkansas high school football final Top 25 rankings (12/11/2023)
It was August, we blinked, and the 2023 Arkansas prep football season is over.
The season concluded Saturday at War Memorial Stadium and featured two games that had no shortage of controversy, as well as a thrilling – well, thrilling depending on who you were pulling for – ending in the nightcap 4A contest.
Parkview nabbed the top spot from Bryant when they took down the Hornets 28-27 in Week 3 and the Patriots secured that No. 1 ranking for good following a dominating performance over Shiloh Christian to win their second straight 5A state title. They ended the season with 25 consecutive wins dating back to last season, which is the longest active streak of any team in Arkansas regardless of classification.
Eight of the Top 15 teams come from Class 7A, headlined by state champion Fayetteville at No. 2, along with Bentonville and Bryant in the Top 5, while Conway and Bentonville West rounded out the Top 10, followed by Rogers, Fort Smith Southside and Cabot were in the 11-13 slots.
Greenwood was essentially the overall unanimous favorite in Class 6A all season and put an exclamation mark on that by being one of the six state champions to finish undefeated. Little Rock Christian and Benton were the additional 6A teams to finish in the Top 10, while Pulaski Academy, Marion and Greenbrier also made the cut as one of the 25 teams.
Shiloh Christian's fifth straight finish in the state final, plus their dominating road win over 6A runner-up Little Rock Christian in Week 1, solidified their case to remain at the No. 7 spot, while Camden Fairview, Valley View, Pine Bluff, Hot Springs Lakeside, Southside (Batesville) and Mills each had a strong enough body of work to earn their way in the Top 25.
Finally, 4A state champion Harding Academy checks in at the No. 15 spot, while Elkins secured No. 21 following their first semifinal appearance in three decades and state runner-up Rivercrest made its debut in the Top 25, checking in at the final spot.
Here are the final SBLive Arkansas Top 25 high school football rankings for the 2023 football season.
1. Parkview (14-0)
The 55-12 win over Shiloh Christian was only a glimpse of how dominant this squad was in 2023. Along with defeating three Class 7A programs, including ending Bryant's 54-game win streak against in-state competition, the Patriots rolled through the deepest conference in Class 5A, outscoring league opponents 355-47 in seven contests. Two-time 5A state finals MVP and Central Arkansas commit Eric McGehee has exhausted his eligibility, but the Patriots will yet again be the Class 5A heavy favorite in 2024 with multiple college prospects back and hungry for a three-peat.
2. Fayetteville (13-0)
The dream season became a reality for the Purple Dogs who finished undefeated for the first time in school history while beating eight ranked opponents, and what better way to do it than beating your arch rival for the program's sixth-ever state championship? The high-flying Fayetteville offense that averaged 43.5 points per game got its well-deserved credit throughout the season, but the defensive unit was the story in the playoffs, as was the case on the final fourth down stand in the finals to all but seal the trophy.
3. Greenwood (13-0)
As state champions for the 11th time in school history the Bulldogs have clearly had some ultra-talented teams, but the 2023 version was up there with the best of them. The Bulldogs outscored their opponents 669-221 and hardly even challenged by in-state competition until Week 8. One of the state's most dominant programs of the 21st century, the Bulldogs will be the favorite in Class 6A in 2024 with the return of highly-recruited quarterback Kane Archer, wide receivers Grant Karnes and Isaiah Arrington, plus Cash Archer on a defense that brings back multiple other key contributors.
4. Bentonville (9-4)
Of all the success Bentonville has had over the past two decades, this season featured one of their more resilient squads. The Tigers overcame a 1-2 start – with the losses by a combined six points – then reeled off three straight wins before falling to rival Fayetteville and also losing quarterback Carter Nye in the process for two games. However, they bounced back again to win five consecutive contests before coming up just short in a valiant state finals effort.
5. Bryant (10-2)
What occurred in 2023 was very unfamiliar territory for the Hornets as they lost to an in-state opponent for the first time since 2018 and it was a year before that since they finished a season without a state title. They will not use it as an excuse, but it is worth noting this team endured a host of injuries at key spots, along with defensive lineman T.J. Lindsey's – an Auburn University commit – departure to IMG (Fla.) Academy during the offseason. Bryant did still win 10 games along with the program's fifth straight 7A-Central championship.
6. Conway (10-2)
The Buck James era started off with a bang as the Wampus Cats were one of the hotter teams in the state, reeling of nine wins to start the year. However, they met the exact same fate that they have experienced over the past few seasons - fall to Bryant in Week 10 and ended the year in the semifinal round that, this year, included dropping two of the final three games. Conway expects to be a heavy contender again in 2024, but will lose a heralded senior class.
