Long trip worth it for Greenwood

Is there a tougher conference this year than the 6A-West?

Surely not, considering Lake Hamilton, Benton, Little Rock Parkview, and Greenwood are ranked 1-4 in Class 6A and Lake Hamilton and Benton are each ranked in the Overall Top 10 poll.

Greenwood and Benton are separated by about 140 miles, so they’re not natural rivals. But the two bring the heat when they’re matched together, like tonight when Greenwood (5-2, 3-1) makes the long trip to Benton (6-1, 4-0) for a pivotal game in the 6A-West.

Do not be fooled by the teams’ combined three losses. Benton opened the season against Bryant, the three-time defending state champion in Class 7A, while Greenwood’s two defeats have come against Parkview and Class 7A Fort Smith Northside.

Greenwood holds a 6-1 series edge over Benton and defeated the Panthers 48-28 last year while winning the Class 6A state championship with a 14-0 record. Benton outscored Greenwood 45-38 at home in 2019 when Benton finished as the state-runners up in Class 6A. Benton beat Mountain Home 52-23 and Greenwood topped Russellville 35-7 to set up tonight’s showdown.

Many teams are battered and bruised this time of year and Greenwood is no different after losing running back Jake Glover and defensive back Storm Scherrey to injuries last week. But the Bulldogs did get back junior quarterback Hunter Houston, who passed for 309 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Russellville.

Benton has been on a roll since getting spanked 42-3 by Bryant way back in August. Senior receiver Cameron Harris has Division I scholarships offers in both football and basketball and, at 6-foot4, he’s a tough matchup for any defenders in the secondary. He’s caught 35 passes for 756 yards from quarterback Stran Smith, who’s thrown for over 1,800 yards on the season. The Panthers also have an elite player in senior tailback Casey Johnson, who scored three touchdowns last week in the win at Mountain Home.

Benton is tough at home and Greenwood will spend a lot of time on the bus before finally taking the field. But Greenwood has a history of overcoming any obstacles and the Bulldogs will likely do so again tonight at Benton.

RICK’S PICK Greenwood

OTHER GAMES

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