Har-Ber, Southside Develop Rivalry During Short History

STAFF PHOTO JASON IVESTER -- Fort Smith Southside junior quarterback Issac Jackson scampers into the end zone for a touchdown past the tackle attempt from senior defensive back Utah Julius during the first half on Friday, Aug. 31, 2012, at David Gates Stadium in Rogers.
STAFF PHOTO JASON IVESTER -- Fort Smith Southside junior quarterback Issac Jackson scampers into the end zone for a touchdown past the tackle attempt from senior defensive back Utah Julius during the first half on Friday, Aug. 31, 2012, at David Gates Stadium in Rogers.

— Springdale Har-Ber and Fort Smith Southside have played some exciting games during their short history, including in 2008 when the teams met for the second time.

The rematch came in the semifinals of the Class 7A state playoffs when Southside won 8-7 to advance to the state championship game. Har-Ber was clinging to a 7-0 lead before Southside quarterback Trent Welbern threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Chase Dixon with 29 seconds remaining.

FRIDAY’S TICKET

Class 7A State Football Quarterfinals

Springdale Har-Ber at Fort Smith Southside

KICKOFF: 7 p.m.

WHERE: Jim Rowland Stadium, Fort Smith

RECORDS: Har-Ber 7-4. Southside 7-3.

HOOTEN’S RANKINGS: Har-Ber is No. 4 in Class 7A. Southside is No. 5.

HOOTEN’S LINE: Har-Ber by 1.

Southside then gambled with a two-point play and took the lead when Dixon caught a short pass from Welbern and stretched across the goal line to put Southside ahead 8-7.

Har-Ber had one more series, and the Wildcats reached the Southside 3-yard line with a long pass before the game ended. Southside also won the first game that year, 27-22.

“I just felt like, hey, let’s win it or lose it right here,” Southside coach Jeff Williams said following his decision to go for two points. “I’ve been in situations where games go to three or four overtimes and the kids are spent.

“Our kids were tired, but I had confidence they could execute the play.”

Williams and Har-Ber coach Chris Wood will be on the sidelines again leading their respective teams on Friday in a second-round playoff game at Jim Rowland Stadium in Fort Smith. Southside (7-3) received a first-round bye last week, while Har-Ber (7-4) began postseason play with a 42-7 victory over Little Rock Central.

Southside finished second in the 7A/6A-Central this season after being reassigned to the league with Fort Smith Northside and Greenwood. But the Rebels wanted to keep some ties to its former home in the 7A-West and scheduled non-conference games with Rogers Heritage and Har-Ber.

Southside lost both games, falling 20-19 in the season-opener to Rogers Heritage and losing 10-7 to Har-Ber in Week 3. Har-Ber broke a scoreless tie with Southside in the third quarter on a field goal by Ben O’Brien.

Tucker Lee put the Wildcats ahead 10-0 on a 17-yard run to counter a fourth-quarter touchdown by the Rebels, who will face Har-Ber for the eighth time in five years.

“(Har-Ber) is a big, physical team, and they do a good job of tackling,” Williams said.” The first time we played, we made some mistakes that cost us. We can’t do that against them.”

Both teams overcame slow starts to reach the playoffs. That’s become the norm for Southside, which won the state championship over Rogers High in 2006 after finishing fourth in the league.

Southside’s only league loss in the 7A/6A-Central this season was 45-21 to undefeated Greenwood. Southside won 35-21 over sixth-ranked Conway, which eliminated Rogers last week, and 38-21 over defending 6A champion El Dorado in a non-conference game.

The Rebels are led by junior Isaac Jackson, a dual threat at quarterback who started at wide receiver last season. He has rushed for 725 yards and passed for 1,107 yards with 13 touchdowns and only four interceptions.

The rematch will feature top running backs in David Price, who’s rushed for 782 yards, and Lee and top tight ends in Jon Hunton and Nick Byrne. Byrne recently committed to Louisiana-Lafayette, while Hunton has offers from Tulsa, Southern Methodist, Columbia and Harvard in the Ivy League.

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