Clark earned All-State honors, led Bobcats to 8 conference titles

Editor’s Note: The Berryville Sports Hall of Fame proudly announced the inaugural class of inductees earlier this year. Coach Jo Ann Clark, Coach Ronnie Clark, Coach Jack Edens, Tom Ginn and Coach Joe Mills. We’ll be highlighting each inductee the next five weeks, leading up to the Sept. 7 induction ceremony.

A 1959 graduate of Berryville High School, Ronnie Clark was an All-State football player, and was the first Berryville Bobcat to receive this honor. Even today, he is considered one of the best players to ever wear a Bobcat uniform.

Clark attended Drury College for one semester on a basketball scholarship, then transferred to Arkansas State Teachers College, now the University of Central Arkansas, on a football scholarship. He was a three-year letterman at ASTC.

Clark began his legendary coaching career as an assistant at Beebe High School. He was at Beebe for two years and then accepted the head coaching job at Clinton High School. He coached at Clinton for four years before receiving the call to return home to Berryville. He accepted the position of head voach for the Bobcats in 1969 and remained in that position for 26 years.

In his third season as head coach, Clark guided the Bobcats to the Conference title, which was the first of three in a row. He led Berryville to a total of eight conference titles and his 1977 team finished as the state runner- up.

Clark won 211 games overall. He was named the conference coach of the year eight times, and selected to the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star coaching staff twice.

As head track coach at Berryville, his teams won 25 of 26 conference championships finishing second one time.

Clark served as President of the AHSCA and served on numerous AHSCA committees.

Today, Clark spends his retirement time as a cattle rancher. He and his wife, Jo Ann, follow their grandchildren in all that they are involved in, including sports. Coach Clark enjoys camping and trail riding his mules.