Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Traditional matchups, playoff veterans and a gamut of classifications will be on display in the fourth annual First Security Kickoff Classic.

ArkansasSports360.com and 103.7 The Buzz, KABZ-FM sponsor the games, scheduled for Monday-Tuesday (Aug. 27-28) at War Memorial Stadium. First Security Bank, with locations throughout the state, is the presenting sponsor.

Seven of the eight participating teams were playoff participants last season, and all hope to return to War Memorial Stadium for their classification finals at season’s end. In all, classifications ranging from 4A-7A will be represented in the two-day event at War Memorial Stadium.

Central Arkansas Christian and Stuttgart will open the Classic at 5 p.m. Monday (Aug. 27), followed by a 7:30 p.m. matchup between the Little Rock Christian Warriors and the Hot Springs Lakeside Rams. The CAC-Stuttgart game could be a Class 4A playoff preview.

Second-year Stuttgart coach Billy Elmore, who won a state championship at Glen Rose and started rebuilding at Arkadelphia before leaving two years ago, guided Stuttgart to a 9-3 record in his first season with the Ricebirds.

Veteran Tommy Shoemaker leads CAC, which is participating in the Kickoff Classic for the fourth time. CAC finished 5-5-1 last year, losing in the opening round of the Class 5A playoffs to eventual state champion Greenwood. This year the Mustangs will complete in Class 4A-7. Click here to see video of Shoemaker talking about the CAC's return to the Kickoff Classic.

Hot Springs Lakeside, which enjoyed one of its best seasons in years under second-year coach Jared McBride, reached last year’s Class 5A playoff quarterfinal round, finished the year 10-2, and is expected to contend for the 5A title again this year. McBride took over a 1-win program in 2009 and has gone 17-6 in two seasons.

Little Rock Christian, forced to rebuild after Arkansas’ all-time leading rusher, Michael Dyer, and his class graduated after the 2009 season, has missed the playoffs the past two years with young teams but is expected to contend this season in a revamped Class 5A-Central.

Jim Harris spoke to both McBride and Little Rock Christian Coach Justin Kramer about the game. Click here to see video.

Tuesday, the Kickoff Classic continues with Arkadelphia facing Benton in the first game with the final game matching up Jacksonville against Cabot.

Tickets are $7 per day and are available at the War Memorial Stadium ticket office.

For information call the stadium at (501) 663-0775 or Susan Cohen at Arkansas Business Publishing Group, (501) 372-1443. For team rosters and schedules, take a sneak peek at the official program by clicking here for the digital edition.