Harmony Grove High School Wins Teamwork Challenge and $2500!

Summit Bank has named Harmony Grove High School as the winner of the Teamwork Challenge Contest. Created by Summit Bank, the Teamwork Challenge Contest offered schools throughout Central and South Arkansas the opportunity to win a cash donation by showcasing the special attributes of their team. As the winning team, Harmony Grove High School will receive $2500 for the benefit of their school. A community tailgate party will be held on Friday October 29th from 4:30 until 6:30 pm with Summit Bank in honor of Harmony Grove High School.

The other four high school team finalists in the contest were: Magnolia, Bismarck, Glen Rose and Arkadelphia.

The contest, which ran from August 30 to September 30, asked entrants to answer the question: What makes your team special? Harmony Grove’s video entry featured its football players talking about the importance of teamwork, school spirit and pride as their second year as a football team. The team showcased highlights and special moments in Harmony Grove football in their video as well as their essay.

“Summit Bank congratulates Harmony Grove High School and every school that entered our contest,” said Ross Whipple, Vice Chairman and CEO of Summit Bank. “We at Summit Bank salute the role teamwork plays in athletic and academic achievement in schools across our market area of Central and South Arkansas.”

Eight local high schools submitted videos, photos as well as essays explaining, “What makes YOUR team special.” All submissions were posted online on Summit Bank’s facebook page and our online blog.

Summit Bank is a $1 billion asset financial institution serving Central and South Arkansas. Based in Arkadelphia, Summit Bank has over 20 locations in Arkadelphia, Benton, Bryant, Hope, Hot Springs, Hot Springs Village, Little Rock, Magnolia and Malvern. With one of the state’s strongest financial teams, Summit Bank is proud to serve as a community bank dedicated to conservative financial principles, focused on providing superior customer service, and committed to serving Arkansas with financial resources that help communities grow.

Arkadelphia High School Teamwork Entry

One Heartbeat.

What makes our team special?

Success. Unity. Memories. Spirit. Connection. One Heart.

Harmony Grove High School - A Tradition in the Making

“What Makes Our Football Team Special”

High school football became a reality for Harmony Grove in the fall of 2009. Beginning a first year team was a challenge within itself for the young Cardinals. However, under the direction of legendary head coach, Jimmy “Red” Parker, our Cardinals quickly made their statement on the football field. With dogged determination, they fought to avoid the label of being a “first year team” and proved they were contenders in every aspect of the game of football.

Now the 2010 fall football season is upon us and the Cardinals have a new challenge to face, the 3A Conference. The 3A Conference is considered one of the toughest conferences in the state of Arkansas. With Coach Parker still leading the charge, our Cardinals are making the statement, “We’re Not Afraid.” Most of the 3A teams have tenured football programs with excellent records. If you were to talk with any of our Cardinals, you would never know they were facing conference competition for the first time. They go into each game with confidence and enthusiasm, regardless of the team they are playing. They play with their hearts and never give up under any circumstances.

Our Cardinals not only play with hearts of champions, but with sheer grit and will power. Our guys are nowhere near the size of most football players, but they would never consider backing down. “Bring it on!” is their attitude. With a small team roster, most of our players have to pull double duty, playing offense and defense. Is this a big deal to our Cardinals? No way! In their eyes, this is just a small sacrifice to pay for the name of the game.

One of the amazing things to see in this group of young men is their loyalty to and sincere concern for one another. A bond among football teammates is to be expected. However, our Cardinals’ bond transcends anything typical or expected. They have genuinely formed a “brotherhood;”all for one and one for all, against all odds.

And what can you say about Coach Parker that has not been said already? The man is a coaching legend and we are truly blessed to have the privilege of calling him “our coach.” Many coaches might not have been willing to take on the challenge of an inexperienced team, but Coach Parker chose to take the path less traveled. He believed in our Cardinals and our excellent coaching staff and said yes to this new team of eager, young football players; players hungry to absorb his wisdom. Our Cardinals knew from the beginning that their learning curve to becoming a competitive football team would be greater than that of other teams. However, they have put in the hard work, time, and devotion to help close that gap.

