Former offensive coordinator Mike Volarvich's influence on the Henderson State football program is still being felt.
Leonard Snell, who quarterbacked Volarvich's first Nashville team to the Class 4A championship last year, is one of the 53 players Reddie coach Scott Maxfield and his staff signed Wednesday. Snell compiled more than 5,000 yards offensively and scored 46 touchdowns last season, earning MVP honors with 230 yards rushing and six TDs in the championship game against Prairie Grove as the Scrappers capped a perfect season under Volarvich.
Henderson's first-day haul included Arkansas Class 3A offensive player of the year Cecil Langston, who set a single-season state record of 3,211 yards rushing with 40 touchdowns as a Rivercrest senior. Langston led the Colts to the 3A championship game and finished his career with 6,255 yards and 75 touchdowns.
Snell and Langston join the HSU program after the Reddies' third Great American Conference championship in four years, all under Maxfield.
Garland County signees were Hot Springs linemen Dante Ibarra (6-1, 270) and Jacob O'Neill (6-0, 290) and Fountain Lake tight end Ethan Simpson (6-2, 205).
Nashville linebacker Terell Grundy, strong safety Tonda Bullock of Pulaski Robinson and quarterback Fuller Chandler of Springdale Har-Ber also signed with the Reddies. Chandler passed for 2,012 yards and 28 touchdowns last season as Har-Ber reached the 7A championship game.
Arkadelphia quarterback Jeff Blake and cornerback Bailey Goza signed with HSU after leading the Badgers to the Class 4A semifinals last year. Prescott's pass-catch combination of Trevor Pipkin and Brandon Walker helped the Curley Wolves reach the Class 3A semifinals.
OBU signs 23: Ouachita Baptist football coach Todd Knight took a stay-at-home approach and signed 18 players from Arkansas high schools Wednesday among 23 overall.
"Having the Arkansas kids makes a ton of difference in our program," Knight said. "They know the rivalries and they know the in-state traditions, so it already means a lot to them."
Arkansas high-school football players make up roughly 70 percent of the current roster. The Tigers had 11 starters, six on the defensive side, from Arkansas high schools last season, when 38 of the 44 players on the two-deep roster were in-state products.
"Arkansas high-school football is very good," Knight said. "The coaches in the state do a great job and having a nucleus of those quality kids on our team enhances our program. The relationships that our coaches, starting with recruiting coordinator Brett Shockley, have with state coaches has made a huge impact on our recruiting."
The Tigers' class of 2016 includes Fountain Lake's Kevin Collins (6-2, 215), listed as a tight end, who recorded 64 tackles (two sacks included) and two interceptions as a senior.
Zack Kelley (5-8, 160), a Class 5A Landers Award finalist, had 1,455 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns for state champion Pulaski Academy last year.
Jon Johnson (6-1, 205), listed as a defensive back, ran for 1,669 yards and 28 touchdowns for Haskell Harmony Grove last year.
The Tigers also landed two players from Class 7A quarterfinalist North Little Rock, offensive lineman Jacob Roberts (6-2, 300) and tight end Tyrell Robinson (6-4, 230).
Sports on 02/05/2016