Fields, Grizzlies make right moves
FORT SMITH — Seth Fields has only played defense this season, his senior year, for the Fort Smith Northside Grizzlies, but he’s already learned to love one aspect as a linebacker.
“The blitz call,” Fields said. “The hairs go up on my neck. I’m like it’s coming now.”
Fields and his defensive teammates have logged shutouts in each of the last two weeks in a 35-0 win over Little Rock Central and 42-0 over Little Rock Catholic. It’s the first time in five years for the Grizzles (5-1, 2-1 7A-Central Conference) to record consecutive shutouts since blanking Bryant and Central in 2016.
“We’re definitely pleased with the outcomes,” defensive coordinator Felix Curry said. “We’re still doing some little things wrong that we can fix, but we’ll take a goose egg anytime we can get it.”
Fields has been a running back most of his career but made the switch to linebacker, and he’s been a natural for the physical requirements of the position.
“Playing football is football, and the best part of football is going to hit people,” Fields said. “I’m still learning. It’s getting easier. I just need to keep learning and getting the fundamentals down. It’s starting to come together as the year comes along.”
Each of the last two weeks, the defense and offense has been clicking for Northside.
Last week, with Northside backed up to its own 2, quarterback
Walker Catsavis dropped back and threw a long pass to T’kavion King who finished off a 98-yard touchdown for the longest play from scrimmage in Grizzly football history.
“It was a go route for him,” Catsavis said. “The line did great protecting it. I thought we were going to check it to a run play, and then he called that.”
Catsavis noticed the cornerback playing up close to King.
“I saw he was just four yards off Tay, and I knew he was going to burn him,” Catsavis said. “I was excited. My eyes lit up for sure.”
King also had a good idea that the play would work and knew it was clear sailing after making the catch.
“I had to make sure the matchup was good, but I was thinking to myself that I’ve won this route already,” King said. “I thought I had some distance on him.”
Offensive coordinator Greg Kendrick made the play call and liked the matchup.
“It’s one of those things that I believe in; we’re going to take shots,” Kendrick said. “We’re going to go heavy and try to get a first down, and we’re also going to take shots. We practiced it in that situation. That was one of the shots that we thought we had.”
Northside Coach Mike Falleur, of course, wasn’t so sure about the play call.
“I asked him what the heck he thought he was doing,” Falleur said. “About that time, they threw it and I said ‘that’s a great call.’ Sure, I questioned it, but they were daring us to throw the football.”
With the lethal 1-2 punch of running backs Ty Massey and Sundquist Church, the Grizzlies have been a runfirst team, causing opposing defenses to gear up to stop the run.
“I was really surprised,” Catsavis said. “We’re a pretty run heavy team. They were stacking the box to stop Ty and Sundquist. We had a oneon-one matchup, and Tay’s one of the fastest kids in the state. I just throw it up and let him run under it.”
Catsavis also threw a 23yard touchdown pass to King, and touchdown passes of 68 and 39 yards to track star Damari Smith on Friday. That may make defenses think twice about loading up against the run so much.
“That’s good that we’re able to do that,” Falleur said. “Maybe it will make some other teams think twice before they put everybody in the box. We’ve known we can throw the football. We have a lot of confidence running it. We just need that same confidence throwing it.”
Against Conway (5-1, 3-0), ranked No. 2 in the state, the Grizzlies will likely have to be able to run and pass the ball as well as be stingy on defense like they have been the last two weeks.
“Even with those goose eggs we know if we play the way we have the last couple of games especially against the run that we won’t get that kind of an outcome,” Curry said. “We have to get better.”
It’s that balance that has made Conway so good offensively with sophomore quarterback Donovyn Omolo having a phenomenal season with running back Boogie Carr operating behind an offensive line comprised of all seniors.
Conway has averaged 239 passing yards per game and 225 rushing yards per game.
“Balance,” Curry said. “They throw the ball well. They run the ball well. The quarterback is extremely talented. Their running back is extremely talented. The offensive line is explosive. The receivers are fast. They’re a total team.”