Prairie Grove last team standing in 4A-1
The match-up between the district’s two undefeated teams ended up a one-sided affair, at least on the scoreboard. Prairie Grove dispatched their western neighbor Lincoln 40-17, although the game was probably more evenly played than the score indicated. Any time a team turns the ball over five times (Lincoln did) you can expect to be beaten in a lopsided manner. The Wolves lost points they should have had and gave the Tigers some points they wouldn’t have had. End result — Prairie Grove just keeps winning, not having lost a conference game since 2011.
This week
Berryville hosts Prairie Grove. The Bobcats have improved under new management but not nearly enough to make a game of it against the Tigers. Prairie Grove is 10-2 against Berryville since 2000.
Farmington goes to Gravette in a game I think the Lions will take. Gravette has a 7-3 advantage in the last 10 games, and the Cards have looked vulnerable all year. I think the home team wins this battle.
Pea Ridge will be meeting and hosting Ozark for the last time as the Hillbillies will take their act back down south where they will be in their more natural setting. Ozark has won two of the three contests, but lost the game to the ’Hawks the year they took second in the state championship. After a slow start against Gentry, the ’Hawks came roaring back to score 22 points in a very short period of time. If they can maintain that mindset to the beginning of this game and thereafter, the home boys will win this one.
Game of the week
Gentry goes to Lincoln in a battle of 2-1 teams. Both teams are on the ascendancy with a lot to prove. The winner has the inside track to the No. 2 seed in the state playoffs from our district. Gentry has a whale of a player in Jared Cousins but no real stars beyond him, while Lincoln has several playmakers. I think the Wolves will make it a point to stop Cousins which would in effect stop the Pioneers. Lincoln at home will win.
Polls getting weird
Polls have always been an inexact thing, especial- ly with high school teams. So many variable go into every football contest. Injured players, distractions, attitudes, officiating and myriad other things affect how things turn out from week to game, game to game.
The Hooten’s and MaxPreps polls are usually somewhat similar, although they have been rather disparate lately. In the MaxPreps poll, Farmington is ranked ahead of Prairie Grove even though the Tigers destroyed them recently. The Hooten’s poll has it the most correct, in my opinion, although I like the MaxPreps model based on how they come to their conclusions, at least how I thought they did.
MaxPreps uses history, record, margin of victory, strength of schedule and a few other things which are fed into a computer which produces a poll. Hooten’s has a set of voters who, I believe, often have some prejudice that affects how they rate teams. For example, they will never underrate a certain private school from Springdale.
But, when all is said and done, it is what happens on the field which produces the most important poll — final results. Last year’s senior class at Ozark ended their regular season far below where they hoped they would be. They went far into the playoffs in their sophomore year, won the conference their junior but fell to third place in district their senior year. However, they righted their ship and wound up with the second place state trophy in the 2012 playoffs. I am sure their memories of 2012 were golden in spite of the earlier setbacks.
This season at Pea Ridge is not going as well as last year, but it is going as well as could be expected. Putting the most inexperienced team on the field in the league after a heavy senior graduation has left the ’Hawks in a bit of hole. As inexperienced teams get more experience, they get better. When the experience comes back for another season, things get better.