MY POINT EXACTLY : Northside brings 7A-West’s top offense to FHS
Posted on Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Fayetteville and Fort Smith Northside are two teams headed in opposite directions. Northside has won four consecutive games and Fayetteville has lost three straight. The two teams collide Friday night.
Northside is exactly where this scribe predicted they would be: Battling for the top spot in the West. Fayetteville, however, is miles away from capitalizing on its potential.
The Purple Dogs have injuries and turnovers to blame as well as inconsistency in a number of areas gauged as strong in the preseason. Fayetteville is dead last in the 7 A-West in turnovers with 16 and turnover ratio at minus-10. Ten of those turnovers have come from interceptions and four of those picks were off tipped passes that should have been caught.
Add a rash of Injuries to an already short-handed defensive unit that have reaped havoc on the Purple Dogs' ability to stop the run and you have a formula for disaster. Cornerback Alex Miller (separated shoulder ) and defensive tackle Daniel Pelton (broken left arm ) are both likely done for the season. Add the latest round of physical hardship and Fayetteville is absolutely decimated.
Offensive / defensive tackle Colby Berna is questionable after a nagging shoulder issue flared up in last Friday's loss at Springdale High. Berna missed the last three minutes of the game and could miss Friday's tilt at home against Northside. The same shoulder affliction caused Berna to miss all of spring drills.
Linebacker / running back Cody Hammer is doubtful for the Northside contest after suffering an ankle injury against Springdale. Patton said he wasn't certain if Hammer suffered a sprain or a fracture, but said he likely won't be available Friday.
So now Fayetteville is minus its best linebacker, most experienced cornerback, heaviest regular at defensive tackle and possibly its best overall lineman.
Fayetteville will have no choice but to modify its defensive structure to atone for the trauma of losing some of its best stock.
The best news for Fayetteville's run defense is that Northside averages just 120. 2 yards per game on the ground, sufficient for just sixth in the conference. The bad news is that the Grizzlies are the West's top overall offense and passing offense, averaging 311 yards per game through the air and 431. 2 yards of total offense. Fayetteville's pass defense has been solid but mostly because teams have opted to focus on its weakness, which is stopping the run. Fayetteville is allowing 223. 8 yards rushing per game.
Fayetteville ranks fourth in the 7 A-West in total offense with 379 total yards per game. Fayetteville's only chance to win is in shootout fashion. Northside's defense summoned a stellar effort last week in a 21-7 win over Springdale Har-Ber but the Grizzlies pass defense is the worst in the conference, a fact that definitely favors Fayetteville. Northside is allowing an astounding 265. 4 yards passing per game, which is actually more than the Purple Dogs pass for per game.
The Grizzlies, though, lead the conference in run defense, surrendering just 78. 8 yards per game.
Fayetteville has experienced trouble against Northside even before Patton era. Last year's debacle saw Fayetteville blow a 24-9 lead with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Grizzlies exploded for 29 unanswered points with help from turnovers to log a 38-24 win in both squads' conference opener last season at Harmon Field.
While at Fayetteville, Patton is 2-3 against Northside. But the Purple Dogs haven't beaten the Grizzlies at Harmon Field in two meetings in 2004 and last season.
Fayetteville returns home for the first time since Week 1. But this scribe doesn't think playing at home will give the downtrodden Purple Dogs the boost they need to complete an aboutface on a disastrous path. Prediction: Northside 41, Fayetteville 27.
Heath Allen is a sportswriter for the Northwest Arkansas Times.
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