Like the conference of old

3A-5 conference returns as powerhouse

Every two years the Arkansas Activities Association reorganizes team classifications and conferences, and in this past cycle, a trio of teams that typically dominated the 3A-5 conference was broken apart.

This year, in the start of a new two-year cycle, Glen Rose and Jessieville return to the conference to join Prescott to reignite a long-standing rivalry in the conference. Centerpoint, a longtime member of the league, is expected to once again be in the battle for yet another trip to the Class 3A state tournament.

Returning for their second-straight cycle in the 3A-5 are Fouke and Genoa Central, who are expected to join in that battle as well after returning many of their key players from teams that were on the cusp of reaching the state tournament. Camden Harmony Grove and Smackover, which finished second and fourth in the conference respectively, move to the 3A-6 conference.

"It's going to be a tough conference," said Centerpoint head coach Cary Rogers. "You've always got Prescott and Glen Rose, who everybody's trying to close the gap on so to speak, and there's some pretty good teams below them. I think several teams in the district have made strides to improve themselves in the last few years."

Prescott first-year head coach Brian Glass, who has been the Curley Wolves' offensive coordinator for many years, said that his team is "excited about the season."

"We play Glen Rose Week 10, and that's always been a good game and usually have a huge crowd at that game," he said. "And I know Jesseville is returning a good back and good quarterback; I've heard they're going to be tough. I haven't seen those two teams in a couple years, but they're always good.

"Of course, Centerpoint's been in with us, and Centerpoint's a much-improved program. They've been real good the last few years. Matter of fact, 2016 when we won the state championship, Centerpoint was one of our toughest games that year. We only beat them up 20-9 that year over there. They gave us fits, but it's going to be fun. It's going to be interesting to see how it all washes out."

While Jessieville head coach T.J. Burk would love to see his team among the elites in the conference and the state, he was quick to admit that the uncertainty of the season calls many things into question.

"Hopefully we can be up there in the top of the conference, but you know everybody else hopes the same thing, too," he said. "It's just going to depend on how well we play and kind of depend on that for everybody. In a season full of unknowns, you're just going to have to play well at the right times and be consistent all the way across the board."

A year ago, the Lions finished third in the 3A-4 conference, running into a tough Pine Bluff Dollarway team that hung 14 points on them in the first 15 minutes of their first-round playoff game. Dollarway won 42-19 before falling at Prescott the following week 23-22.

The Curley Wolves, which last won the state title in 2016, fell in the Class 3A state semifinals last season to eventual state champion Harding Academy. After losing their first two games to Rison (42-40, 2OT) and Class 4A Mena (36-35, OT), Prescott went on an 11-0 run before their semifinal loss.

Bismarck head coach D.J. Keithley feels that Glen Rose and Jessieville may not be as strong as they have been in the past.

"Glen Rose was in a real weak conference last year," he explained. "In fact, we scrimmaged them last year in some team camps, and they just weren't what I thought of as the Glen Rose of old. ... Prescott is going to be up there at number one. Who's going to be that two and three spot? I think Centerpoint is a team that's going to be overlooked. Jesseville was in that same weak conference with Glen Rose, and I just have a feeling that maybe people are looking at them as being better than they were, comparing them to what competition they had last year. It'll be interesting to see how Jessieville does now that they've moved back over to this conference again."

Glass disagrees that the Lions and Beavers will be easy targets, despite moving in from the weaker 3A-4.

"I think they're both going to still be tough," he said. "Glen Rose always does good job defensively, play real good technique, and then offensively they always attack the entire field. ... And then Jessieville, as always in all my dealings with Jessieville they've always been physical and always pretty good technique."

Bismarck struggled last season, garnering just one conference win over winless Horatio, and with the loss of two starters from last year's squad, Keithley said that his Lions will have another tough season.

"We took a real big hit," he said. "Our fullback, who was our best player and coach's son, went to Magnet Cove, so Magnet Cove's going to be real tough. And then we also lost one of our better receivers, who went back to Arkadelphia. So Bismarck is going to be down; Horatio is going to be down.

"So it's kind of a fight for who's going to be that three, four and five (seeds), which, I think Glen Rose is probably going to take the two. I think it'll be a fight between Jessieville and Centerpoint for that three. I really think Genoa is probably the four with Fouke at five."

Rogers expects to see Prescott and Glen Rose lead the conference into the playoffs this season, but he is not content in counting those two weeks as automatic losses.

Burk anticipates a tough opponent in preseason favorite Prescott, but that does not mean that his team is dreading the matchup.

"You know Prescott has a lot of tradition, going way back, and they're always one of the top teams in the state," said Burk. "You know they're going to be loaded with talent. They'll be fast and physical. And they're a well-coached football team, so it's a good challenge anytime you get to play a team like that, and you kind of get to test your abilities a little bit, too. But with Prescott, you know every year that you're going to have a perennial powerhouse.

"We are excited just to get back in this conference and be able to play with some of these guys and some guys that we've got a little bit more tradition with in Centerpoint, Bismarck, that we've been in a conference with -- in and out of -- for a long time. We don't look at any game on the schedule and think it's an easy game. We know it's going to be a battle every week, so we're just excited to get to play and get back after it."

More News

3A-5 conference

Team;2019 record;2019 finish

Bismarck;3-7;7th 3A-5

Centerpoint;8-3;3rd 3A-5

Fouke;4-6;6th 3A-5

Genoa Central;5-6;5th 3A-5

Glen Rose;9-3;1st 3A-4

Horatio;0-10;8th 3A-5

Jessieville;8-3;3rd 3A-4

Prescott;11-3;1st 3A-5

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