Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Fort Smith Northside has opportunity for signature win
So, you want recognition? Then do something extraordinary. Do something unexpected or at least something you haven’t done in a while.
Van Buren earned instant credibility Tuesday by beating rival Alma 48-33 in the coaching debut for Casey Dick. Fort Smith Northside has an opportunity for a signature win as well when the Grizzlies host Greenwood tonight.
The day Matt Jones took a punt on a bounce for Northside and loped through the Greenwood defense for an easy score is long gone. Greenwood has emerged as a premier program in Arkansas while Northside has won more than seven games only once since 2009.
Greenwood has won five of the past six meetings against Northside, but tonight’s game will be played at Mayo-Thompson Stadium, where the Grizzlies pounded Rogers Heritage 69-0 last week.
Northside is expected to be much-improved from last season when the Grizzlies went 4-8 after losing 34-7 at Greenwood in the season-opener. Quarterback Derrick Wise and tackle Stevie Young are standout players for Northside, which received little resistance from Heritage.
That’ll change from the outset against Greenwood, which has won eight state championships.
Peyton Holt replaces Connor Noland, the former all-state quarterback who is pressing for playing time as a freshman this season at Arkansas. Like Noland, Holt is a football-baseball standout who starred at receiver last year.
Even a close loss would be a sign of progress for Northside, which also faces Van Buren before opening 7A-Central play Sept. 21 at Bryant. But Northside would have to play near perfectly tonight to pull the upset and perfect doesn’t happen too often so early in the season.
RICK’S PICK Greenwood
Other games involving teams from Northwest Arkansas (selections are capitalized).
CLASS 7A
BENTONVILLE at Conway
Fort Smith Southside at BENTONVILLE WEST
OWASSO, OKLA. at Fayetteville
LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL at Rogers Heritage
Rogers High at JOE T. ROBINSON
SPRINGDALE HIGH at Little Rock Parkview
CLASS 6A
Siloam Springs at PRYOR, OKLA.
Mountain Home at HARRISON
CLASS 5A
Farmington at PRAIRIE GROVE CLARKSVILLE at Paris Gentry at HUNTSVILLE
CLASS 4A
PEA RIDGE at Maumelle ELKINS at Greenland BERRYVILLE at West Fork
Booneville at OZARK Waldron at MANSFIELD Yellville-Summit at GREEN FOREST
Westville, Okla. at LINCOLN
Subiaco Academy at LAVACA
CLASS 3A
Cedarville at MOUNTAINBURG
Lamar at DANVILLE Dardanelle at CHARLESTON
CLASS 2A
HACKETT at Pocola, Okla.
MOUNT IDA at Magazine
EIGHT-MAN
HERMITAGE at Decatur LAST WEEK 11-2 (84 percent)