Jalen Dupree, Dennis Gaines highlight 2023 updates to Arkansas Activities Association high school football record book
While some would call 2023 "The Year of the Quarterback," there were plenty of dynamic running backs in several regions of the state who wore out opposing defenses each Friday night.
This season also brought not so much firsts, but more so things we have not experienced in quite some time, while also rewriting some individual accolades along the way.
Below is the list of those updates to the record book, along with some additional noteworthy moments from the fall.
NOTE: The achievements listed have been approved for the Arkansas Activities Association's record book. If there are any updates that need to be added, please fill out a submission form and send to the AAA.
Team wins in a season
15 - Harding Academy. Tied for most ever, the 22nd all-time program to accomplish feat.
Points scored in a game
84 - Bentonville T-5th place, in 84-0 win over Rogers Heritage on Oct. 6.
Two-point conversions in a season
45 - East Poinsett County, 2nd place.
Touchdown passes in a game
7 - Drew Moore (Lincoln), T-11th, 29th player in state history to accomplish feat.
Touchdown receptions in a game
5 - Jaison DeLamar (Fayetteville), T-1st.
5 - Jace Birkes (Lincoln), T-1st.
8th and 9th players to accomplish feat.
Longest punt (all-time)
79 - Sam Dubwig (Cabot), 4th place.
Rushing touchdowns in a career
95 - Da'Shawn Chairs (Elkins, 2021-23), 2nd place.
94 - Dennis Gaines (East Poinsett County, 2021-23), 3rd place.
91 - Jalen Dupree (Malvern, 2021-23), 4th place.
Rushing yards in a career
6,986 - Dennis Gaines (East Poinsett County, 2021-23), 3rd place.
6,805 - Jalen Dupree (Malvern, 2021-23), 4th place.
100-yard rushing games in a career
33 - Jalen Dupree (Malvern, 2021-23), T-2nd.
33 - Dennis Gaines (East Poinsett County, 2021-23), T-2nd.
Additional 2023 highlights:
– For the first time since 2017, a team other than Bryant wasn't in the 7A state championship. Fayetteville did so in undefeated fashion for the first time in school history and it also marked the first All-NWA 7A finals since 2015.
– Six of the seven state champions finished undefeated with the exception of Boonveille, who went unblemished against Class 3A competition.
– Bigelow's 2024 class led the Panthers to the best season in school history by claiming the program's first state championship. Along with that, the seniors have a team golf state championship and also hopes to win back-to-back titles in basketball, as well as return to the baseball state finals where they had a runner-up finish in 2022.
– Greenwood's win over Little Rock Christian in the Class 6A finals moved the program into a tie alongside Pulaski Academy for fourth all-time with 11 state titles behind Little Rock Central (32), Pine Bluff (23) and Fort Smith Northside (14).
– Harding Academy won its fourth state championship in five years and first in Class 4A that was the program's 10th all-time trophy, which is tied with El Dorado for fifth in state history. The Wildcats have now won Class B, A, AA, AAA and AAAA state championships as they look forward to bumping up, again, in the 2024-26 cycle to Class 5A.
– Pulaski Academy fell to Greenwood in the 6A semifinals, which marked the first time since 2013 that the Bruins did not advance to the finals and first since 2018 they did not add a trophy to the case.
– En route to winning back-to-back Class 5A championships, Parkview became the first in-state team to beat Bryant since October of 2018 in the 28-27 triumph over the Hornets on Sept. 8. The Patriots currently own the state's longest win streak at 25 consecutive.
– Kyle Sutherland | @k_sutherlandAR
