SPRINGDALE — Fort Smith Southside turned its season around with a victory over Fayetteville in Week 7 of the regular season.
Now, only Fayetteville can prevent Southside from appearing in the state championship game for a fourth time in five years.
The two 7A-West Conference teams will meet again tonight in the semifinals of the Class 7A state playoffs at Jim Rowland Stadium in Fort Smith. The winner advances to play Bentonville or Springdale Har-Ber on Dec. 3 for the state championship at War Memorial Stadium .
Southside has won seven state championships, its last in 2006, and the Rebels lost to Bentonville and Har-Ber in the championship game the past two years. Fayetteville won its only state championship in football in 2007.
Southside was coming off a 31-7 loss to Springdale at home when it faced Fayetteville at Harmon Field on Oct. 15. The Rebels won the game 48-45 when senior quarterback Hunter Whorton directed a 79-yard scoring drive that ended with a 32-yard touchdown pass to Jordan McGee with 25 seconds remaining.
That comeback began a five-game winning streak for the Rebels, who defeated Cabot 28-7 in a quarterfinal game last week at Jim Rowland Stadium.
“We gained a lot of confidence from that Fayetteville game, particularly with theway won,” Southside Coach Jeff Williams said. “That win got us headed back in the right direction after losing to Bentonville and Springdale, and we’ve played well ever since.”
Not much separates Fayetteville (9-3) and Fort Smith Southside (8-3) this season, including the scores by which both teams beat West Memphis. Fayetteville beat West Memphis 34-20 last week, and Southside beat the Blue Devils 35-20 during Week 3 of the regular season.
The Bulldogs began the playoffs with a 23-7 victory over North Little Rock.
“We’re playing a very good Southside team, but it’s the semifinals, we’re one game away, and anything can happen,” Fayetteville Coach Daryl Patton said. “It’s a toss-up type game.”
Fayetteville is led by senior quarterback Brandon Allen, who has passed for 2,853 yards and 34 touchdowns for a Bulldogs offense that averaged 43.1 points a game in conference play. Allen attempted a season-high 40 passes last week against West Memphis and completed 24 for 412 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Allen put Fayetteville ahead 27-20 with a 74-yard touchdown pass to Drew Gorton with 9:12 left in the game.
“Brandon Allen is a difference maker,” Williams said. “He’s been that way all year and most of his career, really. His stats are unbelievable, like something you’d see on Play-Station.”
Fayetteville needs to slow Southside running back Julius Jones, who rushed for 221 yards in the teams’ first meeting, but the Bulldogs can’t overlook Whorton, a threeyear starter who will be playing in his sixth playoff game for the Rebels.
Whorton has rushed for nearly 300 yards and 6 touchdowns in addition to passing for 1,916 yards and 15 touchdowns.
“We have to mix it up and score when we have the opportunity,” said Williams, whose team averaged just fewer than 35 points a game in 7A-West play. “Defensively, we’ve got to get Brandon Allen on the ground when we have a chance and be sure tacklers on their receivers.”CLASS 7A Fayetteville
at FS Southside WHAT Semifinals WHEN 7:30 tonight WHERE Jim Rowland Stadium, Fort Smith RECORDS Fayetteville 9-3; Southside 8-3 SEEDS Fayetteville is No. 4 seed from the 7A-West Conference; Southside is No. 2 seed from the 7A-West.
RANKINGS Fayetteville is ranked No. 6 overall, No. 4 in Class 7A; Southside is ranked No. 5 overall, No. 3 in Class 7A.
Sports, Pages 30 on 11/26/2010