State championship games are upon us! Which game are you most excited for?

Coming up in today’s newsletter:

🎙️ Previewing tonight’s games and the matchups to keep an eye on
📈 What’s trending around the state?
👀 One to Watch
🏈 Game of the Week

Let’s dive right in!

🎙️ Varsity Vibe Today. High School State Championship games start today at War Memorial Stadium. We've previewed all the match-ups all week long, but we haven't forgotten about the 2A game between Cross County and East Poinsett County. Thunderbirds Head Coach Van Paschal joins the show to talk about how his team wants to be the first team to win a State Championship since 1984. Plus, Caroline Stallbaumer is this week's SRD Performance Athlete of the Week.

😤 Undefeated Wolverines. Bentonville West basketball recorded its fourth win of the season, taking down the Siloam Springs Panthers, 59-44. The Wolverines controlled most of the night, building an early 16–5 lead and answered every Panthers run. Senior guard Cooper Moore led West with 18 points, while senior guard Landon Price added 17. West’s defense set the tone, holding off Siloam’s late efforts despite 14 points from Panthers senior guard Jayden Hooton. 

💪 Rematch Ready. Joe T. Robinson and Lakeside will compete for the title in the 5A division. Robinson survived a 35–28 thriller against Morrilton, powered by strong performances from junior quarterback Reece Simpson, who threw for 204 yards and two touchdowns. Lakeside, meanwhile, ended Parkview’s season with a 25–21 win. The Rams leaned heavily on junior running back Peter Ohman, who rushed for 131 yards and two touchdowns, marking his fourth straight game with multiple rushing scores. Lakeside and Robinson met earlier this season, when Robinson picked up a 35–16 win in September. Kickoff is set for 7:00 pm and the game can be watched here.

📝 Signed, Sealed, Delivered. Several athletes signed this week, including football standouts Kane Archer and Braxton Lindsey. Archer, a quarterback for Greenwood, set multiple records for the Bulldogs, while also being the only player in Arkansas to pass for 10,000 yards with 2,500 rushing yards. He officially signed with Utah this week. Braxton Lindsey was an impressive piece to Rogers’ defense this season, playing linebacker and establishing himself as a team leader. Lindsey has been committed to BYU, and officially signed this week. See the behind-the-scenes of their signing days 👇

🏈 Senior running back Chris Ficklin had a gritty, impressive performance last Friday, playing an important role in Bentonville’s 26-21 win over Conway. Despite suffering an ankle injury in the second quarter, Ficklin returned to the game late and maintained his status as a play-maker for the Tigers. When Bentonville was down 20-21 in the final minutes, he broke through for a huge run that ultimately set the Tigers up for victory. He rushed for 100 yards, including the 3-yard game-winning touchdown in the final seconds.

🏈 Greenwood will look to extend their 3-0 streak against Shiloh this weekend in the 6A State Championship game. The undefeated Bulldogs are coming off a 63–45 playoff win over Benton, powered by a huge night from senior quarterback Kane Archer and senior receiver Champ Davis, who combined for seven touchdowns. Shiloh Christian enters on an eight-game winning streak after beating Sylvan Hills 52–28. Junior quarterback Cole Creighton threw for 385 yards and three scores, continuing his dominant season alongside top target senior Zane Sluyter. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 pm and can be streamed here.

⛹️‍♀️ Performance Athlete of the Week. Caroline Stallbaumer, a volleyball player for Shiloh Christian, has been making major progress towards her goals. Through her training, she has shaved off 0.47 seconds of her 20-yard dash and 0.28 off of her Pro Agility. On top of those achievements, Stallbaumer has also added a staggering 14.33 inches to her broad jump and 5.80 inches to her standing vertical. To learn more about the program, visit srdathlete.com.

🏈 It’s the battle of the undefeated this weekend as the Bryant Hornets are set to face off with the Bentonville Tigers in the 7A Championship game. Bryant’s defense is tough, holding their opponents to just 12.1 points per game. Bentonville’s offense, on the other hand, has remained explosive all season. The Tigers have scored more than 30 points in all but two of their games. The Tigers and the Hornets aren’t strangers — the two teams met up last season in the Championship game as well. Last year, Bryant took the win, 28-23. Kickoff is set for 6:30 pm and can be watched here.

Dec. 5:
🏈 7A Bentonville vs Bryant, 6:30 pm | Watch Here

🏀 6A Conway @ Bentonville, 6:00 pm | Watch Here
🏀 6A/5A Bentonville West @ Alma, 7:00 pm | Watch Here

🏈 5A Joe T. Robinson vs Lakeside, 7:00 pm | Watch Here

Dec. 6:
🏈 6A Shiloh Christian vs Greenwood, 6:30 pm | Watch Here

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