Good morning, Arkansas! Welcome to the very first edition of the Varsity Vibe Bulletin — we’re glad you’re here!

In today’s newsletter:

👋 Welcome in!
🎙️ What’s happening on Varsity Vibe Today
🗓️ A look at the calendar

Let’s get right to it!

👋 Welcome to the Varsity Vibe Bulletin!

We’re excited to send out the inaugural edition of the only newsletter dedicated to high school sports in Arkansas, and are happy to have you along for the ride! We hope you like what you read, and that you’ll consider forwarding this email to your friends and family — there’s a subscribe button below just for them.

Each Tuesday and Friday — well, Monday this week…it is our launch day, after all! — you’ll get this email delivered straight to your inbox first thing in the morning, before you even pour your first cup of coffee. You’ll get the latest news, updates, stories, and more from around the Natural State. From trending topics to players of the week, you’ll get it all right here in five minutes or less!

Thanks for reading, and stick around to see what’s happening this week!

🎙️ Who to Watch. Welcome to Varsity Vibe Today! High School Sports are starting all across our area and the Natural State, including High School Football. With the 2025 season kicking off next week, we share our Top Five Players to Watch, starting with Greenwood Offensive Lineman Cody Taylor.

What else is coming this week?

On Tuesday's episode of Varsity Vibe, Rogers football coach Chad Harbison and host Alyssa Orange dive into what it takes to build a program and sustain the culture, what it takes for Rogers to get over the hump in the playoffs, and how the Harbison farm keeps coach grounded.

🏈 Trip to the Champs. The Fayetteville Bulldogs open their season with a scrimmage at Greenwood tomorrow night. The two teams met last season and Greenwood beat Fayetteville 27-20. The Purple Dogs will have junior quarterback Hank Hendrix leading the offense this year. The transfer from Texas passed for 4,200 yards and completed 52 touchdowns last season. The game is scheduled for 7pm.

🥇 Rankings are In. 7A West preseason rankings are here from Hooten’s, and Bentonville is on top after finishing first in the region last season. The Rogers Mounties are ranked second, followed by No. 3 Fayetteville, No. 4 Bentonville West, No. 5 Springdale, and No. 6 Har-Ber.

🐯 Travelin’ Tigers. Bentonville will cross state lines to face Jenks (OK) on Aug. 22 in a benefit game. While Bentonville doesn’t have any returning offensive linemen, they’ll have senior leadership in quarterback Cole Slepecki and an explosive run game in senior running backs Chris Ficklin and James Pratt. The pair rushed for over 1,683 yards and boasted 24 touchdowns last season. The game is scheduled for 5:30 pm.

🏈 August 19:

• Rogers at Russellville/Cabot, 6 pm

• Fayetteville at Greenwood, 7 pm

🏈 August 21:

• Bentonville West at Tulsa Union, TBA

• Rogers Heritage at Poteau, 6:30 pm

🏈 August 22:

• Bentonville at Jenks (OK), 5:30 pm

👋 Hello There!

Did someone share the Varsity Vibe Bulletin with you? At Varsity Vibe, we want to elevate the conversation around high school sports in Arkansas. Subscribe today to get the best in Arkansas high school athletics sent straight to your inbox twice a week, first thing in the morning. It’s the perfect way to start your day!