Happy Friday, Arkansas! We have a busy weekend ahead — hoops are ramping up and we have more state championship games! 🏀🏈

Coming up in today’s newsletter:

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

Let’s get started!

🎙️ Varsity Vibe Today. The 3A and 4A state championship games kick off at War Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Alyssa Orange and Brey Cook preview the action and weigh in on the winners from last week.

🏀 Bentonville Ballin’. The Bentonville Tigers picked up their fourth win of the season following a 61-51 victory over Conway. Junior LeShaun Gochett led the Tigers with 16 points and four assists, while junior Kyan Franklin added 14 to the board. Senior Quinn Hosley and sophomore Drew Darnall chipped in nine points each as Bentonville controlled the game throughout.

💪 3A Throwdown. The Mansfield Tigers and Fordyce Redbugs will meet this weekend for a state title. Mansfield enters undefeated at 13-0, while Fordyce comes in at 13-1 with seven straight victories. Mansfield took down Salem, 48-22, for its tenth win this season and Fordyce held off Booneville, 18-13.

🐈 Cats vs Dogs. North Little Rock was able to hold on against Fayetteville, taking a tight 50-48 win in the First National Bank Classic. The Lady Charging Wildcats finished strong to secure the victory, with senior Katie Fimple scoring for 16 points. Despite the loss, Fayetteville’s sophomore Payton Caudle put up 18 points to help the Bulldogs stay in the game.

⛹️‍♀️ Bentonville’s Anniston Moore was electric against Carthage (MO), playing a huge role in the Tigers’ 69-36 win. Moore helped set the tone of the game early and never let up, putting up an impressive 30 points — almost half of the Tigers’ points as a team. Her explosive play, along with her tough defensive efforts certainly make her one to watch. 

🏈 The Dardanelle Sand Lizards (14-0) will face off against the Elkins Elks (13-1) in the 4A State Championship game. Both teams are coming into the matchup hot, with Dardanelle sitting on 14 straight victories and Elkins on a 12-game run of their own. The Sand Lizards are coming off of a dominant 56-36 win over Warren, marking their seventh win by 20 points or more. Elkins looked just as good, taking down Stuttgart with a 55-21 victory for their tenth win by 20+ points. Elkins’ only loss this season has been to the Sand Lizards. Kickoff is set for 7:00 pm and can be watched here. 

⛹️‍♀️ Performance Athlete of the Week. Bentonville West sophomore Audrey Calva posted major gains across the board, including a 20.17 inch improvement in her broad jump. She also added 6.20 inches to her standing vertical and nearly 3 inches to her approach vertical, while cutting 56 seconds off of her 20-yard sprint and 84 seconds off of her Pro-Agility drill. To learn more about the program, visit srdathlete.com.

🏈 Little Rock Christian came together as a team after senior J.J. Andrews left with an injury to earn a 73-58 win over Fayetteville at the Hoopin’ on the Hill Tournament. The Warriors led 36-17 at halftime and the defense held strong, preventing a Fayetteville rally in the fourth quarter. Despite his early exit, Andrews led Little Rock Christian with 19 points, while senior Justice Moore added 18 and senior Easton Boggs scored 15.

Dec. 12:
🏀 6A Fayetteville vs Logan-Rogersville (MO), 7:00 pm | Watch Here
🏀 6A/5A Bentonville @ Parkview, 8:00 pm | Watch Here
🏀 6A/5A Springdale @ Farmington, 9:30 pm | Watch Here
⛹️‍♀️ 6A/3A Bentonville West @ Elkins, 6:00 pm | Watch Here
⛹️‍♀️ 6A/5A Fayetteville @ Greenwood, 6:00 pm | Watch Here

Dec. 13:
🏈 3A Mansfield vs Fordyce, 12:00 pm | Watch Here
🏈 4A Elkins vs Dardanelle, 6:30 pm | Watch Here

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