Have you ever said to someone "you can't get there from here" after they've stopped and asked for directions?
That's a smart-aleck answer, but it was usually good for a laugh or two.
There's nothing funny about the long distances teams have to travel in the playoffs when they didn't finish high enough in the standings to host. In Class 4A alone, first-round games and the travel miles between the schools include Prairie Grove at Hamburg (300 miles), Elkins at Warren (270 miles), Gravette at Pocahontas (270 miles), Gentry at Central Arkansas Christian (214 miles) and Mena at Gosnell (324 miles).
That's five teams from Northwest Arkansas who'll fill up the big yellow buses with gas a few times today and return home sometime Saturday morning. Two teams in our area that don't have to worry about travel are Shiloh Christian and Pea Ridge. Shiloh Christian likely won't need a peak performance to beat Heber Springs (4-6). But any kind of letdown could cost Pea Ridge (6-4) against Lonoke (6-4), which defeated Riverview 26-14 last Thursday.
That's an extra day to prepare and an extra day to heal for the Jackrabbits against Pea Ridge, which lost 28-26 in a slugfest last week to Shiloh Christian.
"Both teams were throwing big, slugging punches," Shiloh Christian coach Jeff Conaway said shortly after the game. "We would throw one, and they would counter."
Lonoke's only loss in its last four games was in double overtime to Central Arkansas Christian. The Jackrabbits have an emerging star in sophomore quarterback Spencer Pepper, who's thrown for nearly 1,000 yards with 12 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Pea Ridge will counter at quarterback with senior Tate Busey, who has compiled over 1,800 yards running and throwing the football.
Pea Ridge entered the playoffs last year with an eight-game winning streak, only to lose 8-0 in overtime to Helena in a first-round game. That's a disappointing ending to a successful season, and the Blackhawks won't allow it to happen again tonight.
RICK'S PICK Pea Ridge
Other games involving teams from Northwest Arkansas (selections are capitalized).
CLASS 7A
Van Buren at LITTLE ROCK CATHOLIC
Little Rock Central at SPRINGDALE HAR-BER
CABOT at Fayetteville
Rogers at CONWAY
CLASS 6A
Siloam Springs at MARION
CLASS 5A
Batesville at HARRISON
ALMA at Forrest City
CLASS 4A
MENA at Gosnell
Heber Springs at SHILOH CHRISTIAN
Gravette at POCAHONTAS
Prairie Grove at HAMBURG
Gentry at CENTRAL ARKANSAS CHRISTIAN
Malvern at OZARK
Elkins at WARREN
CLASS 3A
Charleston at PRESCOTT
Mountain View at GREENLAND
Lake Village at LAMAR
Mansfield at CAMDEN FAIRVEW
CLASS 2A
MOUNTAINBURG at Murfreeseboro
Dierks at HACKETT
Mineral Springs at MAGAZINE
Lavaca at FORDYCE
LAST WEEK 22-2 (91 percent)
OVERALL 224-44 (84 percent)
Preps Sports on 11/15/2019