It’s same old story for Rebels, Tigers

Bentonville running back Tearris Wallace (29) has rushed for 4,453 yards for the top-ranked Tigers, who have won 35 consecutive regular-season games.
Bentonville running back Tearris Wallace (29) has rushed for 4,453 yards for the top-ranked Tigers, who have won 35 consecutive regular-season games.

— Reclassification may have separated Bentonville and Fort Smith Southside, but post season has brought the Class 7A powers back together.

Bentonville (11-0) hosts Southside (8-3) in a semifinal playoff game tonight at Tiger Stadium, their seventh meeting since 2008.

The schools were longtime conference opponents before Southside was moved from what is now known as the 7A/6A-West to the 7A/6ACentral for the 2012-2014 classification cycle.

Bentonville beat Southside in the regular season and in the state final in 2008 before the Rebels won regular-season and playoff meetings the following season.

The schools managed to avoid each other in the compacted 7A playoff format - 12 of the 16 schools advance - in 2010 and 2011 and will face each other again just once this fall.

“Not having already played them, I just like that,” Bentonville Coach Barry Lunney said. “We talked about playing nonconference and I just really didn’t want to, from the standpoint that we would just see each other in the playoffs some time. As much of that as we can avoid, for me, I think it’s better.”

Bentonville, No. 1 overall, is riding one of the greatest waves of success in Arkansas high school football history. The Tigers are 57-4 since 2008, 36-1 the past three seasons, have won 35 consecutive regular-season games, 26 consecutive conference games and 20 consecutive home games.

Bentonville’s last loss in Tiger Stadium was to Southside (27-24) in a 2009 quarterfinal playoff game.

Bentonville captured the 2010 state championship and was state runner-up last season.

“It’s a great program,” Southside Coach Jeff Williams said.

Southside has elite status as well.

Williams led the Rebels to the Class 7A title in 2006 - the school’s seventh title since 1983 - following up championships won under Lunney in 1991, 1992, 1997 and 2002.

Lunney said he’s not surprised that he’ll have to beat Southside again for a chance to win his seventh state championship.

“It’s one of the top programs in the state,” said Lunney, who was 136-60-1 from 1989-2004 at Southside. “Jeff and those guys do a really great job.”

Following a first-round playoff bye, Bentonville advanced with a 42-0 victory over West Memphis last week.

Southside edged Springdale Har-Ber 24-22 in the quarterfinals behind junior quarterback Isaac Jackson, who threw three touchdown passes.

“You start there,” Lunney said of Jackson. “He’s always a threat to run and throw.”

Bentonville opened 7A/6A-West play with a 28-7 victory over Har-Ber on Sept. 21.

Bentonville is allowing only 184.7 total yards per game overall, and its starting defense has yielded just 49 points.

Senior linebacker Garrett Kaufman, who has orally committed to Arkansas State, has a team-high 106 tackles, including 78 unassisted. Senior tailback Tearris Wallace has 4,453 career rushing yards.

“I believe this is the best defense they’ve had,” Williams said. “Wallace is a load to stop, and Kaufman is probably their best player overall. Just a great team.”

Fort Smith Southside vs. Bentonville WHAT Class 7A semifinals WHEN 7 p.m. today WHERE Tiger Stadium, Bentonville RECORDS FS Southside 8-3; Bentonville 11-0 RANKINGS FS Southside is No. 4 in Class 7A and No. 6 overall; Bentonville is No. 1 in Class 7A and No. 1 overall SEEDS FS Southside is No. 2 from the 7A-Central;

Bentonville is No. 1 from the 7 A-West

Class 7A Super Six 1. Bentonville (11-0) vs. FS Southside 2. North Little Rock (10-1) vs. Fayetteville 3. Fayetteville (8-3) at North Little Rock 4. FS Southside (8-3) at Bentonville 5. Springdale Har-Ber (7-5) Season completed 6. Conway (8-3) Season completed

Sports, Pages 25 on 11/23/2012

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