FORT SMITH – It was literally a must-win scenario for the Northside Grizzlies going into the Battle of Rogers Avenue Friday night at Jim Rowland Stadium. Knowing they had to win to stay in contention for the Class 7A playoffs, Northside dominated from the opening kickoff, winning against the arch rival Southside Mavericks 35-13.
The Grizzlies literally won everything including the coin toss, scoring during the opening drive on a fourth down setup with thirteen yards to go. Derrick Wise immediately got to wide receiver Jacob Dilworth for a thirty-four yard run into the endzone. After a successful point after, Northside went up by a score of 7-0 with just over nine minutes to go in the first quarter.
Southside wouldn’t wait to make their mark, taking less than two minutes to march into the red zone. The Mavericks’ Taye Gatewood marched one yard into the endzone, and the subsquent extra point locked both teams up at a 7-7 tie.
The momentum would again go to Northside before the first quarter was complete, as with 2:36 to go, the Grizzlies scored again when Wise connected with senior wide receiver Dearon Robinson for a twenty-five yard touchdown. The Grizzlies continued to pour it on in the second quarter, as junior running back Eli Bolton ran twelve yards into the endzone. The scoring drive would leave Northside with a 21-7 lead that they would carry into the halftime locker room.
Southside would take the only touchdown of the third quarter, pushing an eighty yard drive, and leaving Gatewood with a five yard run into the endzone. The point after narrowed the deficit to eight, leaving the Grizzlies on top 21-13.
As time expired at the end of the third quarter, the Grizzlies held the football at the Southside ten yard line. Derrick Wise would punch a one yard run into the endzone allowing Northside to take a 28-13 lead. Running back Jackson King would put an exclamation point on the Grizzlies’ victory, carrying the ball two yards into the endzone, and the successful point after gave Northside a 35-13 point victory.
Both teams end the season with an identical 3-7 overall record, and a 2-5 conference record. With a twenty-two point win, early projections put Northside as the fifth seed and Southside as the sixth seed in Class 7A-Central division heading into the state playoffs next week.
