SHINE ON
PREP RALLY: CLASS 5A | 8.18.2024
5A-West brings in new teams, coaches
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Damian Trejo
SCHOOL Pea Ridge CLASS Senior HEIGHT 5-9 WEIGHT 140 THE DIGITS Made a handful of field goals, including a long of 42 yards in the rain against Farmington. FIND ME ON X No X account FAVORITE CLASS Algebra. FAVORITE PREGAME MEAL Hamburger. I LISTEN TO I like to listen to some R & B music. I know a lot of people like to listen to Rap to get that hype in, but I like something more at peace on the slower side to get locked in. I BINGE WATCH Currently nothing, but I used to watch The Flash, the super fast guy. I’ M TERRIFIED OF No answer I WOULD NEVER, EVER I’ d probably never travel to India. I DRIVE A Mercedes Benz, 2016 model. My mom has her own Mercedes and she lets me drive the smaller one. MY HERO IS My father. WHAT I LOVE MOST ABOUT FOOTBALL Just seeing everybody get silent right before I kick a field goal then seeing that ball fly through the air and through the uprights is an amazing feeling. IN 10 YEARS I WILL I want to be playing professionally for soccer, hopefully, somewhere overseas, probably in Spain.
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RICK FIRES NWA DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
Classification for the 2024-2026 cycle changed the landscape of the 5A-West Conference, where football powerhouse Shiloh Christian is now in Class 6A.
That leaves the competition wide open for the league holdovers and three newcomers to claim conference superiority.
Will it be Farmington, which tied Shiloh Christian for the league championship with a 6-1 record? Or, how about Harrison and Alma, which tied for second place at 5-2 in the league.
Oh, and don’ t forget Vilonia and Greenbrier, both of whom posted overall
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winning records when they were members of the 5A-West Conference in 2020.
Farmington fans were likely stunned when Cardinals Coach J. R. Eldridge resigned to enter private business. But those concerns were lifted when Farmington enticed Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame Coach Tommy Tice out of retirement as the replacement for Eldridge, who won 22 of 33 games in three years with the Cardinals.
Tice and offensive coordinator Mark Whatley have some firepower to work in the backfield, where all-state running back Luke Elsik returns after rushing for 990 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. Russell Hodge is a threat as a receiver and runner and quarterback Ayden Lester
Samuel Schlegel Alma File Photo
returns after guiding Farmington to a 7-4 record that included wins over Shiloh Christian and Highway 62 rival Prairie Grove.
Tice marks his return to the sidelines against Shiloh Christian on Aug. 30. But the most-anticipated game on the Cardinals’ schedule is when Tice faces Harrison, where he spent many years as head coach, on Oct. 4 at Farmington.
“ This particular setting gives me the chance to get back in it and the way I want to get back into it, which is full speed ahead,” Tice said.“ And I get to do it in what I think is the best 5A conference from top to bottom, which is the 5A-West.”
Greenbrier is back in the fold with veteran coach Randy Tribble after going the
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