FORT SMITH -- Fort Smith Northside used its special teams and a strong defensive effort in the second half to whip Greenwood 42-17 on Friday night at Mayo-Thompson Stadium.
The Grizzlies, off to its first 3-0 start since 2006, scored the final 35 points to rally from a 17-7 second-quarter deficit.
"This is all well and good and we're glad to be 3-0, but we know next week starts the real deal," Northside Coach Mike Falleur said. The Grizzlies open 7A-West play at Fayetteville next week.
Northside, which had last beat Greenwood in 2001, returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and its defense forced two fourth-quarter turnovers that turned into touchdowns to blow the game open.
Northside's defense limited Greenwood (2-1), which had won 38 consecutive regular season games, to just 89 total yards in the second half (45 passing, 44 rushing).
"We had guys that were sick and two other hurt so they didn't practice much this week and it showed in the first half because we were sloppy," Falleur said. "[Greenwood] hit us with some big plays in the first half. We settled down and got after it in the second half. They did a great job."
Northside trailed 17-14 at halftime, but Koindre Thomas' 99-yard kickoff return to start the second half gave the Grizzlies the lead they would never relinquish. Trailing 17-7 late in the first half, Keyshawn Dorsey returned a Greenwood kick 97 yards to get Northside back into the game.
"They kicked it to us twice, and we found a hole and hit it," Falleur said.
After Bulldogs place-kicker Kevin Jones hit the upright on a 39-yard field goal attempt, the Grizzlies marched 80 yards in 13 plays, capped by a Justin Curry 1-yard touchdown run, to open up a 28-17 lead with 1:47 left in the third quarter. Curry finished with 105 yards on 23 carries.
The defense then slammed the door shut for Northside in the fourth quarter. An interception by Kaden Woodard led to another Curry touchdown followed by a 73-yard fumble return for a score by Deontre Hardwick to set the final score.
Greenwood, thanks to the steady first-half play of quarterback Reid Wheeler, built a 17-14 halftime lead over Northside.
Wheeler was 14-of-19 passing for 144 yards in the first half for the Bulldogs, including a 19-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Collins for a 17-7 lead with 3:58 left in the half. When the Northside defense stiffened in the second half, Wheeler was just 8-of-14 for 35 yards and an interception.
"They have a lot of fast guys and they do a really good job," Greenwood Coach Rick Jones said. "I give those guys a lot of credit. [Northside] had a great game plan and they stuck with it."
The Grizzlies, though, answered, when Dorsey returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown to cut the margin 17-14.
Greenwood scored on its initial possession on 14-yard run by Jordan Green with 9:42 left in the first quarter.
Northside would answer on its first possession, marching 80 yards in 12 plays, capped by Kiondre Thomas' 10-yard sweep midway in the first quarter to tie it at 7-7.
Kevin Jones would later kick a 27-yard field goal to give Greenwood a 10-7 lead late in the first quarter.
Sports on 09/20/2014