It appears that the Bryant Hornets will get a chance to avenge one of[more] their two losses this season in the first round of the Class 7A State playoffs next Friday.
This time, the Hornets will be at home to play the Fort Smith Northside Grizzlies. In the second week of the regular-season, Northside inaugurated its new artificial playing surface with a 44-40 win over the Hornets.
With North Little Rock's 48-13 win at Van Buren on Friday night, the 7A/6A-Central Conference ends in a three-way tie for the second year in a row. The Charging Wildcats finish tied with the Hornets and the Conway Wampus Cats for the league crown, each finishing at 6-1 versus the league.
Unofficially, the tiebreaking procedures of the Arkansas Activities Association appear to give Conway the No. 1 seed from the conference to the playoffs, based on points. That leaves Bryant and North Little Rock tied for second and, by virtue of their win over the Hornets, the Wildcats will the No. 2 seed and earn the second first-round bye for the league.
Bryant figures to be third, edging West Memphis in the power ratings for that position. Little Rock Catholic is set at No. 5, and Little Rock Central at No. 6.
Northside's 49-7 loss to crosstown rival Southside on Friday night, coupled with Springdale's 42-32 win over Rogers, appears to result in Springdale gaining the No. 5 seed from the 7A-West with Northside finishing sixth.
Bentonville finished a second straight unbeaten season with a 28-14 win over Springdale Har-Ber Friday night to take the top seed from the West. Har-Ber fell back into a tie for second with Fayetteville and Southside. The tiebreakers seem to indicate that Southside will be the No. 2 seed with Har-Ber third and Fayetteville fourth.
Official pairings should be determined sometime Saturday.
