Alma, Ozark, Paris should survive playoff week

story by Aric Mitchell
amitchell@thecitywire.com

We began this week deciding to make predictions for the upcoming Week 1 of the football post-season. What we found while going through the match-ups was a little disgusting.

Of the 28 teams participating in the 14 games we’ve picked below, there are nine teams at or below .500. Losing records or mediocre 5-5 efforts in nearly every game. If you can’t accomplish a winning record in the regular season, you don’t belong here. Period. Unfortunately, this applies to a few Fort Smith area teams: Union Christian, Mansfield, Clarksville, Van Buren, and Fort Smith Northside.

While you are benefactors of a flawed, severely screwed up playoff system, don’t get too used to the post-season standing. We don’t see any of you making a run at the title.

However, the River Valley has some great teams, and we’re pretty certain at least two of our schools will be bringing back state championships. Read on for our predictions.

2A Playoffs
Hackett Hornets (7-3) vs. Bearden Bears (8-1)

Hackett played their best game in Week 2 of the regular season, suffering an overtime loss to the Danville Little Johns. They didn’t recover very well, dropping big games to Mountainburg and Magazine throughout the remainder of the year. Friday night, they will do battle with Bearden on the Bears’ home turf, and while we expect them to play with more of the Week 2 fire than their Week 3 incompetence (suffering a 56-0 loss at the hands of Magazine), we’re not too keen on their chances against Bearden. The Bears’ only loss came at the hands of 2A Favorites Junction City 13-12.

Final Score: Bearden 40, Hackett 28

Other games of interest (*denotes predicted winner):
Strong Bulldogs (5-3-1) vs. Mountainburg Dragons (8-2)*
Hampton Bulldogs (3-5) vs. Magazine Rattlers (10-0)*
Clarendon Lions (4-6) vs. Danville Little Johns (8-2)*
Union Christian Academy Eagles (4-5) vs. Magnet Cove Panthers (9-1)*

3A Playoffs
Barton Bears (7-3) vs. Paris Eagles (9-1)

Paris has the tools to make a deep run into the 3A Playoffs. The question that remains: are they ready mentally for the challenge? It’s been a long time since an Eagles football team has been this competitive, so there is a lot more there psychologically than meets the eye. However, Paris overcame a 13-7 defeat at the hands of perennial favorites Charleston, and they’ve been blowing out opponents ever since. We expect there may be some early jitters, but Paris should take this one.

Final Score: Paris 30, Barton 8

Other games of interest (*denotes predicted winner):
Charleston Tigers BYE
Mansfield Tigers (5-5) vs. Yellville-Summit Panthers (7-3)*

4A Playoffs
Pine Bluff Dollarway Cardinals (7-2) vs. Ozark Hillbillies (9-1)

Ozark’s rushing attack is a sight to behold. Just ask Shiloh Christian. But they’re also a team that is prone to making big mistakes. So far, they’ve bounced back from most of them. They come in to Friday night’s contest with only one loss on their record, while the Cardinals have two. But those two losses can be deceptive. One was against Little Rock Parkview, a 6A school that just one week ago pressed the 9-1 West Memphis Blue Devils (7A) to their limits. The second loss was only 7-0 to McGehee, a team that has earned a bye in the first round of the 4A Playoffs with a 9-1 record of their own. Dollarway also has more experience playing at this level. Still, it’s home field advantage, and the air will be electrified with Hillbilly Spirit.

Final Score: Ozark 27, PB Dollarway 24

Other games of interest (*denotes predicted winner):
DeQueen Leopards (5-5) vs. Booneville Bearcats (8-2)*
Lonoke Jackrabbits (3-7) vs. Clarksville Panthers (4-6)*

5A Playoffs
Alma Airedales (7-3) vs. Hot Springs Lakeside (9-1)

Alma raised a lot of eyebrows last week when they showed up ready to play against the Greenwood Bulldogs, a game no one (including yours truly) gave them a snowball’s chance of competing in. While they didn’t win, the 23-20 loss was a far cry from the embarrassment they suffered at home to Greenbrier a couple of weeks earlier. Making the trip to Hot Springs to do battle with the Rams, however, won’t be an easy follow-up. Still, Hot Springs Lakeside hasn’t exactly been impressive, in spite of the 1-loss record. Closely fought victories against overrated Fountain Lake and Central Arkansas Christian make us think the Airedales may still have some life left in their season.

Final Score: Alma 30, HS Lakeside 18

Other games of interest (*denotes predicted winner):
Central Arkansas Christian Mustangs (5-4-1) vs. Greenwood Bulldogs (10-0)*

6A Playoffs
Van Buren Pointers (3-7) vs. Pine Bluff Zebras (6-4)

If Van Buren could win out, they would be the 6A State Champions with a 7-7 record. What a joke. The Zebras aren’t likely to let the green and white deliver that punchline, at least not at home.

Final Score: Pine Bluff 35, Van Buren 16

7A Playoffs
Fort Smith Northside Grizzlies (4-6) vs. Bryant Hornets (8-2)

The Grizzlies beat Bryant in Week 2 at Fort Smith 45-40. Along the way, they’ve convinced themselves they’re not as good as they once were, and their defense has remained unchangingly terrible. Move this game to Bryant, and we think Friday night will be a different story for Northside. Don’t expect a Battle of Rogers Avenue II, which is what would happen should they pull this one out.

Final Score: Bryant 52, FS Northside 35

Other games of interest (*denotes predicted winner):
Fort Smith Southside BYE