7. Shiloh Christian (11-3)
The lopsided loss in the 5A state finals is not indicative of how impressive of a season the Saints had. Not only did they kick off the Tucker Barnard era with a massive win over Little Rock Christian, a 6A state finalist, but they also finished in Little Rock for the fifth consecutive season. Oh, and they got there via a big comeback victory on the road against Pine Bluff in the semifinals. Shiloh will bump up to Class 6A for the next cycle, but do not make the mistake of believing they are going anywhere.
8. Little Rock Christian (10-3)
The Warriors made it back to the state finals for the fourth time in six years, first since 2020, but the Greenwood machine proved to be too much for the second time in a month. Other than those two defeats to the Bulldogs, as well as the tough home loss to Shiloh Christian in Week 1, there was quite a bit to write home about as they earned double-digit wins and eclipsed 40 points in 10 contests, while the defense allowed only single-digit points in six games and pitched three shutouts.
9. Benton (10-2)
Following a much better showing in the season-opening Salt Bowl with cros-county rival Bryant than the scoreboard displayed, the Panthers reeled off 10 consecutive victories when stellar sophomore quarterback Drew Davis took over full-time in Week 3. Excluding their two losses, the Panther offense put up no less than 48 points in each contest, including 60+ four times. Losing University of Arkansas commit Braylen Russell in the backfield will hurt, but Davis and most of the offense will be back in 2024, along with others defensively.
10. Bentonville West (8-4)
It can be reasonably debated that West was the team that overachieved the most in Class 7A. They did drop one against Cabot in Week 1 after losing a lead, while their other two defeats were at the hands of state finalists Bentonville and Fayetteville, along with Conway in the quarterfinals, whom they trailed by just four points at halftime. Though it was mostly last minute move, senior quarterback Dalton Rice filled in admirably at quarterback after starter Jake Casey was forced to sit out the year due to an injury that occurred in the offseason.
11. Rogers (8-4)
The Mounties were projected to do big things in 2023 and, for the most part, they met those expectations. Excluding a mid-season skid where they dropped three of four contests by a combined 18 points, they did bounce back in the final two games of the regular season to secure the No. 4 seed out of the brutal 7A-West. There is quite a bit to replace with quarterback Dane Williams, running back Jacob Jenkins, plus receivers Mabry Verser and Graycen Cash, but 'slash' player Jeff Regan is a 2026 prospect to watch for the next two seasons.
12. Fort Smith Southside (7-5)
One of the more improved teams in the larger classifications, the Mavericks ran the football as well as anyone in the state led by seniors Amari Tucker and Isaac Gregory. However, defense was a liability throughout the majority of the year and the passing game was inconsistent, which led to some tough losses that included six-point deficits against both Rogers and eventual 7A state champion Fayetteville in the quarterfinal round, plus a three-point loss to Bentonville West in Week 9. Head coach Kim Dameron will have a lot to replace in 2024, but the drop down to Class 6A should help the Mavs remain competitive and continue trending upward.
13. Cabot (7-5)
While the Panthers did experience their share of trials, their record is very misleading as all of their losses were to teams who finished with deep postseason runs. Fayetteville won the 7A title, Ruston (La.) won state for the first time in over 30 years, Conway and Bryant were both semifinalists and Bentonville fell by six points to Fayetteville in the state finals. For the second straight year, a productive senior class departs, but a Scott Reed-led team will always be one to keep an eye on and that likely will not change any time soon.
14. Pulaski Academy (10-3)
It goes without saying that the Bruins have no shortage of motivation throughout the offseason. This year marked the first time since 2013 that they did not play in the state finals and the first since 2018 that they did not leave War Memorial Stadium in December with a trophy. Injuries, as well as the departure of running back Kenny Jordan just prior to the start of the season, led to some frustrating times, but there were still those 'Bruin Moments' that we have become accustomed to, such as the walk-off 40-yard field goal to beat Madison (Miss.) Ridgeland Academy and the last second heave from Brandon Cobb to Andrew Fiser in the state quarterfinals to beat Marion.
15. Harding Academy (15-0)
They were forced to sweat it out, but the Wildcats clinched their tenth state title in program history, which was also their first in Class 4A as well as the fourth in the past five seasons. The 15-0 mark is first undefeated finish since 2019 when they began what have become annual trips to War Memorial Stadium in December. Harding Academy outscored its opponents by a solid 663-274 and, despite losing a senior class that includes University of Arkansas commit Wyatt Simmons, the Wildcats will be right be in the mix with senior-to-be Owen Miller at quarterback leading another deep squad.
