Mike McNeill’s Diary for Tuesday, November 10, 2026: Best 1-9 team in Arkansas
In August, 141 readers voted in our annual poll to guess the record of the Magnolia Panthers football team. Almost 57 percent of readers – ourselves among them – agreed that Magnolia would win between five and seven games. “Four or fewer” was the choice of 27.65 percent. “Eight or more” was the pick of 15.6 percent. Guessing that Magnolia would win five games this year was a reasonable estimate since Magnolia has been 5-5 in the past three consecutive seasons. Instead, Magnolia may have been the best 1-9 team in Arkansas. The Panthers were blown out by Nashville, Arkansas High and Hot Springs Lakeside. But they were within 5 points against Mansfield, LA, and lost to El Dorado by 8 points in two non-conference games. Magnolia got its only conference win against De Queen. The killers were the four conference losses against Camden Fairview, Hot Springs, White Hall and Pine Bluff. Magnolia lost these four games by a total of 10 points. Ten lousy points. And two non-conference games by 13 points. Ten points were the difference between a 5-2 conference record and playoff berth. Twenty-three points were the difference between a 7-3 overall record, which would have been the best finish for Magnolia since 2022 (7-4 overall, 4-3 conference). The ball bounced hard against Magnolia this season.
