Over the past several seasons, Charleston has elected not to schedule “zero week” football games, instead opting to start their season in the true “Week One” of the high school football season. The Tigers choose to have an extra week of preseason practice to iron out the wrinkles from their preseason scrimmages, and to allow any summer injuries to have another week to heal before the start of games. This year is no different. The Tigers did not play on August 26, and their first game will be this Friday when the Tigers travel to Northwest Arkansas to play at Elkins. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
The two-time 3A-1 defending champs will be playing for the three-peat this year, and to move deep into the post-season’s state playoffs. For any team, once you get into the “final four” of the state tournament, any team can win the championship, and barring injuries, I expect Charleston to be right there in the hunt for another state title.
Charleston will feature a talented and experienced senior class that is full of athleticism. They are not as deep on the depth chart as they have been in recent years, and for the Tigers to reach their goals this year, they must avoid injuries. But this group of Tigers is loaded with athleticism, and this talented group will be led by their two-time all-state senior quarterback, Brandon Scott.
As a sports writer, Scott has been on my short list for the past two seasons as one of, if not the best quarterback in the state. There is always competition for that honor in programs such as Greenwood, to name one in particular, but Scott is a true competitor and is a leader that any coach would want to lead his troops into battle. Scott is a dual-threat quarterback with 4.6 speed and can throw the ball with great effectiveness. He is an excellent decision maker, perhaps buoyed by his academic prowess in the classroom. Scott carries a 4.0 grade point average into his senior year, as well.
Charleston will need every bit of their talent and experience when they face the Elkins Elks on Friday. At deadline time for this story, the Elks were getting ready to face their August 26 opponent, the Pottsville Apaches. So when Elkins takes the field to host the Tigers, they will have the benefit of having one game under their belts. That can always be a good or bad thing, especially if a zero week team suffers a significant injury. Hopefully that was not the case; fans will want to see both teams at full strength for this match-up.
Elkins plays in the 4A-1 conference with member schools Ozark, Gentry, Gravette, Green Forrest, Berryville, and Lincoln. The Elks are projected to finish runner-up to the Ozark Hillbillies in preseason polls.
The 2022 Elkins schedule includes:
August 26 at Pottsville
Sept 2 vs Charleston
Sept 9 at Clarksville
Sept 23 vs Gravette
Sept 30 at Huntsville
Oct 7 vs Berryville
Oct 14 at Green Forest
Oct 21 vs Ozark
Oct 28 at Gentry
Nov 4 vs Lincoln
According to Hooten’s Arkansas Football publication, the Elks have good depth at the quarterback position, but have a lack of depth on the line on both sides of the ball. The Charleston defensive and offensive lines must take control of the line of scrimmage for the Tigers to win the game. If Charleston gives quarterback Scott time to hit his talented receivers, the Tigers could light up the scoreboard on Friday night.
Charleston head football coach, Ricky May, assessed the Elks by saying, “They have two really good running backs with good speed. Their offensive line is big and gets after you. They have a couple good receivers that can go and one that catches everything in his direction. Defensively, they all fly to the ball and tackle well. Coach Watson and his staff do a tremendous job of getting their kids ready to play hard. We will have to be ready to play and get after it.”
Watch for post-game coverage over the weekend on RNN Sports’ online platform at residentnewsnetwork.com. Also, if you have not yet subscribed to the Logan County weekly newspaper, you can do so by going to the same address and clicking on the subscription link.
On behalf of RNN Sports, I would like to wish head coach Ricky May and his team the best of luck as they open the 2022 season on Friday. And on a side note, I will be in Charleston on Friday, September 16, to bring you exclusive coverage of the Tigers game with Nashville at Alumni Field! So, Tigers fans, travel safely, and enjoy the game!
