When it comes to 7A football two teams have played tug-of-war with the state title trophy. Fayetteville and Bentonville have won six of the last seven years and this year will be no different. Both teams have high respect for the other.
"You don't get to a state game just by chance or just by luck, you actually have to be good," Bentonville senior running back Hekili Keliiliki said. "Having them be there again shows that once again they have a good program, as well as us, and you have to respect that."
"The success that their program has had and the and the guys that really put in work up there," Fayetteville senior defensive end Damani Carter said. "It's something to definitely respect."
When the they met four weeks ago, the Tigers handed Fayetteville their worst loss of the year. Neither team expects the same lopsided result this time around.
"Week ten I don't really believe that was their full potential we saw," Bentonville senior linebacker Harrison Rooney said. "I expecting to see a lot more and we are prepping for that."
"They didn't see the best we have, we've been talking about that all week. We came out and we laid an egg honestly, we didn't show up and we didn't play," Fayetteville senior right tackle Jackson McNeal. "We weren't ready to play them and I think what's going to be different is we know what to expect this time, we're going to be ready."
After a 0-4 start Bentonville has found it's after the Northside win, while Fayetteville has regrouped since their loss to the Tigers four weeks ago.
"It could be 45-42, who knows," Bentonville head coach Barry Lunney said. "It will be a very hard fought contest I know that."
"If we show up and play like we are capable of playing," Fayetteville head coach Daryl Patton said. "We should have a chance, at the end, to maybe win a state championship.
One thing is for sure, the 7A champion will reside in Northwest Arkansas and another chapter of a great rivalry will be written.