Bentonville High seeks first win in Battle on the Border

Ah, Shreveport. Home of the Gentlemen and Ladies, sports teams for Centenary College. It’s also the city in northwest Louisiana that brought us the Poulan Weed Eater Independence Bowl, which became the Duck Commander Independence Bowl, then the Camping World Independence Bowl before turning to Walk-On’s Bistreaux and Bar as its primary sponsor. Less than 29,000 fans watched in 2016 when North Carolina State beat Vanderbilt 41-17 in another matchup between 6-6 teams.

Mediocre, for sure. But there’s nothing mediocre about the Battle on the Border ongoing at Independence Stadium, where top high school teams from Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama and Texas face off. North Little Rock plays Shreveport Evangel tonight before Bentonville High and Aledo, Texas, take the field at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Aledo is a formidable opponent that is 59-4 under coach Steve Wood, including 15-1 last season. Sophomore Gary Earle had eight catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns last week when Aledo opened its season with a 400 win over Guyer of Denton, Texas.

Bentonville could easily be 2-0 instead of 0-2 after blowing a 21-3 lead and losing 24-21 at Conway last week. That loss came on the heels of a 28-25 defeat in overtime to Midwest City, Okla., to open the season.

The Tigers are certainly a threat against a Texas team even as a good as Aledo. But they’ll have to play well from start to finish, and they’ve yet to show that capability.

RICK’S PICK Aledo, Texas

Other games involving teams from Northwest Arkansas (selections are capitalized).

CLASS 7A

Alma at SPRINGDALE HIGH

BRYANT at Bentonville West

FORT SMITH NORTHSIDE at Van Buren

GREENWOOD at Fort Smith Southside

Rogers at LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL

SPRINGDALE HAR-BER at Russellville

CLASS 6A

HARRISON at Siloam Springs

CLASS 5A

Gravette at FARMINGTON Clarksville at OZARK Huntsville at BERRYVILLE

CLASS 4A

SHILOH CHRISTIAN at Trumann

Dardanelle at PRAIRIE GROVE

Green Forest at COMMERCE, OKLA.

Lincoln at KEYS, OKLA.

SUBIACO ACADEMY at Lamar

Paris at WALDRON ELKINS at West Fork Pottsville at BOONEVILLE

CLASS 3A

Greenland at MOUNTAINBURG

MANSFIELD at Lavaca

CLASS 2A

Lavaca at TWO RIVERS LAMAR at Johnson County Westside

EIGHT-MAN

Decatur at AUGUSTA LAST WEEK 16-9 (64 percent)

OVERALL 25-11 (69 percent)