FS Southside cruises past Greenwood
BOYS
FORT SMITH SOUTHSIDE 64, GREENWOOD 52
FORT SMITH — After being on the road in its initial six games of the season, Fort Smith Southside saved its best game so far for its home opener Tuesday at the Barn.
Southside, guided by Cooper Watson and Alex Roper, built a big lead early then rolled to a 64-52 victory against Greenwood in a matchup of Sebastian County schools.
“All wins are nice right now,” Southside Coach Stewart Adams said. “Greenwood is an athletic group that knows how to win at everything they do. It’s always good to beat those guys. I feel like we hit on all cylinders on offense. We had guys step up and hit shots. This is the best we have played all year. It’s nice to get some momentum with three games left before we start conference.”
Watson, who transferred to Southside after winning a state title last season at County Line, was a big factor in the win for Southside (2-5), using his inside game with his 6-6 height. He finished with a game-high 23 points to go with 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 assists and a block.
“I think as a team we move the ball really well,” Watson said. “The transition here has been so smooth. It’s a family here. It’s nice seeing some things work out because we’ve had some growing pains. But it’s starting to click and we are coming together. It was nice to have the fans and the energy. I think that was an easy 10 points for us in the game having them.”
Adams said he loved Watson’s aggression after shooting 12 of the team’s 14 free throws in the game.
“He played an outstanding game inside,” Adams said of Watson. “He drew a lot of fouls and had plenty of threepoint plays. He was tough on the block and is a great passer. What a night for him.”
Roper played a key role, too. He finished with 20 points with 3 rebounds, 3 steals and an assist for Southside. He provided early scoring, finishing with a team-high 11 points in the first quarter.
“He is a little firecracker,” Adams said with a smile. “When he gets hot from the three-point line, he is tough to guard. He is a good player that is so quick and explosive while just being 5-9. He does a little bit of everything.”
George Herrell came off the bench and provided 10 points for the Mavericks. He had a team-high eight points in the third quarter.
“He is a shooter,” Adams said. “If he gets an open look and gets his feet set, it’s going up. His sophomore year he provided a big spark for us early in his career. He is a senior now, so it’s good to see him playing good basketball.”
Southside jumped out to a 21-11 lead after the first quarter. Greenwood used a 9-0 run in the second quarter to make it just a 27-20 lead for Southside. But the Mavericks allowed just three points after that to build a 38-23 edge at halftime.
Greenwood (2-3) played its first game of the season with its five football players coming off a Class 6A state championship. The Bulldogs’ top four scorers were all football players in Brenden Chick (15 points), Peyton Presson (14 points off the bench), Landon Nelms (8 points) and LJ Robins (8 points).
“We had some really good moments,” Greenwood firstyear Coach B.J. Ross said. “It was nice to have the football guys. They made an impact right away. We are ready to take this game and get back to work and get better. I saw some great things to build on. We are going to be all right after shaking the rust off.”