FORT SMITH -- For several weeks, Fort Smith Northside lived on a stingy defense, a powerful running game and big plays.
[HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD: Full results + recaps, photos and more]
Bentonville countered the Grizzlies in all those phases to advance to the Class 7A semifinals.
The Tigers scored the final 24 points and their defense limited the Grizzlies to 213 total yards in a 31-10 victory Friday night at Mayo-Thompson Stadium.
Bentonville (10-2) will meet Fayetteville in the Class 7A semifinals. The Tigers lost at home to Fayetteville in last year's semifinals.
"We've played Fayetteville twice a year for the last several years, so why not do it again this year?" Bentonville Coach Jody Grant said.
Grant had nothing but praise for his defense, which allowed 191 rushing yards and limited quarterback Tre Norwood to 23 yards on 10 carries.
"Our defense played well because we tackled well," Grant said. "They are so dangerous on offense, especially with Norwood at quarterback. We had to do everything we could to control that."
Bentonville gained only 290 yards, but the Tigers ran 70 plays to 42 plays for the Grizzlies (7-3), limiting the chances for Northside's big-play offense.
"Northside is a great football team. We knew it would be a challenge because of their speed," Grant said.
Bentonville also showed patience on offense, which paid off with a 49-yard touchdown pass off play action from Canaan Ross to Kam'ron Mays-Hunt on the first play of the fourth quarter to increase the Tigers lead to 24-10.
Mays-Hunt, who was covered by Norwood for most of the game, was not covered by Norwood on the play.
"I saw it was man coverage, and he had inside leverage and I ran right past him," Mays-Hunt said. "I also saw [Norwood] was not on me. Canaan threw a good ball, and I just ran under it. That was the dagger."
Bentonville added a final touchdown on a Ross 1-yard sneak with 6:06 left after the Grizzlies failed on a fourth down inside their 30.
Northside led 10-7 with 8:18 left in the first half on a Cheuy Parga 26-yard field goal.
From that point on, Bentonville was in control. Two plays in the second quarter exemplified that.
Facing a third and 5 at the Tigers' 42, Ross escaped three Northside defenders, converting a sure sack into a first down. Ross later would hit Clay Bargainer for 37 yards to the Grizzlies' 2, and the quarterback would score two plays later for a 14-10 Tigers lead.
After Northside unsuccessfully tried to fake a punt at its 20 on fourth and 10, Ross was intercepted by Norwood, who raced 85 yards for an apparent touchdown, but a roughing the passer penalty nullified the score. Hayden Moehring's 19-yard field goal gave Bentonville a 17-10 halftime lead.
"In the playoffs, you must take advantage of the situations like we had at the end of the first half," Grant said. "Getting those points just before half was a huge momentum shift for us."
Sports on 11/19/2016