Sports

Typically, high school football practice on the first day of school isn’t particularly sharp. That wasn’t the case last week for the Berryville Bobcats.

Quantity isn’t a strong suit for the Green Forest Tigers, but veteran coach Bobby Bishop says there is some quality on the Tigers’ roster. “We may be as skilled as we’ve been since I’ve been at Green Forest,” said Bishop, who’s entering his fifth season as the Tigers’ head coach.

Christie Popejoy is new to Green Forest, but she’s not a complete stranger. Popejoy is beginning her first season as the Lady Tigers’ head volleyball coach after 13 seasons at Valley Springs — a conference rival of Green Forest.

Berryville fullback Brett Parsons (35) follows a block from teammate Kooper Logan (19) while teammate Anthony McClellan (64) seals off another defender in the Bobcats’ victory over Yellville-Summit last season. Logan has graduated, but Parsons and McClellan both return this season for Berryville.

It’s fair to say that Berryville volleyball coach Kristin Whetham has a good feeling going into the 2019 season.

The Berryville Bobcats’ 2019 football season officially began at 8 a.m. Monday, as the Bobcats gathered for their first practice of the year. Coach Doug Shott said several players weren’t available for various reasons, but he was pleased with the effort shown by those who participated.

Green Forest seventh-grader Evan Brand receives instruction from sophomore Fredy Juarez on how to carry the football during Monday’s first official football practice for the 2019 season. Green Forest’s high school and junior high players held a joint practice Monday afternoon under the direction of coach Bobby Bishop.