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In the final week of the Arkansas high school football regular season, one of the newer rivalries gets a renewal.
Bentonville West, located in the nearby town of Centerton, travels approximately eight miles eastward to Bentonville High School to take on the Tigers.
It’s a rivalry that has been around for exactly 10 years, when Bentonville West was established as a school. But it has definitely been a lopsided rivalry, as the Tigers have won all 11 contests against the Wolverines, the latest a 48-31 win last season.
Friday’s game could also possibly determine the champion of the 7A-West conference, with both Bentonville West and Bentonville pursuing the title. But at the moment, Shiloh Christian - which has beaten both teams - controls its own destiny, and the Saints can capture the title and the No. 1 playoff seed out of the conference with a win at home Friday against Springdale.
Bentonville West comes in with a 7-2 record and is 4-2 in the league after falling, 51-48, to Shiloh Christian last week. Bentonville enters at 8-1 overall and 5-1 in conference play, and the Tigers are coming off a 29-0 win at Springdale.
Friday's matchup also involves two of the Top 15 ranked teams in the latest High School On SI Arkansas Top 25. Bentonville comes in ranked No. 4, while West enters at No. 15.
Follow High School On SI correspondent Buck Ringgold (@Bucks_Ballpark) for all of the live updates and scoring from Bentonville.
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- Live from Tiger Stadium in Bentonville, it’s a crosstown rivalry and a showdown that could determine the 7A-West championship - should Shiloh Christian stumble against Springdale - as Bentonville West comes in to face the Tigers of Bentonville High.
Quarterback Sutton Mackey has thrown for 1,090 yards and 13 TDs. Another impact player on offense is running back VJ Warren, who has rushed for 677 yards and nine TDs while adding another TD receiving.
Warren scored three TDs in last week’s loss to Shiloh Christian - the latter which gave West a 48-38 lead with nearly seven minutes left - before the Saints posted a late comeback. Mackey also had three TD passes last week.
The Tigers aced a strong non-conference schedule, highlighted by a 20-14 road win at Conway, currently the No. 2 ranked team in the state. Bentonville also has wins against Tulsa (Okla.) Union and Hays (Kansas).
In last week’s win at Springdale, the Tigers picked off four passes, with Narae Smith getting two of those, returning one of those for a touchdown. Running back Stephen Schafer ran for 118 yards - the third straight game he has rushed for more than 100 yards - with a TD.