There was much to absorb when I picked up the newspaper Saturday morning and began reading the sports pages.
Springdale Har-Ber and Greenwood both captured conference championships and finished the regular-season unbeaten. Bentonville defeated Fayetteville in a showdown of Class 7A heavyweights, and Fort Smith Southside rallied past Fort Smith Northside in the latest Battle of Rogers Avenue. But the story and pictures that jumped off the front page was from a game that decided the sixth and final playoff spot in the 7A-West.
I couldn't even get to the preview stories on Arkansas vs. Ole Miss and LSU vs. Alabama because I was transfixed by a glorious lead photo of high school football players celebrating.
Normally, I would be railing against a playoff system that allows a team with a 2-8 record to advance to the postseason. But not on this day and not against this team.
Springdale High will play again after beating Rogers High 25-22 in a thrilling game at Jarrell Williams Bulldog Stadium. Hunter Necessary went over a defender to catch a touchdown pass with 53 seconds left and the Bulldogs then withstood a missed field goal to advance to the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
The words of Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette staff writer Jimmy Carter and photos from Ben Goff captured the reaction of players and coaches who rushed onto the field to celebrate. Look at those faces. Look at those smiles. It does a heart good. (If you missed any of it, read the story and see a photo gallery from the game at nwadg.com).
What a great momentum for a once-mighty Springdale program that hit rock bottom last year when it finished 0-10. The contrast from the glory days was still obvious last month when the 2005 Springdale team that went 14-0 under Gus Malzahn was honored before a small crowd at Bulldog Stadium. The 2015 Bulldogs played tough that night, but still lost 34-17 to Northside to fall to 1-7 on the season.
A lot of teams would've packed it in, but this team with the red jerseys and the Super S on its helmet did not.
"I can't believe they're so resilient," Springdale coach Zak Clark said of the Bulldogs, who beat Rogers Heritage earlier this season to snap a 16-game losing streak. "We don't always play smart or well. We don't always coach smart. But dadgummit, these guys just play hard."
Much of the credit, of course, goes to Clark, a former Fayetteville and Arkansas quarterback who's known plenty of success. His hiring a year ago was widely applauded and he's shown this season he is the man to lead Springdale back to respectability and perhaps beyond.
Now, it's on to the playoffs for the Bulldogs, who must know that everyone outside of Springdale, and maybe some inside the city, are expecting them to make a quick exit. But that's OK with this team, which will receive a rematch with Har-Ber if it get can past Conway (5-5) in a road game on Friday.
College football committee chairman Jeff Long went on TV last week to explain the initial college rankings that'll determine who'll play for the national championship. But rankings don't matter in high school sports and computers can't measure the heart of a player like Necessary, who made the catch of the year for Springdale in the back corner of the end zone.
"It's just the greatest feeling you'll ever feel," Necessary said. "Any man dreams of catching the ball to put you ahead with 30 seconds left. It was amazing."
So, bring on the playoffs, where Conway expects to meet Har-Ber in a second-round game. But don't get too comfortable, Wampus Cats, because the Springdale Bulldogs are back in business.
Sports on 11/08/2015