Big 7 Notebook

BIG 7 NOTEBOOK

Heritage Avoiding Injury Bug

Rogers Heritage was decimated by injuries the past couple of years, but a stronger group of War Eagles have passed a pair of early season physical tests with flying colors.

Heritage is 2-0 with two victories over former 7A-West Conference foes Fort Smith Northside and Fort Smith Southside, which is huge after enduring a 1-9 season a year ago, War Eagles coach Perry Escalante said. But Heritage also got through both weeks with no major injuries.

Junior quarterback Josh Qualls suffered a shoulder injury and sat out the fourth quarter of the season opener against Southside, but he threw for four touchdowns and ran for another in the 43-25 win over Northside last week.

The key difference is Heritage is bigger and stronger overall thanks to good offseason weight work, Escalante said.

“We had a good little football team, but when you’re lined up against a guy who’s 280 and you’re 210 or 195 that’s gonna wear on you. And it did through the season. Another difference is we’re hitting instead of getting hit this year. We’re delivering the blows.

“There’s always room for improvement, but when you play the caliber of teams we’ve played and doing the things we’ve been able to do, it makes you feel real good about what we’re capable of. We’re not where we need to be yet, but we’re going in a good direction.”

— PAUL BOYD

Bentonville-South Panola Game Earns More Attention

Bentonville athletic director Scott Passmore believes that Friday’s football game against South Panola, Miss., is much more than just the typical nonconference showdown.

How much more? Special tickets have been printed and will be sold to those who make their way to Tiger Stadium, and Passmore has fielded a number of phone calls from people in advance for them.

“I think anyone interested in high school athletics would definitely be interested in this particular game,” he said. “We’re bringing in a top program from the state of Mississippi, and you have two premier programs coming together to compete against each other.

“We’re hoping to have a sellout crowd and different media from all regions coming in to watch the game. The weather should be perfect, and it should be an awesome matchup between two outstanding teams.”

Passmore said he expects 6,500 fans in attendance if the weather cooperates. There are 500 tickets reserved for those who make the trip from South Panola, located in Batesville, Miss.

South Panola officials expressed concern to their local newspaper about not receiving the tickets earlier this week. Passmore said that has already been addressed, and those making the long trip shouldn’t worry.

“We had an agreement that we would send them the 500 tickets to make sure they would have a seat,” Passmore said. “The tickets, I still don’t have them yet, so we weren’t able to mail them out.

“I have talked with the administration and assured them I would save their 500 tickets. We’ll hold them back and make sure those they get into the game. We won’t make them sit in the parking lot.”

— HENRY APPLE

Rogers High Expects Shootout

Rogers High coach Shawn Flannigan is expecting an offensive shootout when the Mounties travel to Fort Smith Northside on Friday night.

In the last two meetings between the two schools, Northside has edged the Mounties 28-27 and 31-24, but the Mounties will take a more potent offense to Mayo-Thompson Stadium. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Friday.

Rogers (2-0) has put up 738 yards of offense in its first two games and all but 17 of that total has come on the ground. Quarterback Nick Wary is averaging 135 yards a game on the ground, while fullback Preston Young is averaging 90 a game.

Northside (2-0) quarterback Gray Stanton is averaging more than 300 yards passing a game, and receiver Ernest Gray has 15 catches for 338 yards in two games.

“We’ve told the guys, Northside is going to score, they are going to get points, and they are going to get yards,” Flannigan said. “Our defensive linemen are going to be gassed because they will be passing rushing eight out of 10 plays.

“Northside is very good, and couple of plays here and there and things might be different for them.”

Rogers will be without two key players. Safety Zack Wary and slot back Brandon Workman both suffered ankle injuries last week and both could be sidelined for several games.

Jake Parsons (5-8, 155) will start for Zack Wary, while slot back Stokes Wenzler will get more carries with Workman sidelined.

— PAUL NIELSEN

Har-Ber Glad To Be Back Home

SPRINGDALE — Springdale Har-Ber will try for its first victory Friday against an old foe in a new situation.

