MY POINT EXACTLY : FHS falls to bottom of league pack
Posted on Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Fayetteville has dropped from first to worst in the 7A-West. The Purple Dog share the cellar with conference rookie Rogers Heritage. Both boast identical 0-2 league marks and for the first time in the Daryl Patton era, Fayetteville is under .500 at 2-3 overall.
It's been a strange trip for Fayetteville from the pedestal to the basement, especially following a stellar start, after beating two of the most tradition-rich programs in the region in Little Rock Central and Jefferson, City, Mo., in the first two weeks of the season. Since that point, Fayetteville has fallen off the map, mostly south.
The first two weeks of the 7A-West slate have cleared up much confusion about which clubs may have a chair when the post-season music stops. If the tunes came to an abrupt halt today, Heritage and Fayetteville would be left standing, even under the new Arkansas Activities Association rule that qualifies 12 of the 16 teams in Class 7A for the state playoffs.
Fayetteville has reached the playoffs in all five of head coach Daryl Patton's seasons at the school. But with the way Fayetteville's defense and offensive line are performing, that streak is in serious jeopardy.
Patton gauged earlier this season that two conference wins would likely punch a playoff ticket under the new, more inclusive postseason format. The Purple Dogs had better muster their mettle if they plan to log those two victories. Despite playing four of its final five games at Harmon Field, the upcoming slate does not bode well for Fayetteville's playoff plans.
As My Point Exactly accurately picked in the preseason, Fort Smith Northside is tied atop the West standings. Fort Smith Southside was ranked No. 1 by Hooten's Arkansas Football and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette before dropping a snug, 14-7 decision to My Point Exactly's top-ranked squad, Bentonville, last Friday.
Unfortunately for Fayetteville, its subsequent two tilts are against Northside this Friday and Southside in Week 7. A road trip follows in Week 8 at Rogers High before Fayetteville finishes a two-game home stand against Springdale Har-Ber and Heritage.
Future victories look to be scarce for the Purple Dogs judging by the current caliber of their upcoming competition. A postseason berth may again come down to the last day of the regular season for Fayetteville, which can ill afford to lose in Week 10 to the league debutante.
My Point Exactly predicted Fayetteville would rise above the 7A-West crop and finish first with Northside in second, Bentonville in third and Har-Ber in fourth. Well, as the old adage goes," three out of four ain't bad."
While many pundits saw Southside rising this season, this scribe still isn't buying the hype. Unbeaten Bentonville, however, is better than advertised. The Tiger defense is tops in the conference, allowing an average of just 9.2 points per game.
While Fayetteville has already taken its lumps from Bentonville, it has yet to ply its defensive trade against the current top two offenses in the conference and the state. The Grizzly offense is the second most apt scoring unit in Class 7A at 37.4 points per contest.
Rogers is scoring a 7A-best 40.2 points per game. Fayetteville must also face Southside. While the Rebs offense isn't stunning at 23.4 points per game, their defense is yielding just 12.2 points per game, sufficient for second in the West.
Not one of Fayetteville's remaining opponents possess a losing overall record. The combined mark of the Purple Dogs next two opponents is 8-2. While the conference race is still very much in its infancy, every game is now a must win for Fayetteville. The conference isn't top-heavy this season. It's strong from top to bottom. It may be too early to use the ugly term rebuilding but if the Purple Dogs wish to make it six consecutive playoff appearances under Patton, an urgent swing in momentum is the only thing that can save a drowning season.
Heath Allen is a sportswriter for the Northwest Arkansas Times.
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