16. Marion (8-3)
A coverage breakdown, plus some luck and a good throw-and-catch, resulted in a heartbreaking end to a great season that ultimately hindered the Patriots from a state semifinal appearance. Senior quarterback Ashton Gray, who recently announced his commitment to North Texas, compiled an impressive year both through the air and on the ground to lead Marion to eight victories and a second-place finish in the 6A-East.
17. Camden Fairview (8-5)
While 2023 may not have been considered a rebuilding year for the Cardinals, it was all but assured they could take a step back knowing all that they graduated from the 2022 squad that finished in the 5A semifinals. However, second-year head coach Nick Vaughn led this group through the South conference, the deepest league in Class 5A, to secure the final playoff spot and got right back to the semis. The Cardinals proved many wrong as they went on the road and took down No. 1 seed Farmington in the first round, and then No. 2 seed Southside (Batesville), before falling to eventual back-to-back state champion and South foe Parkview.
18. Valley View (10-2)
Powered by the heroics of senior Carson Turley, the Blazers claimed their second 5A-East title in as many seasons and, ever better, did not have to share it this time around as they conquered each one of their regular season opponents, save for a 15-point Week 0 loss to 4A state champion Harding Academy. Something else of note, despite it being a loss, Valley View held its own with Shiloh Christian in the 5A quarterfinals a week after the Saints throttled Hot Springs by a 30-plus point deficit.
19. Pine Bluff (10-3)
The season ended in disappointing fashion, but pride has been restored in Pine Bluff for the Z's under Micheal Williams and there were plenty of signs throughout the year that provided plenty of reason to believe that will likely remain. Power 5 college prospects Courtney Crutchfield and Austyn Dendy departing will create a dent, but Williams and Co. have not only instilled belief, but also a talented roster, that expects to continue adding new layers of success on the heels of their best season since 2017.
20. Hot Springs Lakeside (8-4)
Possibly the most impressive turnaround in the state regardless of classification, the Rams silenced a multitude of doubters in their first season under Garren Rockwell. After winning just two games in 2022, Lakeside really found a groove offensively that resulted in winning five of the final seven contests. The Rams also notched their first playoff victory since 2020, putting up a season-high 59 points against Harrison.
21. Elkins (13-1)
This was a really, really fun team to watch. If you like offense the Elks had plenty of it, averaging over 50 points per contest on the season that included scoring half of a hundred in 10 of their 14 contests. If defense is your preference, they played that well, too, allowing just 10.9 points per game and were only giving up single-digit points before surrendering 41 to eventual 4A state champion Harding Academy in the semifinals. The Elks will be tasked with replacing a plethora of offensive production with the graduation of University of Central Missouri commit Dizzy Dean at quarterback and running back Da'Shawn Chairs.
22. Southside Batesville (10-2)
When the Southerners added Batesville High transfer running back Gabe Witt over the summer to an already loaded backfield, it was a pretty sure bet that this season had the potential of reaching great success. Southside followed through on that and won their first seven games before finishing second in the 5A-East. A walk-off 35-yard field goal by sophomore Joel Busby secured a first round victory over Joe T. Robinson, one of the state's more recent successful programs, before Camden Fairview ended Southside's run in the quarterfinals.
23. Greenbrier (6-6)
It was tough sledding during parts of the past two years after bumping up to Class 6A following the program's most successful season in 2021 when the Panthers finished in the 5A semifinals. However, the Greenbrier hung tough and even overcame four losses in five contests during the back half of the year to close out the regular season with a victory over Mountain Home that preceded a first round playoff triumph over Searcy.
24. Mills (9-3)
Though the year certainly had its ups and downs that ended with the Comets dropping two of the final three contests, there were some bright moments, particularly on offense. quarterback Achillies Ringo capped off an impressive career, completing 66% of his passes for over 3,500 yards and 26 touchdowns, while receiver Akyell Madison emerged as one of the top receivers in Arkansas. Additionally, University of Arkansas commit Charlie Collins had a dominant senior campaign with 31 tackles for loss and 12 sacks.
25. Rivercrest (12-3)
A gutsy performance in the 4A state finals following an impressive postseason run earns the Colts the final spot in the Top 25. Following a 1-2 start to the year with losses to Class 5A playoff participants Mills and Valley View, Rivercrest got rolling and won 11 consecutive games before falling by just eight points to Harding Academy when they were down 40-14 early in the third quarter.
-- Kyle Sutherland | @k_sutherlandAR
