The Fort Smith Northside Grizzlies have rebounded nicely from a season opening loss to state powerhouse Greenwood. Since the Greenwood game the Grizzlies have reeled off two straight victories over Van Buren and Bryant. The Pine Bluff game was cancelled due to thunderstorms and Northside came in with a 2-1 record. Little Rock Central has opened up the season with a 3-1 record, racking up impressive wins against Rogers Heritage, Bentonville West, and West Memphis. The Tigers were looking to bounce back from a tough 49-7 defeat at North Little Rock and restore some confidence against a strong Fort Smith Northside team.
The Grizzlies’ defense would set the tone early at Quigley-Cox Stadium. Neither offense could sustain a drive against the opposing defenses, in what would turn into a defensive slugfest. Northside kicker Chuy Parga would take care of all of the scoring in the first half for both teams. Parga would connect on a 38-yard field goal with about a minute to go in the first half and then again on a 43-yard field goal as the time expired in the first half. The score at the half would be Fort Smith Northside 6-Little Rock Central 0.
Fort Smith Northside on the first possession of the second half would take control of the game. The Grizzlies would drive 65-yards on seven plays for a touchdown to make the score 12-0 Northside. Robert Wilkerson would escape for a 21-yard touchdown run to cap off that drive. Wilkerson would put the game out of reach with six minutes to play in the game when he punched it once again from a yard out. The final score would be Northside 19-Central 0.
The Grizzlies had both sides of the ball working efficiently. The offense had 300 yards of total offense and did a good job of sustaining drives and keeping the Tigers’ offense off of the field. The Northside defense was impressive in posting a shutout against a solid Little Rock Central team. Northside will play host to Little Rock Catholic on the October 7th in what should be another chance for the Grizzlies’ defense to flex their muscles. Little Rock Central will travel to Bryant to take on a very good Hornets team, which could be the game of the week in the 7-A Central this week.
