AP: Fayetteville Narrowly Holds Off Pulaski Academy in Final High School Football Poll [Slideshow]

by The Associated Press  on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011 8:07 am  

Rhonda Sharp

Deric Herring, a Carlisle senior, picks up an errant ball that was forced from the hands of Strong's Lorenzo Dixon to give the ball to Carlisle during the 2A State Chamionship game in War Memorial Stadium Saturday night that saw the Strong Bulldogs take their first ever title with a 45-20 win.

Rhonda Sharp

Carlisle Bisons Bo Weedle and Clayton Fields put pressure on Strong Bulldog QB Kenneth Dixon.

Rhonda Sharp

Strong QB Kenneth Dixon goes head over heels into the endzone for a Bulldog touchdown against Carlisle.

Rhonda Sharp

Carlisle's Austin Reed is knocked out of bounds by Strong while carrying the ball for the Bison.

Rhonda Sharp

Pulaski Academy senior Kendall Bruce holds off Malvern's Lane Purifoy as George Friedmann kicks a Bruins field goal as the Bruins defeat Malvern 63-28 for the 4A State Championship title.

Rhonda Sharp

Bruins sophomore Hunter Freeman crosses the goal line for a Pulaski Academy touchdown against Malvern.

Rhonda Sharp

Pulaski Academy Bruins senior Skylar Bussell forces Austin Warford, a junior Malvern Leopard, to lose the ball.

Rhonda Sharp

Pulaski Academy Bruins senior Skylar Bussell forces Austin Warford, a junior Malvern Leopard, to lose the ball.

Rhonda Sharp

Malvern quarterback Austin Warford breaks several tackles and stumbles into the endzone for a Leopard touchdown against Pulaski Academy.

Rhonda Sharp

Pulaski Academy ball carrier Cody Adcock looks for a way around Malvern's Kaylen Burks.

Rhonda Sharp

Charleston Tiger David Weeks focuses on stopping Barton ball carrier Kedrick Jackson as the Tigers defeat the Bears 31-10 in the 3A State Championship game.

Rhonda Sharp

Barton's Justice Cole and Mardriquez Gilmore try to stop Charleston's Seth McCann from moving the ball.

Rhonda Sharp

Senior Barton WR Hunter Mauldin pulls away from a Charleston defender.

Rhonda Sharp

Charleston QB Dustin Shelby launches a pass while under pressure from Barton defender John Clark.

Rhonda Sharp

Strong celebrates its 2A state title.

Rhonda Sharp

Charleston players celebrate their state championship.

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

FAYETTEVILLE - Fayetteville's run to the Class 7A state championship was enough to earn the top spot in the final Associated Press Arkansas high school football poll, narrowly ahead of Class 4A champion Pulaski Academy. Fayetteville defeated defending state champion Bentonville 29-28 in the championship game on Dec. 3, avenging a 41-6 defeat to the Tigers earlier this season. Pulaski Academy had more first-place votes, but the Bulldogs had more points after balloting among AP-member sports writers and broadcasters.

PA defeated Malvern in this year's Class 4A title game to cap an undefeated season.

Class 6A champion El Dorado finished No. 4 in the poll, followed by Class 5A champion Greenwood.

Charleston finished No. 1 in Class 3A after defeating Barton in the championship game, while Strong topped the Class 2A poll.

This was the ballot submitted by ArkansasSports360.com's Jim Harris:

  1. Pulaski Academy
  2. Greenwood
  3. Fayetteville
  4. Bentonville
  5. El Dorado
  6. Lake Hamilton
  7. North Little Rock
  8. West Memphis
  9. Camden Fairview
  10. Fort Smith Southside

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.

 

 

Please read our comments policy before commenting.