Bryant Picked No. 1

Who Else?

Bryant Starts No. 1

The Bryant Hornets have won the past four championships in the state’s largest classification, and it’s no surprise they’ll start the season No. 1 as well.

Bryant earned 14 of 15 first-place votes the Arkansas Sports Media Pre-Season poll as voted on by the state’s media.

Bryant has dominated the state’s largest classification the past four years and has a 41game winning streak against in-state opponents. The Hornets have also won 21-straight 7ACentral conference games.

Bryant defeated Fayetteville, 42-38, for its most recent state title last season.

Conway and North Little Rock, also of the 7A-Central, were ranked second and third by the state’s voting media.

Bentonville is the top pick from the 7A-West at fourth overall and just ahead of conference foe Fayetteville.

Pulaski Academy, moving up from Class 5A due to the Competitive Equity Factor, is ranked sixth just ahead of Greenwood. Pulaski Academy was moved into the 6A-West conference to join Greenwood. Both Pulaski Academy and Greenwood have won 10 state championships in the modern playoff era, which began in 1968.

Cabot of the 7A-Central is eighth while Bentonville West of the 7A-West is ninth.

Benton, which won the 6A-West last year but was shifted to the 6A-East this year due for the two-year realignment cycle.

In Class 6A, Pulaski Academy, Greenwood and Benton are the top three picks while Little Rock Christian, which was also elevated due to the Competitive Equity Factor, is fourth.

Class 5A saw the biggest shift with Little Rock Parkview, Robinson and Shiloh Christian all new to the classification chosen 1, 2 and 3 in the voting. Parkview moves down from Class 6A while Robinson and Shiloh Christian are moving up in classification. Robinson defeated Shiloh Christian for the Class 5A championship last season. Parkview and Robinson were moved due to enrollment figures while Shiloh Christian makes the move due to the Competitive Equity Factor.