Varsity Vibe: Arkansas

Farmington brought home their 5th State Championship in softball back in May with a 3-2 in over Benton in Hot Springs.  Head Coach Jason Shirey sat down with Alyssa Orange to look back on the season, how he got into coaching softball, what the sport has taught him over the years, and how Farmington Softball can continue to grow. 

After being a Pea Ridge cheerleader herself, Courtney Hurst knew she wanted to return to her hometown and continue being part of the Blackhawk family.  Since taking over as Head Coach, she has grown the program into a State and National Championship winner. She sits down with Alyssa Orange to discuss how proud she is to see the program excel and what it's like coaching her daughter.  

Rogers Heritage Football is heading into a new era. New head coach Max Washausen takes over a War Eagles program hungry for success.  Setting a culture and implementing a formula for winning, Washausen joins Alyssa Orange to share how the transition has gone, and why he believes Heritage has the tools to be successful in the 7A West. 

Former assistant coach Honesty Holt is now the new head coach for Har-Ber Softball, after Randy Osnes decided to retire at the end of the 2026 season.  A former player for Har-Ber and Bentonville West, she excited to take over and lead the program in their next chapter of success.

Heading into his senior season, Har-Ber quarterback Brice Owens believes his best football is in front of him. Now in his second season with head coach Aaron Danenhauer, Owens sits down with Alyssa Orange with stare how he's grown as a player, and who Brice Owens is away from the football field.

Reed Smith was promoted to head coach of the Pea Ridge Girls Basketball program after being an assistant coach over two separate stints. Joining Alyssa Orange on this episode of Varsity Vibe, Smith talks about what he learned from Heath Neal, how he's adjusting to his new role, and what he hopes the future of Lady Blackhawks basketball looks like. 

When you think of the Taylor Tigers, softball is one of the things that comes to mind. They just know how to win. In 2026 they won their 9th straight softball state championship, lead by head coach Courtney McHenry.  McHenry, who also coaches volleyball, joins Alyssa Orange to talk about the success the Tigers have had, the success of the 2026 team, and coaching her daughter. 

The Bentonville West Girls Soccer team's season came to an end at the State Finals game, falling to Mount St. Mary's 4-1. But despite the loss in the championship game, it was a season full of success, growth and relationships.  Alyssa Orange and Kerry Castillo recap the year in the final episode of Kickin' It With The Wolverines. 

🔴 Powered by Lindsey & Associates Anthony Lucas is back in Northwest Arkansas — but this time, he's not catching touchdowns. He's building a powerhouse. The new Fayetteville High School head football coach joins the show to talk about taking over one of the biggest jobs in Arkansas high school football, his championship run at Pulaski Academy, the pressure of replacing Casey Dick, a...

Jeff Williams sits down with new Sylvan Hills Head Coach Trey Shucker about taking over the program, what got him to leave Arkadelphia, and what he's looking forward to about the upcoming season. 

The Arkansas high school baseball finals begin on Thursday in Hot Springs at Majestic Park. Kevin Bohannon has joined Alyssa Orange over the season and joins once again to break down the championship match-ups in each classification. 

The Bentonville West Girls Soccer team is heading back to the State Finals! The Lady Wolverines defeated Jonesboro, Conway and Rogers in the state tournament to punch their ticket to Hot Springs.  Alyssa Orange and Head Coach Kerry Castillo relive the playoff run and the excitement of playing for a championship

The high school state softball finals are set, and by the end of the week, champions will be crowned in Hot Springs! Kyle Sutherland joins Alyssa Orange as they look at the match-ups in each classification and break down their road to get to the finals. 

Bentonville pitcher Darby Burnett is about end her high school career with the Tigers and take the next step to the SEC and Texas A&M. The senior would love to end her time at Bentonville with another state championship.  She joined Alyssa Orange to talk about her softball journey, the recruiting process and the advice she would give to younger players who want to play at the next level. 

The Rogers Mounties won their seventh consecutive 6A-West conference title, and finished the regular season 24-2. One their way to try and defend their State Championship from a season ago, Head Coach Matt Melson joins Alyssa Orange to look ahead to the post season. 

The regular season is in the books, and it is post season time for high school soccer.  The Lady Wolverines finished the regular season with a win on Senior Night against Southside, and turn their attention to their first game of the playoffs against Jonesboro.  Head Coach Kerry Castillo joins Alyssa Orange with the latest from the pitch. 

The Great American Conference was started in 2010, and how has 12 universities across Arkansas and Oklahoma. Commissioner Will Prewitt took the time to talk with Alyssa Orange on the growth of the conference over the years, how the transfer portal and NIL has affected them at the DII level, and his advice to high school athletes who want to play collegiate sports. 

The Bentonville Tigers fell in the 2025 7A State Title game to Bryant, and as they look to 2026 there are a lot of new roles to fill with the talent returning for the upcoming season.  Alyssa Orange and head coach Jody Grant to look ahead at what the Tigers want to accomplish during Spring Football. 

The Bentonville West girls soccer team has two more regular season games against Fayetteville and Southside before the post season begins.  Alyssa Orange and head coach Kerry Castillo discuss the 2-2 tie against Bentonville and the 5-1 win over Springdale last week, plus give some love to the senior class with Senior Night coming up on Friday. 

Year one under Head Coach Aaron Danenhauer is in the books for the Har-Ber Wildcats, and now he looks to continue to build on what they've accomplished in the fall during Spring Practices.  He joins Alyssa Orange to talk about the group of talent returning, including quarterback Bryce Owens, and what they hope to accomplish over the next few weeks. 

Springdale Head Coach Brett Hobbs joins Alyssa Orange to preview spring football with the Bulldogs, what's new with the 2026 team, and the addition of new Offensive Coordinator Eric Munoz. 

The Rogers Mounties have had a few months to move on from the way the 2025 season ended, and are now excited about what the 2026 season can bring. As head coach Chad Harbison explains to Alyssa Orange, it'll be different and new, but they've got some good talent to lean on. 

With a week off to work on fundamentals and reset, the Bentonville West Wolverines feel really good about where they are heading into the final stretch of the regular season. 

Spring Football is ramping up for high schools around the state of Arkansas as they get ready to see what their teams will look like for the 2026 season.  Our first stop takes up to Bentonville West, where head coach Bryan Pratt and the Wolverines have a lot of returning talent back, but they have a key position to fill at quarterback. 

High School football is back, with Spring Football starting around Arkansas. On top of the start of practice, there have been more coaching changes around the state this off-season than in the past few decades.  Jeff Williams and Alyssa Orange break down what teams have in store for the spring and what the changes mean for the programs ahead.