New football season reignites local rivalries

The 2018 football season begins this week with a local showcase unlike the area has ever seen as a host of team will continue and renew historic series with area opponents.

Lake Hamilton and Lakeside announced in June 2017 they would renew their rivalry for the upcoming season. Hot Springs and Fountain Lake followed suit in April, announcing a week of competitions between the two schools to start the season.

"It will be big for the community," said Lake Hamilton coach Tommy Gilleran said. "It will be big for the schools. I went to school here and when I did, that was the game of all games. It didn't matter what the records were or what was going on. There was a lot of discussion back and forth across town.

"It is good for football. People like rivalries. I think it makes it good for football, especially in Garland County. And this year, everybody is playing everybody in Garland County, which helps out this area."

The Wolves and Rams will meet on Aug. 31 for the first time on the football field since 1999.

The Trojans and Cobras will meet a day earlier for the first high school game of the season in Garland County.

"Once you start taking pride within the county, you start being successful and you start winning is when everybody else will take notice," said new Hot Springs head coach Darrell Burnett. "I'm all for it. I like it. I love it."

Burnett was the defensive coordinator at Bryant for the last two seasons. Bryant's annual rivalry game with Benton, the Salt Bowl, is now held each year at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock with more than 30,000 fans in attendance.

"Any time you can play Fountain Lake, Lakeside or Lake Hamilton, if you do it right and have a successful program, those can be huge money games," Burnett said. "You can steal the pride of the whole county, just like with the Salt Bowl.

"That is what we are trying to do with the Fountain Lake game. It's just like the Salt Bowl. We won't have 30,000, but the week of preparations and all of the events is good for the kids, it is good for the community, and it is good for programs.

The 2018 First Security Bank Kickoff Classic is expected to begin a new annual series between Hot Springs and Fountain Lake.

"We will be psyched for that one," said Fountain Lake coach J.D. Plumlee. "And the very next week we've got Lakeside coming back out here. Right off the bat in the first two games of the season, you get to see those people on a daily basis if you drive through town."

The teams trade opponents in the second and third weeks of the season. Lake Hamilton will be at home on Sept. 7 against Malvern, while Fountain Lake and Lakeside will meet for the first time since 2011.

"I think, right now, the focus is that Week 1 of Garland County football," Plumlee said. "It will not be long until on Saturday morning or Sunday morning that focus is going to switch to Lakeside and Fountain Lake.

"Right now, everybody is truly focused on that Week 1. I know Lake Hamilton and Lakeside feel the same way because that was a huge rivalry back in the day. Now, that is renewed."

Hot Springs dropped its series with Arkadelphia to Fountain Lake and continue the annual matchup with Lake Hamilton. The Trojans and Wolves will meet on Sept. 14, the same day Lakeside travels to Malvern.

"It means a lot to our kids," said Lakeside coach Jared McBride. "It gives us a lot to look forward to and work hard for in the offseason. It gives us a good test early in the year also. It is three very good non-conference games. They are very close games and ones that will be well attended."

The Leopards will host the Cobras on Oct. 19 in a 4A-7 conference game. It will be the homecoming game for Malvern.

"No. 1, I think it is great for all of the towns because they are all close and it is great competition for us," said Malvern coach Mike Scarbrough. "The atmospheres are electric. It's not like you are traveling halfway across the state playing someone you don't know. These people know each other. The towns are right here next to each other.

"There are natural rivalries. It gives the games big-time atmosphere. In our conference, every week is a big-time atmosphere. So, it prepares us for conference play. All three of them are really good football teams. They are going to challenge you. I think our non-conference really does help us going into our conference season, especially as tough as our conference is."

Hot Springs and Lakeside will close the regular season, as they do each year, in a 5A-South game in Week 10.

"Everybody is playing right here, and that is why we should," Gilleran said. "Fountain Lake is a little smaller, so they have a bit of a disadvantage. We are a little bigger, and so we have an advantage on that aspect, but I think we are all fairly similar on athletics. We feel like nobody really stands out more than others.

"I think it is good for the whole community. Here in Garland County, it is a great thing for this place. People want this and it is good for us."

The 2018 season also brings with it a reshuffling of local opponents for other schools in the area. It will mark the first time in more than 30 years Jessieville and Mountain Pine are not scheduled to face one another.

Jessieville and Glen Rose shift away from Bismarck and Centerpoint in the 3A-5 conference and into the 3A-4, which includes Danville, Perryville and Two Rivers. Jessieville will also meet Mount Ida on Sept. 7. Mount Ida lost Mountain Pine from the 2A-7 conference, but picked up Magnet Cove in non-conference play.

"They are good quality opponents right here close to home," said Mount Ida coach Mike White. "Those are always good ball games and get us prepared for our conference games."

Mountain Pine, Magnet Cove and Cutter Morning Star are back together in the 2A-5 conference. The Red Devils will also host Centerpoint on Sept. 14.

"I was glad to pick up Mountain Pine just to keep a game in the area without having to go so far," said Centerpoint coach Cary Rogers.

Sports on 08/24/2018

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