Parkview (Arkansas) set to play Melissa (Texas) to kick off 2024 football season
Two-time defending Arkansas 5A state champion Parkview needed a Week 0 opponent for the 2024 season and they found it Saturday.
The Patriots will play Melissa (Texas) on Saturday, August 31, at Melissa ISD's multi-million dollar complex with kickoff set for 7 p.m. There will also be a matchup on Friday between Texas-based Allen and Midland Legacy for the two-day event that will benefit pediatric cancer patients and their families.
"We have contacted schools from states all around us and have been unable to find a game mainly because everyone is in the middle of their cycles," Parkivew head coach Brad Bolding said. "We were fortunate to be contacted by an organization out of Colorado that puts these games together. We believe it will be a great experience for our team and community."
Melissa finished the 2023 season 10-2, starting off 9-0 before dropping two of their final three contests that included a second round exit from the 5A D2 playoffs in a 38-30 loss to South Oak Cliff. Melissa has averaged 10.1 wins per season since 2016 and finished this year as one of the "Next 5 Up" in the final Top 25 Texas state rankings.
The Cardinals' will be led next season by three-star offensive lineman Owen Hollenbeck (6-2, 315), a University of Oklahoma commit who also has an offer from Arkansas.
Along with finishing the year as the overall top team in Arkansas, Parkview also finished at No. 7 in the final South Central Regional standings. A host of college prospects are on Parkview's roster, headlined Power 5 targets Omarion Robinson, Monterrio "Money" Elston, Cam Settles, recent transfer Quentin Murphy and up-and-coming 2026 Jakore Smith.
(Cover photo by Jimmy Jones)
– Kyle Sutherland | @k_sutherlandAR