The reasons listed above only skim the surface of what makes our Cardinal football team extra special! We hope you enjoy watching our video, “Cardinal Football: At Tradition in the Making!”

Paris High School Teamwork Challenge

Paris High School Football

You ask what makes Paris High School Football special? Paris High School Football is special for many reasons. Some of the characteristics that make us special are that we have overcome adversity, focused on teamwork, and have a great fan and community base.

The story begins several years ago with continuous losing records. For one stretch of three years from 2001-2003 Paris had a record of 1-29. We had one win and 29 losses. That put us at a disadvantage in a variety of ways. We were not able to keep kids on the roster because we were not even competing, not to mention there was little support for the program. Six years ago, that began to change.

With a change of coaches and a little fire lit under the athletes, we slowly began building back the numbers and winning ballgames. We even made it to the playoffs in 2005 and in 2009. That was huge for Paris. During that time period the coaches worked hard to build numbers from barely having enough to play to having 37 players dressed out. Once the players began staying out, the program began to improve.

This year’s team has overcome adversity because every starting lineman as well as the quarterback graduated in 2010. That meant we had a line that was very inexperienced, consisting of mostly sophomores having to step in and fill some very big shoes. So far, these young men have done great. They have done what it takes to work hard and learn their positions. We have begun the season with a 3-1 record losing by one point to Mansfield, who was pre-season ranked 5^th in the state. This team has brought life back to the fans and the community.

In years past, the stands would start out the season packed, but as the season went on, the fans would slowly dwindle. Its no fun seeing a team get blown away week after week. This year is different. There have been 3 home games and each one has been packed. Not only are the stands packed, but the crowd is cheering and yelling for our team. This gives our young men even more fuel to go out and play well. Two weeks ago, we traveled to Heavener, Oklahoma, which was two hours away, our fans packed the stands and there was standing room only. It felt great to have that kind of backing even when the games are far away.

The success on the field has not only rekindled the fire for the Paris community, but also the high school community. The students are participating more than ever, wearing their blue and white, cheering at ballgames and pep rallies and really supporting their team. In the 9 years I have been at Paris, I have never seen fans (both community members and students) so loyal and proud.

I feel the reason we are experiencing some success is because we truly have a team. Our players are working with each other on the field and, although they may not be the best athletes, they are playing with a tremendous amount of pride and heart. They have fought in times where in the past they might’ve given up and put in countless hours in the off season to improve their skill and get stronger. They finally know what it takes to win and are doing everything in their power to stay at the level needed to win. The young men have great attitudes and they are eager to get out on the field and be coached.

As one of their coaches, I have to say it is an honor to be able to coach such fine young men. Many of them are involved in multiple sports at Paris High School, involved in other clubs, and maintain high grade point averages. Many of the student athletes do all this while holding jobs. These men are outstanding young men. I ask that you please consider Paris High School for the “What Makes Our Team Special?” contest. We would consider it an honor to be associated with such an organization as Summit Bank. Thank you for your consideration and the opportunity you are providing for football programs in Arkansas.

Mountain Pine High School Teamwork Challenge Entry

Our team is special because of our fight against the hardships being thrown at our team. We faced numerous difficult obstacles in this short season so far. Before our season truly began there were rumors all over the town that we weren't going to have a football team this year because we had a very low number of players. But we had proven them wrong! We had sixteen players at the beginning of August and ended up with twenty-four. Everyday we gave everything we had to our practice. We pushed ourselves, not letting our small numbers hold us back. When the first game came around we had three of our starters leave with injuries. One was not able to play for two weeks but the other two continued to play despite their injuries. These three continued to practice and be involved in everything they could.

The players and the coaches all have a very unique relationship with each other and are not limited to football activities. Every Thursday after practice the football team will have a bonding time and go out to eat and talk. Outside of football practice, some of the football players and the head coach have a little “war” occurring. This “war” is little harmless pranks being played on each other. All of these things combined make our team special.

