Hometown Ranked Leopards ready to make an impact in statement performance on the road against Nashville

MALVERN — The No. 4 ranked hometown Malvern Leopards are headed down south to The Hill in Howard County to face off against rival Nashville Scrappers for a tough 7-4A Conference match-up to highlight Week 9 of Arkansas High School football competition.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in Nashville.

The Leopards remain undefeated in conference play at 3-0 as a league and state title contender for 2022.

Malvern football head coach JD Plumlee mentioned how the Leopards are excited about Friday’s match-up and being a part of another huge showdown for anticipated 7-4A bout against the Scrappers.

Nashville has always been a fun and competitive environment to battle. As a historic football program in the Natural State, Plumlee knows it’s important to come ready for battle and execute productively.

The Leopards dominated the Scrappers last year at home and ended a losing skid of seasons to Nashville. The Scrappers are a much improved squad and Plumlee has emphasized to the Leopards that it’s important to take care of business in order to stay in position to clinch a league championship going into Week 10—facing arch-rival and No. 1 ranked Arkadelphia.

“Our kids are excited,” Plumlee said. “Malvern is a fun place to be in right now and we’re going to Nashville and get locked in—and compete in a good game.”

Plumlee mentioned that a lot can be decided during their match-up against Nashville. The Leopards have already clinched their spot for the postseason and a win Friday will guarantee either a number one or two seed spot in the playoffs.

“Nashville has gotten better every week and they’re a team with tradition—our guys know what’s ahead of them and I’ve talked to them about the pressure and playing one of the best teams in the conference,” Plumlee said.

The Leopards are on a mission and the goal right now is to capture the conference championship.

Plumlee stated that he has expressed every scenario to the Leopards of what could happen, win or lose this Friday. He said, “Everything matters now.”

The Leopards have had a great week of practice in their preparation for this Week 9 match-up. As a big playoff contender, the Leopards are making a lot of noise in the state and their performance is catching the attention of everyone as a top five ranked team in the powerhouse Class 4A.

Plumlee believes rivalry match-ups such as Ashdown and Glen Rose have really helped prepare the Leopards for a strong run to close out the regular season on a positive note. They’ve battled the majority of the season on the road and Friday, the hometown performers aim to shine bright on the gridiron in Scrapper Country.

“Our mindset is to get after it—settle down and compete,” Plumlee said.