Success in athletics at Subiaco Academy is not unprecedented.
Just in 2025, Subiaco won the 3A/4A eight-man unsanctioned football state championship against Corning. On the basketball court, the Trojans have been one of the best teams in the state. Subiaco finished the 2025-26 season with a 24-3 record, including a 15-1 mark in 3A-4 conference play. The Trojans have lost a combined three conference games since 2023.
Subiaco Academy is a private, all-boys Catholic boarding school for grades 7-12 in Subiaco, Arkansas, with an estimated enrollment of 150.
Prior to this season, Subiaco Academy fielded an unsanctioned eight-man football team. Because the program was not sanctioned by the Arkansas Activities Association, it essentially operated as an independent program outside of the AAA guidelines. After moving from eight-man football in 2025 to 11-man football in 4A-4 in 2026, Subiaco has had a difficult time adjusting to the larger format. The Trojans have fallen to 3A opponents Perryville, Lavaca and Greenland by a combined score of 125-26.
“Last off-season we had 30 kids,” said Subiaco football head coach and Dean of Students BJ Applegate. “I lost seven starters over the summer. They decided not to return to school here. We started the season with 21 kids, and with injuries the last three weeks, we are struggling with numbers.”
Those numbers became a major issue heading into Friday’s scheduled conference opener at Booneville. Prior to the Sept. 25 matchup, Subiaco elected to forfeit the game. The news was first reported on the Booneville Bearcats’ Facebook page.
“The Booneville Bearcat football program has received official word that Subiaco is forfeiting Friday’s scheduled game at Bearcat Stadium. The Bearcat staff has reached out to a couple of schools who are open but have, as yet, been unable to secure a replacement. Further information will be provided if or when it becomes available. With the forfeit the Bearcats are 4-0 overall and 1-0 in Conference 4A-4 play and receive the maximum 13 tiebreaker points for a conference win.”
“It’s an unfortunate situation for our football team, especially our seniors,” said Booneville head coach Doc Crowley on the forfeiture by Subiaco. “As a staff, we were aware that this was a possibility. We were told late last week and again on Monday that our game against Subiaco was ‘good to go’ for Friday.”
Knowing about the potential for this, Crowley has said he has reached out to potential opponents on a bye-week, but with no luck. “As a staff, were aware that this might be a possibility,” he said. “In the previous weeks, we have reached out to a few schools with open dates, with all of those requests being denied.”
For Subiaco, the move to 11-man football comes with another complication: 4A is currently the only classification available to the Trojans.
According to Bobby Swofford, assistant executive director of the Arkansas Activities Association, Subiaco cannot immediately drop to 3A despite having enrollment numbers that would place the school in that classification.
“Based on the rules our member schools put in place, if Subiaco plays 11-man football this season and next and doesn’t accrue any competitive equity points, Subiaco would have the option to drop to 3A,” Swofford said. “That is the lowest they could drop, as their enrollment numbers currently place them in 3A. Nonpublic schools can never drop below their enrollment number classification. All nonpublic schools are placed one classification higher than their ADM (enrollment).”
That leaves Subiaco with two seasons to navigate 4A football before potentially being able to move down to 3A.
“AAA did us no favors placing us in 4A,” Applegate said. “Despite this, if we can make it through this cycle (2027), I think we can compete in 3A football.”
For now, the Trojans will try to get healthy and rebuild their numbers. According to Applegate, Subiaco plans to play next week at Pottsville.
