RISON -- In the tradition-rich football town of Rison in Cleveland County, Malik Chavis has delivered a rare accomplishment.
The Wildcats have been to 11 championship games, winning the state title on eight occasions. While Rison has no shortage of championship trophies to display in its high school lobby, the number of Wildcats who have signed scholarships with Power 5 teams has been in short supply.
Chavis, a 6-2, 180-pound cornerback, on Wednesday became the first player in more than six decades to sign with the University of Arkansas. The previous signee out of Rison was George Walker, who lettered for the Razorbacks in 1954, 1955 and 1957 as a quarterback and punter.
No other Rison player has signed a scholarship with a Power 5 conference program.
"That's big, and I feel good about that," Chavis said. "When you come from a smaller school, a lot of people don't get to come here and see you play. They think big schools are this and that, and they don't realize how good some of the small-school players are."
Chavis said he has a special relationship with Walker, who now lives in Pine Bluff and attends as many of the Wildcats' games as possible.
"He told me I'm going to like it [in Fayetteville]," Chavis said. "He's told me to keep my mind on my books and keep grinding."
"This is big for our community because we love football," Rison Coach Clay Totty said. "It's a big deal. Mr. George has stood by our program for years. They are two good people.
"When you think of George Walker, you can now think of Malik Chavis. They are both character and class. That probably means more to us than anything just because of the type of people they are."
Chavis got his first start as a freshman in the second round of the Class 2A playoffs in 2015. In the past three years, the Wildcats have compiled a 31-8 record, including a 12-1 mark this season.
Chavis was a huge reason why the Wildcats reached the state semifinals this year. He was in on a combined 42 tackles and broke up five passes. He rushed for 979 yards and 12 touchdowns. He scored two other TDs on receptions.
"His potential is untapped because when you play at a small school, you play at a lot of different positions," Toddy said. "And we're limited with coaching numbers. He'll get to Fayetteville, and they'll fine-tune his skills and they'll get him in a position to where he can concentrate on one position."
Chavis was the first in-state player of the 2019 class to commit to the Razorbacks, saying he has wanted to play for Arkansas since he started playing football.
"All of the other offers I had were pretty good, but I always wanted to come to Arkansas and be a Razorback," Chavis said. "I want to play for my state. I love the game, the fans, the atmosphere, everything."
Sports on 12/20/2018