FAYETTEVILLE — A meeting between a pair of 2-5 league foes may not send shockwaves through the Northwest Arkansas Conference this week, but there will be plenty at stake when Fayetteville’s two junior high schools square off at Harmon Field today.
The 2010 edition of Rivalry Night will pit Ramay and Woodland against each other as near equals. In addition to sharing a home field, they have equal conference records, with all 10 combined losses coming to the same five teams.
The Cowboys score 7.5 points per game, allowing 13.9, while the Indians average 8.9 and yield 17.3.
Both teams play a winless conference opponent in Week 10, so the only thing separating Woodland’s and Ramay’s seasons could easily be the final tally on the scoreboard today.
They split the eighth- and ninth-grade games last season, and the only way they could be more even would be if Fayetteville’s bedlam battles ended in ties in 2010.
“It’s been back and forth the last several years,” Cowboys coach Bobby Crockett said. “This is one of those weeks where the kids do get up. You don’t have to do much motivating. They’re playing against their buddies, and the good thing about it is that after the game these kids will go to Fayetteville High School and play three more years together.”
The Indians (2-5, 2-7) are mired in a three-game losing streak, but it might still include some of the best football they’ve played this season. Ramay lost 7-0 to Springdale Central after an Indians touchdown was erased by an illegal formation penalty, and then played undefeated Rogers Heritage as close as anyone this season, a 17-7 road loss.
Woodland (3-5, 2-5) does boast a nonconference win that Ramay doesn’t have, and the Cowboys have picked up steam since making a quarterback change two weeks ago that has resulted in almost half of their season point total (27) scored in the last two games.
Both Fayetteville programs have struggled in the win column this season, but of the 10 combined losses, the margin of defeat was 10 points or less in half of the games, and four of those were decided by a single score.
“A lot of kids and a lot of parents judge your progress your team makes by wins and losses. But our kids have progressed a lot, they’ve learned a lot of football, and they’re becoming more football-aware,” Crockett said. “They’ve gotten a lot better. Wins and losses aren’t always what you judge progress by.”
The freshman game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. today. Ramay will host Siloam Springs in the final week of the season, while Woodland travels to Springdale George for its season finale.