Har-Ber follows line to Class 7A final
SPRINGDALE HAR-BER 37, FORT SMITH SOUTHSIDE 7
SPRINGDALE — Springdale Har-Ber put the workload on its offensive line on a miserable night, and it delivered.
Quarterback Fuller Chandler ran for three touchdowns and Luke Hannon had a 47-yard run for a score as Har-Ber defeated Fort Smith Southside 37-7 in a Class 7A semifinal game Friday at Wildcat Stadium.
Har-Ber won its 11th consecutive game and advanced to the Class 7A state championship game, where it will play Fayetteville next Saturday at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
It will be the third championship game appearance for Har-Ber (11-1), which won it all in 2009 and finished runner-up in 2007. Har-Ber defeated Fayetteville 47-43 in conference play earlier this season at Wildcat Stadium.
“Any time you get to go to War Memorial, it’s pretty special,” Har-Ber Coach Chris Wood said. “I’m happy for our kids, our parents and our program.”
Har-Ber rolled again Friday after squeaking by Conway 2017 last week at home. Chandler scored on runs of 9, 19, and 5 yards, and Hannon finished with 194 yards on 30 carries. Both players benefited from huge holes provided by the Wildcats’ line.
“I was real pleased with our offensive line,” Wood said. “We challenged them from last week, and hats off to them for creating some good lanes for us.”
Friday’s victory was similar to the teams’ regular-season meeting at Wildcat Stadium, when Har-Ber beat Southside 38-0. Har-Ber was dominant in the trenches that night as well as it grabbed a 21-0 lead in the first quarter.
“[Har-Ber] dominated us up front, and this time of year you’ve got to be real physical,” Southside Coach Jeff Williams said. “They’ve been good all year.”
Southside scored on the last play of the first half to cut Har-Ber’s lead to 28-7. The Rebels surprised HarBer with a tackle-eligible play when Hunter Moreton took a 2-yard pass from Cooper Johnson and scored easily.
Southside had a chance to continue its momentum after recovering an onside kick to begin the second half, but the Rebels squandered the opportunity with a fumble that HarBer’s Tali Nasilai recovered.
Har-Ber used its ground game and an 83-yard fumble return by Noah Hayward to score 28 consecutive points. Southside was driving after touchdown runs by Chandler and Hannon put the Wildcats ahead 14-0. The score then became 21-0 when Hayward scooped up a fumble by Cooper Johnson and ran 83 yards for the touchdown.
“Southside was driving, and that was a big return for a touchdown,” Wood said. “It kept that cushion on us, which was huge.”
Har-Ber’s offense went back to work, and Chandler scored on a 19-yard keeper up the middle after his 17-yard touchdown run was called back because of a holding call.
Chandler added one more touchdown run after a 26-yard field goal by Jesus Zizumbo.