COMMENTARY Pecking order to clear after tonight’s games in 7A-West

Bentonville High and Bentonville West are involved in huge games in the 7A-West tonight when the pecking order for the state playoffs will begin to clear considerably.

Bentonville High travels to Fayetteville while Bentonville West stays home to face Springdale Har-Ber. Bentonville is the threetime defending conference champions while West has finished second to the Tigers the last two years.

Fayetteville and Bentonville has had some battles, including last season when senior quarterback Darius Bowers returned from an injury to face the Tigers. Bowers was outstanding, but Harrison Campbell caught four passes for 85 yards, including a 56-yard catch-andrun touchdown with 47 seconds left to give Bentonville a 24-20 victory.

Fayetteville is only 3-3 overall this season, but Bowers’ replacement, Hank Gibbs, has found the consistency at quarterback he lacked earlier in the season. The 6-foot-6 senior struck quickly against Van Buren when he threw six touchdown passes, all in the first half, during a 46-6 rout over a decent team. Sophomore Isaiah Sategna displayed his potential with five catches for 115 yards and two touchdowns against the Pointers.

Fayetteville will have to play its best game of the year to hang with Bentonville (6-0, 3-0), which is ranked second behind Bryant in Class 7A. Bentonville can make good teams like really bad, like three weeks ago when the Tigers forced five turnovers in a 35-21 win at Springdale Har-Ber.

Bentonville intercepted three passes, recovered two fumbles, blocked a punt and forced an intentional grounding call in the end zone for a safety. The Tigers’ continued their standout play on special teams when placekicker Logan Turner made four consecutive field goals.

Bentonville is the most complete team I’ve seen in the 7A-West, and I don’t think that assessment will change tonight.

RICK’S PICK Bentonville

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

CLASS 7A

Springdale Har-Ber at BENTONVILLE WEST

VAN BUREN at Rogers Heritage

Rogers at SPRINGDALE Fort Smith Southside at BRYANT

CONWAY at Fort Smith Northside

CLASS 6A

GREENWOOD at Russellville

LAKE HAMILTON at Siloam Springs

CLASS 5A

ALMA at Clarksville Vilonia at FARMINGTON

Greenbrier at HARRISON

Huntsville at MORRILTON

CLASS 4A

SHILOH CHRISTIAN at Gentry

Berryville at GRAVETTE Green Forest at LINCOLN

Prairie Grove at PEA RIDGE

Dover at DARDANELLE Mena at ELKINS Pottsville at OZARK WALDRON at Subiaco Academy

CLASS 3A

Lamar at GREENLAND BOONEVILLE at Mansfield CHARLESTON at Paris CEDARVILLE at West Fork

CLASS 2A

Hackett at HECTOR Lavaca at MAGAZINE STRONG at Johnson County Westside

LAST WEEK 22-3 (88 percent)

OVERALL 130-33 (80 percent)