Last-second TD lifts Northside

SPRINGDALE — Josh Hardwick just knew he had to stay on the route he was supposed to run Friday night.

It allowed Fort Smith Northside’s receiver to make his only catch — a 34-yard touchdown reception from Walker Catsavis with only 23 seconds on the clock — and the Grizzlies moved to 3-0 with a wild 63-56 nonconference victory Friday night over Springdale Har-Ber at Wildcat Stadium.

Hardwick’s catch capped a frantic seven-play, 87-yard drive set up by Pum Savoy’s interception of a Luke Buchanan pass with 1:27 remaining.

“The corner, he was just bailing off,” Hardwick said. “And I thought I could run past him. That’s what I did. The line did a great job of blocking and protecting our quarterback. Walker Catsavis put up a great ball, and made the play.

“I had to stretch to get into the end zone. A little toe stretch, but I got it and we went ahead.”

Northside tied the game at 56-56 on another big pass play, a 63-yarder from Catsavis to T’kavion King with 1:50 remaining. Har-Ber (0-3) was set in good position as Lane Reiter returned the ensuing kickoff to the Grizzlies 28, but turnovers — the Wildcats’ biggest nemesis over their three nonconference games — showed up again when Savoy intercepted the pass.

The Grizzlies were able to set themselves up in scoring position when Catsavis threw a 47-yard pass to Zion Morris, who juggled the ball for a moment before being tackled at the Har-Ber 29 with 40 seconds left. Three plays later, Catsavis looked to his right and fired the game-winner to Hardwick.

“Never in my life did I think this game would be like this,” Northside Coach Mike Falleur said. “But we won. Our kids came back and never gave up. I’m proud of them. It was a heck of a ballgame.

“At the end, our defense made a play when it had to, and we had a chance to win it. It was just big play after big play. We moved the ball and we ran the ball. We hit the big pass and make a great play.”

Har-Ber had the ball and a 42-35 lead to start the fourth quarter, but another interception by Buchanan on fourth down gave Northside a chance. Four plays later, Ty Massey broke through the Wildcats’ defense and bolted 62 yards for the tying score with 9:56 remaining, but the scoring was far from over.

Buchanan responded with a 24-yard touchdown run to put Har-Ber ahead 49-42 with 7:24 remaining, only to have Sundquist Church answer with a 43-yard touchdown run with 5:12 on the clock. Hudson Brewer then ran 5 yards for his fourth touchdown of the game and put the Wildcats ahead one more time before Northside answered again with Catsavis’ long pass to King.

Har-Ber was able to move into Northside territory in the closing seconds, but a hook-and-lateral play resulted in the ball being on the ground and recovered well short of the goal line as time expired.

“Both teams played hard,” Har-Ber Coach Chris Wood said. “There were a lot of big plays, a lot of offense. We had a chance there at the end but came up short. Northside had resiliency. Hat’s off to them, but I’m proud of our guys for fighting.”

Before Hardwick’s touchdown pass, Northside barely managed to hold the lead for a minute. Massey’s 2-yard touchdown run with 33 seconds before halftime allowed the Grizzlies to grab a 28-27 edge, but Har-Ber answered with Buchanan’s 4-yard touchdown run with 11:18 left in the third quarter after the Wildcats forced a fumble on the second-half kickoff.

Both teams will head into conference play next week with key home games as Northside takes on Bryant in a 7A-Central battle while Har-Ber meets Bentonville in a 7A-West showdown.