Caleb Ellison and Aaron Garcia, Representatives of Mountain Pine Football 2010

Benton Panthers Teamwork Challenge Entry

The Fighting Panthers

A man’s true character is defined through times of adversity. For the Benton Panther football team, the past three years have been filled with adversity. They have been filled with losses and failures, new coaches and doubt, along with the lack of faith among Panther hopeful. The difficulties of the past years have not gone unnoticed by the school district, the community, or the opponents the Panthers play. It has also not gone unnoticed by the team itself. But what makes the Benton Panthers special is that even in the midst of all of the adversity, the Panthers refuse to quit.

Over the past three years, the Panthers have had three head coaches, causing the team to learn a new system of offense every year, ranging all the way from the wishbone to the multiple-spread. This, along with the size of the classes at Benton High School steadily decreasing, has lead to no Salt Bowl victories, no playoff appearances, and a grand total of five wins over that period. To add to this already steep uphill battle, the team has often been plagued with season ending injuries to key players, such as starting quarterback Grant Jones’s torn ACL last season during the Lake Hamilton game, or starting wide receiver/running back Drew McCurry’s broken arm. Last year, a one win season for Benton, the Panthers had to resort to their fourth string quarterback to finish out their games.

Because of the community’s disappointment in the program, attendance at C.W. Lewis, the Panther’s home field, has decreased over these hard years, and some are beginning to question the future of the Benton football Panthers. People are beginning to wonder how a team, so rich with tradition and a great honorable history could be dwindling into a permanent 6A South punching bag. Others often make cracks at the team, all of which are sarcastic remarks referring to the team’s record or an upcoming game against a tough opponent. But what these people don’t know is what it takes to prepare week in and week out before the upcoming battle on Friday night; they don’t know what it takes to put on that Benton Panther game jersey and button up the silver helmet that you’ve worked to hard to earn; they don’t know what it takes to put every ounce of your heart and soul into something that no one believes in; they simply don’t know. The only guys that know what it takes to be a Benton Panther are the same and only group of guys who believe in them: the Benton Panther football team. And that is what makes us special.

Every afternoon the Panthers go to work, regardless of how tired or hot they are, and regardless of the outcome of the last game. They practice at the new turf field at the Benton athletic complex, and it is on that very field where the Panthers prove everyone wrong. The sweat and blood the team sheds on the turf every day is what turns people’s doubt into their belief and the community’s shame into their determination. There is not a video, pictures, or an audio recording that can further make someone understand the fight in these players. Throughout everything that has transpired over the past few years, the Panthers have come out with more heart and intensity than they have ever had. There is not an obstacle big enough, a situation bad enough, or a loss ugly enough to make this team quit. Quitting is simply not an option.

A man’s true character is defined through times of adversity. The Benton Panthers show their character every day on the practice field and every Friday night under the lights. They show everyone that even with a new coach and new offense, even with many injured starters, even with the lack of size and strength they can put on the field, and even with the bitter taste of records from previous years still fresh in their mouths…even through all of that, they will always leave everything they have out in the field…it’s that mentality and it’s that character, that makes the Benton Fighting Panthers the most special team in the state.

Written by Caleb Conrad, Head Manager of Benton Football

Bismarck Lions Teamwork Challenge Entry

This answers the question for the Bismarck Lions of “What makes our Team Special?”

S

is for SPIRIT. Lion Spirit burns at Bismarck High School—always has, always will.

P

is for PRIDE. Bismarck Lions wear Blue better than any other team.

E

is for ENERGY. Our team takes the field every Friday night energized and ready to fight.

C

is for CONFIDENCE. Our team has the confidence that they will play every game to the best of their ability.

I

is for INTEGRITY. Bismarck Lions display good sportsmanship at every turn—on the field and off.

A

is for ATTITUDE. Bismarck Lions have been through some rough seasons. But their attitude is to keep on fighting—for this year’s team and the teams that will follow.

L

is for LOVE. Everyone at BHS loves football. The players, the coaches, the students, and the community.