Fayetteville Coach Daryl Patton was relieved after his Bulldogs held on to beat Bryant 30-24 last Friday.
It wasn’t just because the Bulldogs had advanced to the Class 7A semifinals. It proved that Fayetteville can win a close game.
Class 7A semifinals
FAYETTEVILLE AT BENTONVILLE
WHEN 7 p.m.
WHERE Tiger Stadium, Bentonville
RECORDS Fayetteville 10-2, Bentonville 10-1
COACHES Fayetteville: Daryl Patton; Bentonville: Jody Grant
KEY PLAYERS Bentonville: QB Kasey Ford, Sr., 6-5, 272; WR Clay Barganier, Jr., 5-8, 162; RB Jacob Clark, Jr., 5-10, 180. Fayetteville: QB Taylor Powell, Jr., 6-2, 200; RB Luke Rapert, Sr., 5-9, 170; WR Tyson Morris, Sr., 6-3, 190.
Of the Bulldogs’ 10 victories this season, nine have resulted in the Arkansas Activities Association’s 35-point sportsmanship rule being used.
That wasn’t the case last Friday when it took Nick Scalise coming up with interception in the closing minute to seal the victory over Bryant.
“It was good to get that monkey off our back,” Patton said. “The confidence factor in our kids this week was huge. If it’s a close game, we feel like we can win. If it’s a shootout, we can win it.
“They understand that it’s playoff time and anything can happen.”
Fayetteville (10-2) faces a familiar foe in the Class 7A semifinals.
Three weeks after the two teams met at Harmon Field in Fayetteville, the Bulldogs will play Bentonville (10-1) tonight at Tiger Stadium. Fort Smith Southside (8-4) and Springdale Har-Ber (10-1) square off in the other semifinal in Springdale, ensuring that the Class 7A state champion will come from the 7A-West for the 11th consecutive season.
“The 7A-West is a very tough conference,” Patton said. “The top part of the 7A-West, they’re used to being here. It does not surprise me that all four teams are here.”
Bentonville, which beat Fayetteville 37-26 on Nov. 6 at Fayetteville, is the two-time defending Class 7A champion and is trying to reach War Memorial Stadium for the sixth consecutive season.
“When Fayetteville and Bentonville play, it’s a phenomenal football game,” Bentonville Coach Jody Grant said. “The last time we played them, that’s over with. It’s a whole new deal.”
Senior defensive lineman Tim Fernandez helped close out each of the Tigers’ past two victories. Fernandez returned an interception for a touchdown to clinch Bentonville’s victory against Fayetteville, and his fourth-down sack of North Little Rock quarterback Corvasea Cooney last Friday preserved the Tigers’ 28-21 victory against North Little Rock.
“He’s given it his all every snap,” Grant said. “He’s made a lot of great plays.”
Fayetteville has recovered after its loss the Bentonville in the regular-season finale, beating West Memphis and Bryant in the playoffs.
“We get a chance to be in the final four,” said Patton, whose Bulldogs lost to Bentonville in last season’s state title game. “Here we go. We’re one step away from Little Rock.”
Grant, who is in his first year as Tigers’ coach, wants nothing more than to see his team get back to War Memorial Stadium to play for a third consecutive state championship.
“I think about our senior class, who would be able to compete for three state championships,” Grant said. “You won’t find many teams that can do that. It’s a goal of theirs. We want to make that happen for them.”