Maumelle has two Arkansas 2022 football commits, a tough early schedule and hopes of being the last Class 5A team standing in December.
Hornets head coach Kirk Horton, whose team finished 6-4 last season with a playoff loss to Wynne, returns Razorbacks pledges offensive lineman Andrew Chamblee (6-8, 285) and defensive lineman Nico Davillier (6-5, 275).
“We feel real confident about this team,” Horton said. “We are plenty talented physically and we have got some size, so we check a lot of boxes that a team needs to be successful and we want it to come to fruition.”
Chamblee committed to Arkansas along with Little Rock Parkview tailback James Jointer on March 6. Davillier came on board June 27.
Chamblee chose Arkansas over Auburn, Florida, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Penn State and Tennessee and others, and Davillier’s decision came down to Arkansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska.
“Both of them feel the same way – it’s a relief,” Horton said of having their college decisions out of the way. “Andrew has had his out of the way for quite a while now and Nico got a little taste of it this year and are both glad they have it out of the way and can just focus on their senior year.”
The Hornets will begin practice Aug. 2 and will have a scrimmage at Ozark on Aug. 20.
Maumelle has a tough early slate with nonconference games at Sylvan Hills (Aug. 27), a home contest with Joe T. Robinson (Sept. 3) and Razorbacks offensive lineman E’Marion Harris (6-7, 370), at Vilonia (Sept. 10) and an away game vs. Shreveport (La.) CE Byrd (Sept. 17).
“We have got murderer’s row out of the gate,” Horton said. “With Little Rock Hall dropping and playing 8-man football this year, we had to replace our 10th game.
“We were able to get another game scheduled for what was originally our bye week and that is CE Byrd out of Shreveport, who played for a state championship in their classification least year. That makes a difficult nonconference schedule even more difficult.”
The in-state foes are tough challenges as well, according to Horton.
“We open up with Sylvan Hills at their place and they are coached very well and they have got a lot of physical talent as well, he said. “We have our hands full with them right out of the gate. Then we come back home and play Robinson, which was a great game last season, and they have a Hog commit of their own and are a highly talented team and a well-coached team.
“And then we go to Vilonia in Week 2, so all of those teams will be great competition.”