Remember the Southside Rebels? Bentonville certainly does

There are two primary facts we know about our friends at Fort Smith Southside.

Southside won’t be in the 7A-West Conference next season, and its sports teams won’t be called the Rebels. By now, everyone should know the arrival of Bentonville West next fall will bump Fort Smith Northside and Southside back into the 7A/6A-Central Conference.

It’s also common knowledge the school board at Fort Smith stirred up some controversy during summer by voting to drop the school’s “Dixie” fight song this year, and the Rebel mascot beginning with the 20-2017 school year.

What’s uncertain is how well the Rebels will fare in their final season in the 7A-West. That question will begin to be answered tonight when Southside (2-1) opens league play at Bentonville (30), the two-time defending state champions in Class 7A.

Bentonville has won 12 consecutive games since losing 10-7 at Southside in last year’s conference opener. The only change for Bentonville is at head coach, where Jody Grant has picked up where former coach Barry Lunney left off.

Bentonville has been most impressive in nonconference play with wins over Kansas City (Mo.) Rockhurst, Valor Christian, Colo., and Tallahassee (Fla.) Rickards. Quarterback Kasey Ford has lived up to his billing as the cover boy for this newspaper’s preseason publication by leading the Tigers to three wins. Ford should be extra motivated for Southside, which used an interception return for a touchdown to beat the Tigers last year.

Southside is always capable with good players and head coach Jeff Williams leading the charge. In 2009, Southside beat Bentonville twice and eliminated the Tigers from the playoffs with a 27-24 victory on their home turf.

Not saying that’ll happen again, but the start of conference play often brings out the best in all the contenders. Bentonville knows it will have to play awfully well to extend its winning streak.

RICK’S PICK Bentonville Other games involving teams from Northwest Arkansas (selections are capitalized).

CLASS 7A/6A

FAYETTEVILLE at Fort Smith Northside

Rogers at SPRINGDALE HAR-BER

SPRINGDALE at Rogers Heritage

SILOAM SPRINGS at Conway

CLASS 5A

Farmington at LITTLE ROCK CHRISTIAN

CLASS 4A

SHILOH CHRISTIAN at Berryville Gentry at PEA RIDGE Lincoln at GRAVETTE PRAIRIE GROVE at Huntsville

CLASS 3A

GREENLAND at Cedarville

ELKINS at Yellville-Summit

GREEN FOREST at Marshall

WEST FORK at Mountain View

CLASS 2A

HACKETT at Decatur Johnson County Westside at MOUNTAINBURG

LAST WEEK 16-3 ( 84 percent)

OVERALL 38-15 (72 percent) Rick Fires can be reached at rfires@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWARick.