PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK: Springdale Har-Ber Prepares For Familiar Playoff Foe

With only 16 teams in Arkansas’ largest classification, rematches have becomecommonplace in 7A.

That’s the result again for Springdale Har-Ber (6-4), which will meet Little Rock Central (4-6) in a firstround playoft game for the third consecut ive ye a r. Har-Ber eliminated the Tigers 21-16last season and 38-0 in 2010.

Central is led by running back Logan Morange and 6-3 receiver A.J. Tucker, who is attracting recruiting attention from Division I schools. The Tigers had a three-game winning streak before losing 42-14 to North Little Rock to end the regular season.

“We’ve got a lot of respect for that program and their tradition,” Har-Ber coach Chris Wood said of Central, which won 32 state championships from 1907-2004. “Like always, they’ve got some real talented kids and they’re physical.”

Har-Ber warmed up for the playoffs with a 31-17 victory over rival Springdale Hight last week the end the regular season. Nick Byrne caught six passes for 103 yards, and junior quarterback Kyle Pianalto threw four touchdowns in the third quarter to overcome a 7-3 halftime deficit for Har-Ber.

The Wildcats won despite losing three fumbles and piling up 115 yards in penalties.

“At this point in the year, especially when you’re in the elimination stage, you’ve got to be fundamentally sound in all facets of the game,” Woodsaid. “However the (officiating) crew calls the game, you’ve got to adjust, that’s the bottom line.” BYE WEEK NEW TO BULLDOGS FAYETTEVILLE - A week without football during the high school playofts is something Fayetteville is not quite used to. It’s also something the Bulldogs are learning to enjoy.

Fayetteville received a fi rst-round bye in the Class 7A playoft s this season after fi nishing runner-up to Bentonville in the 7A/6A-West. The Purple’Dogs had never previously received a bye since the Arkansas Activities Association switched to its current playoft format in 2008.

But Fayetteville coach Daryl Patton isn’t complaining.

“It’s dift erent than anything we’ve had before, and hopefully it will work out for us,” Patton said. “But we like it.”

Patton said he has talked with several coaches who have had first-round byes on how to adjust to a two-week preparation for his team’s fi rst playoft game. The Bulldogs watched film and did not practice Monday, then turned their attention to Conway - a possible second round opponent - on Tuesday.

“It’s no disrespect to Rogers, but we’re preparing for Conway Tuesday through Thursday this week,” Patton said. “The way we look at it, we’ve already played Rogers and had a week to prepare for them. So this way we’llalso get a week to prepare for Conway.”

Fayetteville will face the Rogers-Conway winner at Harmon Stadium on Nov. 16.

  • VERNON TARVER ROGERS HIGH GETTING OVER INJURIES ROGERS - Rogers High might get some much-needed depth at fullback when the Mounties travel to Conway on Friday for a Class 7A fi rst-round playoft game.

Fullback Austin Pinkerton suft ered a knee injury several weeks ago, but the sophomore is practicing this week. He had rushed for 221 yards on 36 carries for a 6.1 yards-per-carry average before being injured. Starting fullback Preston Young has been lost for the season.

If Pinkerton is available, Zach Jones will be free tomove back to his linebacker spot. Regardless, Pinkerton, Jones and Bryan Grigsby will likely carry the football against Conway.

Conway (7-2) is the No. 3 seed from the 7A-Central after going 5-2 in league play. Its Week 2 game againstJonesboro was canceled because of severe weather. Conway’s losses are to Greenwood (49-28) and Fort Smith Southside (35-21), with both setbacks being on the road.

“Austin was a little rusty and didn’t have the same bouncethat he had earlier in the year, but that is to be expected,” Rogers coach Shawn Flannigan said. “Until he takes some contact, we don’t know how healthy he will be. Zach is also going to play a lot of defense.”

Senior quarterback Nick Wary will start at quarterback, and he has rushed for 254 yards in the last two games after missing almost all of the previous three games with an ankle injury. Backup quarterback Max Harrell is lost for the season after suftering an elbow injury last week, and slot back Ty Galyean will be the backup.

“This is the healthiest we have been since the end of the Bentonville game,” Flannigan said.

Rogers (6-4) is back in the playofts for the first time since 2006.

  • PAUL NIELSEN

HERITAGE PREPARES FOR LONG TRIP

Rogers Heritage coach Perry Escalante originally planned to travel to West Memphis for Friday’s Class 7A playoft game in just one day.

But after talking to other coaches who have done it, he’s changed his mind.

Instead, the War Eagles (7-3) will leave late this afternoon and spend the night in Little Rock. The trip will be around 330 miles, which means a six- or seven-hour bus ride.

“I talked to other coaches who have made that trip the last four or five years, and they said the only way to do it is go down on Thursday,” Escalante said. “That will get your optimum performance from your kids. They said it’s not good to go down and play in one day.”

The War Eagles will have a walk-through practice Friday morning in Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium before traveling on to West Memphis for the 7 p.m. game.

Heritage, the No. 5 seed from the 7A/6A-West, will take on the Blue Devils, who have an identical 7-3 record and are the No. 4 seed from the 7A/6A-West.

West Memphis will predominantly be a running team in the Wing T, Escalante said.

“It’s pretty much power football like Bentonville or Har-Ber runs,” Escalante said. “They get in there footto-foot, get a hat on a hat and let their backs run.”

The Blue Devils have rushed for more than 2,100 yards this season, with senior Kendell Allen and junior Jarvis Cooper leading the way. Allen has a team-high 924 yards on 133 carries, while fullback Cooper has 896 yards and 16 touchdowns.

  • PAUL BOYD

Sports, Pages 9 on 11/08/2012

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