Northside peaks in time
FORT SMITH — All season long, Fort Smith Northside Coach Mike Falleur has been looking for a complete game from his team.
The Grizzlies obliged when they needed it most.
Northside clinched a Class 7A playoff berth Friday by dominating city rival Fort Smith Southside 35-13 at Rowland Stadium.
“It was time,” Falleur said. The Grizzlies (3-7, 2-5 7A-Central) earned the 7A-Central’s fifth seed with the victory. The Mavericks (3-7, 2-5), which clinched a playoff berth last week, are the sixth seed.
“We played a great football game tonight on both sides of the ball,” Falleur said. “We had no turnovers, and we got after it on defense. It was just a good football game for the first time in a long time.”
Northside, which leads the series 29-25-2, won for the second consecutive year against Southside.
The Mavericks never got their offense going.
“We knew we would have to keep [the receivers] in front of us because they have been [making big plays] all year long,” Falleur said.
The key possession was midway through the third quarter. Northside was leading 21-13 and had just punted the ball to Southside at midfield. The Grizzlies defense stuffed the Mavs offense, allowing just 5 yards in three plays.
The Mavericks punted to the Grizzlies 14, then the Northside offense marched 86 yards in 11 plays, capped by Derrick Wise’s 1-yard keeper for a 28-13 lead with 11:12 left.
“We got the punt right there, but we didn’t convert,” Southside Coach Jeff Williams said. “We had opportunities, but you got to give Northside credit. They played really well, and we did not play very well.”
On the next play from scrimmage, Southside quarterback Taye Gatewood was intercepted by Locke Stubblefield at the Grizzlies 47. Running back Jackson King put the game out of reach with a 2-yard run with 7:55 left.
Wise was solid at quarterback, rushing for 101 yards on 24 carries and going 9-of9 passing for 100 yards and 2 first-half touchdowns.
The Grizzlies built a 21-7 halftime lead thanks to a ball-control offense that limited the Mavericks to just four first-half possessions. Wise threw first-quarter touchdown passes to Jordan Dilworth (34 yards) and Dearon Robinson (25 yards).