ARKADELPHIA BADGERS
Conference: 5A-Southwest
Head coach: Brad Harris
Record last year: 4-7, 3-4
Points scored, points allowed: 242-324
Playoff appearances since 1968: 19
Last playoff appearance: 2006
Playoff record: 17-17

Key returning starters: LT Charlie Wardlaw, TE Austin King, WR Nick Owen, WR Clinton Dewitt, DE Alex Moss, LB Tommy Johnson, LB Russell Denton, LB Drake Champagne, LB Stefone Buckley, CB Stefuan Wilson, CB Todd Whitaker, FS Ryan Evans, Nick Alexander.

Outlook: Six three-year starters and the biggest senior class in four years should carry Arkadelphia, which will drop to Class 4A next season, back to the playoffs in 2007 in what shapes up as a balanced conference. Four of those three-year starters are on a defensive unit that returns seven full-time starters and two more guys that started half the season last year. Cornerback Stefuan Wilson benches 280 and leads the quartet of players that have started since their sophomore year with Alex Moss at end, Tommy Johnson at linebacker and Ryan Evans at free safety. Russell Denton, Drake Champagne and Stefone Buckley join Johnson as returning starters on a linebacker corps that is solid. Offensively, only Charlie Wardlaw at tackle, Austin King at tight end, and receivers Clinton Dewitt and Nick Owen return on offense. Keith Bullock, who did not play last year, but started as a sophomore two years ago returns and will bolster an inexperienced offensive line. Also on offensive, Marquis Browning and Jarvis Purifoy, a move-in from Norphlet, battled it out in spring drills at quarterback. Purifoy started last year at Norphlet and put up big numbers.

Comments from Harris: "We've got nine kids that played a lot for us on defense. Our senior class the last two years were pretty small. This is one of the better groups we've in a while. They started a lot as sophomores and juniors, and they took their lumps when they were sophomores. It's a tight group."