High School football in the natural state just kicked off yesterday for the majority of the teams in the state, however the junior high programs in Northwest Arkansas will begin their seasons on September 2nd. The team we are highlighting today is a new junior high out of Centerton, AR that just opened their doors in 2020. Grimsley Junior High, nicknamed the Grizzlies, houses 7th and 8th graders that feed into Bentonville West High School and their football program is head coached by coach Dalton Pearson. Coach Pearson and the Grizzlies found a huge amount of success in their very first season going undefeated with their eighth grade group, while winning the 2020 Northwest Arkansas Athletic Conference Championship. However, for Coach Pearson and his staff, winning football games is not at the top of their agenda or goal sheet heading into any season. “The championship was great, but I loved getting to see us overcome so many obstacles and adversities when we had so many reasons to not achieve success and so many opportunities to find an excuse. There are a lot of good young men and women in the making here at Grimsley. I feel like we really hit home with teaching the importance of having a strong work ethic, good morals, success in the classroom, and buying into a long term athletic development model with Bentonville West.” - Coach Pearson The Grimsley Grizzlies also feature the parents and families of their student athletes as much as possible. This summer, the Grizzlies had a “Mom’s 101,” where the mothers of each player arrive at Grimsley for their own practice session, which ends with a scrimmage between the mothers and their sons. The Bentonville School District is always well regarded and building a strong program is almost impossible without the support of your school, community, families, and parents. “We’ve gotten to participate in things like Moms 101 and incorporate our character development program and I really believe that those things put a heart and soul into our players and our program. Last year was a great experience for us as a program, especially being in our initial season. I don’t know of many situations where a school/team was as successful in their first year as we were at Grimsley. I think our athletic department as a whole did an unbelievable job with the situation we were in, building programs from the ground up in a year where a worldwide pandemic affected everything anyone did. Our athletes, parents, coaches, teachers, and administrators really came together and formed an environment that helped everyone have the chance to be successful and feel loved in the hardest year ever. I think that is a testament to the grit and mettle of our Grizzlies from everyone in our organization.” - Coach Pearson Going into this year, the Grimsley Grizzlies kick off their season September 9th, against Washington Junior High (Bentonville) at Bentonville West High School. After a great first year, and after a number of summer practices and 7on7s at BWHS, the Grizzlies are excited about their chances going into this 2021 season. “This year’s 8th grade team is a great group. I always tell people I love them because they’re a group that loves to work hard. They expect to work hard and want to get better, more than what you see in most groups their age. We have 7th grade practice in the morning and I hear how the 8th graders have player-led drills in the courtyard before school from the other teachers, and they set that up all on their own. It’s a blessing to be able to coach and invest in them. They’re a group that makes coming to work a great experience and makes the alarm clock easy to get up for. I’m really looking forward to seeing their hard work from the training season and this preseason being showcased." - Coach Pearson Grimsley Grizzlies 2021 Schedule 09/09 WASHINGTON - Home 09/16 KIRKSEY - Away 09/23 LINCOLN - Home 09/30 ELMWOOD - Away 10/07 WOODLAND - Home 10/14 RAMAY - Home 10/21 LINGLE - Away 10/28 OAKDALE - Home 11/04 CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK