Happy Tuesday! Football season is officially over, but good news! We have basketball to watch! 🏀

What else is coming up in today’s Bulletin?

🎙️ Varsity Vibe Today gets you ready for hoops
📈 Scores and highlights from the weekend
🏆 Handing out awards for Team & Athletes of the Week

Let’s dive right in!

🎙️ Varsity Vibe Today. Bentonville Boys Basketball is getting ready to host the XNA Showcase later this week alongside Bentonville West. Tigers head coach Kyle Pennington joins the show to look at the competition coming to town.

🏆 First ‘Ship. Mansfield leaned heavily on a dominant rushing attack, piling up 489 rushing yards in their 40-30 win over Fordyce. Senior reciever Andrew Burton led the way with 321 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries, earning MVP honors as the Tigers finished with a perfect 14-0 record. Despite a late comeback effort from Fordyce, Mansfield’s efficiency — which included five successful two-point conversions proved too much for the Redbugs.

🫎 History Made. Elkins took home their first state title in program history following a 31-14 win over Dardanelle last week. The Elks dominated the first half, building a 21–0 lead behind strong defense and three total touchdowns from junior quarterback Austin Born. Dardanelle attempted to cut the deficit to seven in the second half, but Elkins responded quickly and sealed the win with key defensive stops and a late field goal. The victory marks the first state championship in program history for the Elks, capping a 14–1 season.

🏀 Held Strong. Shiloh Christian came away with a 63–60 win over Fort Smith Northside at the Cardinal Classic in Farmington. Duke Bowman led the Saints with 19 points as Shiloh Christian improved to 9–3 on the season, while Joby Butler added 13 of his own. Northside stayed within striking distance all night behind a game-high 24 points from Jayvyn Bullock, but Shiloh Christian’s steady offense down the stretch proved just enough to secure the three-point victory.

🏃‍♂️ Rogers built a double-digit lead and was able to survive a late scare to edge Conway, 58–57. Senior Gus Krout delivered the decisive moment, tipping in his own miss with 19.8 seconds remaining before Conway came up empty on a potential game-winner. Krout led all scorers with 21 points as the Mounties picked up their fourth win of the season, with senior Chris Hill adding 10 and sophomore Owen Crawford added nine. Despite the comeback attempt from Conway, the Mounties’ defense was enough to secure the narrow victory.

🏈 Junior quarterback Austin Born was electric this weekend, leading Elkins to a 31–14 win over Dardanelle. In his second-straight title game, Born scored three rushing touchdowns and helped the Elks build a comfortable 21–0 halftime lead. When Dardanelle cut the deficit to seven, Born responded with a huge 51-yard touchdown run to put the game away. His performance showcased his poise under pressure, guiding Elkins to the first state championship in program history.

⛹️‍♀️ Mansfield’s Kaylee Ward added another milestone to an already decorated career, signing to play basketball at Oral Roberts University. Ward has excelled in basketball, volleyball, and track — with multiple state titles and all-state honors. With 1,471 career points so far, the Mansfield senior now turns her focus to finishing her high school career strong before beginning the next chapter.

🏈 It’s a busy week of basketball in Central Arkansas! On the boys’ side, Benton travels to El Dorado and North Little Rock hosts the Fayetteville Bulldogs. The girls have a loaded week, with Bryant matching up with Greenwood and Little Rock Central traveling north to face Har-Ber. North Little Rock and Pulaski Academy get to stay home, hosting Greenwood and Bentonville West respectively.

Dec. 16:
🏀 6A Bentonville @ Nixa (MO), 6:00 pm | Watch Here
🏀 5A Benton @ El Dorado, 6:00 pm | Watch Here
⛹️‍♀️ 6A Greenwood @ Bryant, 6:00 pm | Watch Here 
⛹️‍♀️ 5A/1A Mountain Home @ Jasper, 6:00 pm | Watch Here
⛹️‍♀️ 4A Shiloh Christian @ Gravette, 6:00 pm | Watch Here
⛹️‍♀️ 4A Pea Ridge @ Gentry, 6:00 pm | Watch Here

Dec. 18:
🏀 6A Pocola (OK) @ Fayetteville, 6:30 pm | Watch Here
🏀 6A Rogers @ McDonald County, 6:30 pm | Watch Here
🏀 5A Greene County Tech @ Mountain Home, 7:00 pm | Watch Here 
⛹️‍♀️6A/5A Heritage @ Van Buren, 6:00 pm | Watch Here
⛹️‍♀️6A/5A Harrison @ Rogers, 6:30 pm | Watch Here
⛹️‍♀️ 6A/3A Greenland @ Fayetteville, 6:00 pm | Watch Here

Dec. 19:
🏀 6A Fayetteville @ North Little Rock, 6:30 pm | Watch Here
🏀 6A/5A Greenwood @ Heritage, 4:00 pm | Watch Here
🏀 6A/5A Alma @ Rogers, 6:00 pm | Watch Here
🏀4A Berryville @ Shiloh, 7:00 pm | Watch Here
🏀 4A Pea Ridge @ Gentry, 7:30 pm | Watch Here
⛹️‍♀️ 6A Central @ Har-Ber, 6:00 pm | Watch Here
⛹️‍♀️ 6A/5A Greenwood @ North Little Rock, 6:00 pm | Watch Here
⛹️‍♀️ 6A/4A Bentonville West @ Pulaski Academy, 7:00 pm | Watch Here
⛹️‍♀️ 4A Huntsville @ Pea Ridge, 6:00 pm | Watch Here

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