We hope you had a happy Labor Day Weekend! It’s officially Week 1 of the high school football season, but there have already been some big plays!

What else is coming up in today’s Bulletin?

🎙️ Recapping the Battle of Rogers Ave.
📈 Scores and highlights from the weekend
🏆 Handing out awards for Team & Athletes of the Week

Let’s dive right in!

🎙️ Varsity Vibe Today. Southside head coach Kim Dameron joins the show to highlight the Mavericks’ 27-7 win over Northside in the Battle of Rogers Avenue. Plus, find out this week's Lindsey Boys Athlete of the Week. 

Then, in today’s episode of Varsity Vibe Stories — coming your way at 11 a.m. — Fayetteville volleyball player Piper Batie wants to leave her own mark on a program that’s no stranger to state championships. Transferring in from Gravette prior to her junior season, the senior is set to continue her volleyball career at Missouri after graduation. Her dedication to her sport is unmatched — she even built a gym in her barn at home with her dad!) — but when she's not playing volleyball she has her guitar, paintings, and horses to keep her busy. 

🏆 Rivalry Continues. The Battle of Rogers Avenue was back in full force Friday night, as the Fort Smith Southside Mavericks beat the Northside Grizzlies 27-7. Southside’s defense looked strong, holding the Grizzlies scoreless until the fourth quarter. Offensively, the Mavericks dominated the run game, with brothers Terrell and Malachi Warren rushing for 201 yards on 23 carries combined. With the rivalry win secured, Southside will now face Little Rock Central, while Northside will hosts Greenwood.

🏈 Game Changer. After three years as Bentonville’s junior varsity kicker, Kylee Sallee is stepping into a bigger role. This season, Sallee will serve as the varsity team’s starting kicker, being the first female kicker in Bentonville program history. Sallee told 5News that she has has played soccer for the majority of her life, which she credited to helping her on the football field.

🐶 Dogs vs Cats. Despite being tied after the first quarter, the Fayetteville Bulldogs were able to pull away from the Cabot Panthers in a 66-24 win. Fayetteville junior quarterback Hank Hendrix threw four touchdowns, including a 70-yard pass to Catavion Taylor and a 74-yard pass to Kenyan Johnson. Senior running back Kaleb Johnson also garnered three touchdowns. The Bulldogs’ defense held strong under pressure and junior linebacker William Caston had a pick-six and an interception in the second half to secure the win for Fayetteville.

The Bryant Hornets extended their winning streak against the Benton Panthers, defeating them 40-10. Benton took an early 3-0 lead over the Hornets, but Bryant responded with a strong offensive performance and tight defense the rest of the game. Senior running back Kollin Robinson had 118 yards with two touchdowns on just eight carries, and senior running back James Martin rushed for 100+ yards with two touchdowns. QB Kyler Shelby led scoring drives on three of his first four possessions, while fellow QB Jeremiah Motes had quite the performance himself with 144 passing yards and two touchdowns. Benton managed a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but Bryant was able to extend their winning streak to 20 years.

Fayetteville’s offense looked dominant in its matchup against Cabot, putting up 66 points on the Panthers. Junior quarterback Hank Hendrix, a transfer from Texas, played a key role in the team’s success, leading the offense with accuracy and power. Hendrix had a standout performance, throwing for 472 yards, the third-highest total in program history. He completed 60% of his passes and connected for four touchdowns, showcasing his command in the back field and ability to be a leader on the team.

“He’s just so smart,” head coach Casey Dick told the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. “He can analyze things. He studies a lot, so he’s prepared for a lot of situations.”

Rogers Heritage’s Ava Henshaw has only been playing golf for two years, yet she finds herself at the top of leaderboards regularly. In her first season, Henshaw earned first-team all-conference honors. As a junior, she once again earned first-team all-conference honors, while also making the first-team all-state list. In their match against Bentonville West on Aug. 20, Henshaw shot a 3-over 38, splitting the medal with fellow Heritage golfer Alyce Parker.

Sept. 5:
🏈 7A/6A Bentonville vs Conway, 7:00 pm
🏈 7A Rogers @ Muskogee (OK), 7:00 pm
🏈 7A Fayetteville vs Broken Arrow (OK), 7:00 pm
🏈 7A Bentonville West @ Cabot, 7:00 pm
🏈 7A Springdale vs Van Buren, 7:00 pm
🏈 7A Heritage @ Carl Junction (MO), 7:00 pm
🏈 7A/5A Har-ber @ Farmington, 7:00 pm

🏈 6A Greenwood @ Northside, 7:00 pm
🏈 6A Siloam Springs @ Alma, 7:00 pm
🏈 6A Mountain Home vs Harrison, 7:00 pm
🏈 6A Shiloh vs Little Rock Christian, 7:00 pm
🏈 6A/5A Jonesboro @ Robinson, 7:00 pm

🏈 5A Pea Ridge vs Gentry, 7:00 pm

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