Bulldogs embrace challenge
Springdale has won three consecutive games in the 7A-West Conference, but that streak will be put to the test tonight when the Bulldogs play host to top-ranked Bentonville at Jarrell Williams Bulldog Stadium.
The Tigers (8-0, 5-0 7AWest) took over the No. 1 spot overall in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette rankings last week following its 69-41 victory over Fort Smith Northside and Springdale Har-Ber’s 38-31 loss to Fort Smith Southside.
Bentonville scored on 10 consecutive possessions last week while rolling past Northside. The Tigers are averaging 51 points per game and are giving up only 22.6 per game in 7A-West play.
Slowing the Tigers is a challenge the Bulldogs (5-3, 3-2) welcome after jumping back into playoff contention with consecutive victories over Southside, Fort Smith Northside and Rogers Heritage.
“Bentonville is No. 1 for a reason, but our kids are excited about the opportunity,” said Springdale Coach Shane Patrick, whose team is averaging 30.4 points and allowing an average of 32 points per game in 7A-West play. “We need to get off to a good start, but the bigger picture is, can we sustain it?
We need to play very well from start to finish.”
Springdale will attempt to counter Bentonville with a balanced attack led by seniorquarterback Joseph Calcagni and junior running back Rahmon Taylor.
Taylor is second in the league with 963 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns on 187 attempts, and Calcagni has thrown for 1,455 yards and 10 touchdowns while working with a receiving corps that was mostly inexperienced at the beginning of the year.
Junior Henry Hernandez leads the Bulldogs with 42 catches for 640 yards and 6 touchdowns.
“As a group, we feel good about our receivers.” SPRINGDALE HAR-BER
Bracing for Allen
Springdale Har-Ber (7-1, 4-1) didn’t waste any time this week moping over last week’s 38-31 loss at Fort Smith Southside that knocked the Wildcats from No. 1 to No. 2 in the overall rankings.
The Wildcats couldn’t afford to, not with Fayetteville and Bentonville left on their schedule. Fayetteville (6-2,3-2), ranked No. 7 overall, gets Har-Ber at home tonight following a 42-14 victory last week at Rogers.
“We’ve done a good job of moving past the Southside game and focusing on Fayetteville,” Har-Ber Coach Chris Wood said. “Fayetteville is really, really good, and our kids know that.”
Har-Ber will try to slow Fayetteville’s explosive offense, which is averaging 43.2 points per game. The Bulldogs have scored fewer than 41 points only once this season, when they lost 38-34 in overtime to Bentonville in their 7A-West Conference opener.
Fayetteville is led by senior quarterback Brandon Allen, who has committed to Arkansas. Allen has passed for 1,730 yards and 23 touchdowns this season and hasn’t thrown an interception in 189 attempts.
“Brandon has really grown up since his sophomore year and put that team on his back,” Wood said. “The game has slowed down for him, and he makes no bad decisions.”
FORT SMITH SOUTHSIDE
Keeping guard up
If Fort Smith Southside is worried about a letdown tonight, all the Rebels need to be reminded of is last year’s game against Rogers Heritage.
Southside (5-3, 3-2 7AWest) is coming off a 38-31 victory over then-No. 1 Springdale Har-Ber, and the Rebels meet rival Fort Smith Northside next week to wrap up regular-season play. So it would be easy to take tonight’s game against the War Eagles (4-4, 2-3) for granted.
That isn’t likely to happen, though, not after Heritage surprised Southside last season with a 9-7 victory in Fort Smith.
“It was a mud bowl, and Heritage just executed better than we did,” Southside Coach Jeff Williams said. “They’ve had some injuries this year, but they’re still a good team.
They’re playing at home, and we expect it’ll be a dogfight like it is every week in the 7AWest.”
Southside is led by senior quarterback Hunter Whorton and junior running back Julius Jones, who leads the league with 975 yards rushing.
Heritage is led by senior quarterback Reed Brown, who is third in the league with 1,996 yards passing and 16 touchdowns.
Heritage has lost three consecutive games, but the War Eagles fought Springdale to the end last week before losing 24-21 on a 31-yard field goal by Christian Garcia with no time remaining.
“Heritage has a quarterback who is a three-year starter, and they’ve got some talented players around him,” Williams said. “Heritage could make some noise in the playoffs, like they did last year, and that’s what they’re trying to get back to.
Sports, Pages 20 on 10/29/2010