NLR, Bryant top first high school media poll

Defending 7A champion North Little Rock is the media’s pick in the first poll of the 2018 Arkansas high school football season, which gets underway this week across the state.

With 32 media members participating, the Charging Wildcats picked up 26 first-place votes from the media.

Bryant was second with four first-place votes, followed by Bentonville (one first-place vote), Bentonville West and Fayetteville round out the Top 5.

The next five is topped by a tie between two Class 6A schools, Greenwood and Pine Bluff, followed by Class 5A Pulaski Academy, then Conway and Cabot round out the Top 10.

In Class 6A, Pine Bluff got one more first-place vote (16) than Greenwood as the Zebras edged out the Bulldogs for the top spot.

Following them were West Memphis, Benton and El Dorado.

Pulaski Academy, who has won four straight state championships, is at the top of Class 5A, getting all but two of the first-place votes.

The Bruins are followed by Little Rock Christian, Texarkana, Morrilton and Little Rock McClellan.

Warren, last year’s runner-up in Class 4A, is on top in the first media poll. The Lumberjacks, led by Razorback commitment Treylon Burks, garnered 23 of the first-place votes.

Joe T. Robinson was second, followed by defending state champion Arkadelphia, Stuttgart and Pea Ridge.

Booneville was voted atop Class 3A ahead of Clinton, McGehee, Prescott and Charleston.

In Class 2A, Foreman is at the top followed by Junction City, Mount Ida, Conway Christian and Hazen.

The poll will be voted on weekly by a panel of media members from print, internet, television and radio across the state.