Har-Ber (0-2) will host Fort Smith Southside (1-1), which defeated El Dorado 38-21 last week after opening the season with a 20-19 loss to Rogers Heritage. Southside and Fort Smith Northside were longtime members of the 7A-West Conference before moving to the 7A/6A-Central Conference this season.

“We’re excited about opening our home season against a quality opponent like Southside,” Har-Ber coach Chris Wood said. “We’ve had some great games with them and they’re the type team we’ll see in the playoffs.”

Southside had to replace its entire offensive line from last year, when the Rebels finished 8-4. But Southside has a strong backfield with quarterback Isaac Jackson, a former receiver, halfback Quincy Whitfield, and fullback David Price, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season.

Har-Ber hopes to reduce the mistakes that have hurt the Wildcats in their first two games. Har-Ber had six turnovers, including two interceptions, that led to touchdowns in last week’s 27-16 defeat to Columbia (Mo.) Rock Bridge. That performance followed a 42-20 loss to Webb City, Mo., when the Wildcats committed eight penalties for 95 yards.

Har-Ber will play at home Friday for the first time after consecutive trips into Missouri, including last week’s 51/2 hour trip to face Rock Bridge, which is now 3-0 on the season.

“We controlled the first three quarters against Rock Bridge, then things began to snowball on us,” Wood said. “Our kids understand the teams we’re playing and that everything we do is to prepare for conference season.”

— RICK FIRES

Bulldogs Hope To Shake Road Woes

SPRINGDALE — Springdale High has had trouble over the past couple of years when it travels too far from home to play a football game.

Springdale coach Shane Patrick is aware of that as his Bulldogs look to end their nonconference schedule 3-0 with a win at Bixby, Okla., on Friday.

“It’s a big deal going over there because in my tenure as head coach, we haven’t traveled over 100 miles and played very well,” Patrick said. “So we feel like that’s a big deal. It’s a new challenge for us.

“We’re going to go on the road and play a well-coached, well-disciplined team, and we’ve got to play well.”

Patrick pointed to several games over the past two seasons in which Springdale’s players didn’t appear focused after traveling a long distance. The Bulldogs lost 38-16 at North Little Rock in the third week of last season, and they fell 41-17 in a first-round game at West Memphis.

Springdale is off to a hot start this season, winning its first two games over Batesville and Tulsa Central by a combined margin of 76-0. But both games were played at Jarrell Williams Bulldog Stadium, and Friday’s game at Bixby will be the Bulldogs’ first road test of the season.

It’s a 117-mile drive from Springdale to Bixby.

“It’s a mindset of going on the road and having the mindset that you’re going to take care of business,” Patrick said. “It’s one thing to play really well at home. It’s another thing to go on the road.”

—ALEX ABRAMS

Brignoni Back For Bulldogs

Fayetteville has been without all-state safety Alex Brignoni each of the first two games this season. Friday, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound University of Arkansas commit is expected to return when the Bulldogs host Muskogee, Okla.

Brignoni has been bothered by a slight hamstring injury since just before the start of the season. And while he possibly could have played against either Memphis University School or Jefferson City, Mo., the Fayetteville staff decided not to risk it.

Having Brignoni back should be a big lift to a Bulldogs defense which has allowed 91 points so far. Especially in the secondary, where Fayetteville is dealing with plenty of inexperience.

“We had five guys in the secondary going into the game against MUS, two corners and three safeties, who had never played a down of varsity football,” Purple’Dogs coach Daryl Patton said. “So that was a huge blow not having him.

“Then as far as last week we moved Heath McCracken back to safety and he did a good job with some things. But we’re still real young at the safety position. Alex just brings a lot of that experience and athleticism. He’s been there, he’s got 14 career interceptions and you feel like anytime the ball’s thrown into the middle of the field he can come down with it.”

While Brignoni is back, other Bulldogs remain out for Friday’s game. Linebacker Brooks Ellis is sidelined with a dislocated kneecap and is expected to be out for just one game and safety Terrell Tyson (knee) is still out for at least two weeks.

“We hope to have everybody back for the Springdale game,” Patton said.

— VERNON TARVER