It is Championship Week in the 2014 Arkansas high school football season for classes 5A, 6A, and 7A. The other three classifications are playing semi-final games this week. The state championship game capsules with date and game time are below. Below the game capsules, you will find with our picks for winners of the class 2A-4A semi-final games in
BOLD.
The semi-final games will all be played at 7:00 pm on Friday, December 5.
- Bentonville vs. Fayetteville
- Saturday, December 6
- 12:00 pm
- War Memorial Stadium (Little Rock)
If it feels like you have seen this show before, you have. The Bentonville Tigers and Fayetteville Bulldogs meet for the 7A state title for the 4th time in 5 years. Both teams will be looking for their third title in 5 years. The Tigers are making their 5th straight title game appearance. Bentonville has to be considered the favorite even though they started the 2014 campaign a very un-Tigerlike 0-4. However, Fayetteville is coming off its largest win in its playoff history over the Bulldogs traditional nemesis (Fort Smith Southside). The Tigers trounced the Dogs 45-2 in a week #10 contest. We look for a much more competitive game in Little Rock.
OUR PICK: Bentonville over Fayetteville in a 38-28 game.
As a curiosity, why must these teams (separated by 25 miles) travel an average of 150 miles to Little Rock to play a noon kickoff?
- El Dorado vs. Pine Bluff
- Friday, December 5
- 7:00 pm
- War Memorial Stadium (Little Rock)
The 6A game has all the makings of the most competitive game in War Memorial this weekend as the Benton Panthers and Pine Bluff Zebras have a rematch of a week #10 barn burner. The Panthers clipped the Zebras 39-36 in Pine Bluff. Both teams have dominated competition in the playoffs. Benton is in the state finals and undefeated (there is that week #1 tie) after a 0.500 season last year and hasn't won a state title since 1977. Pine Bluff is in the state title game for the 3rd year in a row having lost the previous two.
OUR PICK: Benton over Pine Bluff in a 35-32 game.
- Pulaski Academy vs. Wynne
- Saturday, December 6
- 6:30 pm
- War Memorial Stadium (Little Rock)
These two teams have been rated at or near the top of 5A all year by
Hooten's Arkansas Football. The Pulaski Academy Bruins are undefeated against the state of Arkansas with their only blemish a 49-42 loss to Texas 6A power, Highland Park. The Wynne Yellowjackets only loss on the season was to Batesville - the team handled by the Bruins in last week's semi-finals. The Yellowjackets have tremendous team speed and a high powered offense. However, Wynne did struggle in last week semi-final game against a scrappy Beebe team.
OUR PICK: Pulaski Academy over Wynne in a 49-28 game.
- Episcopal Collegiate @ Smackover
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