Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1157324
as opportunities. The 5A Con- ference is spread out quite a bit further than what we are accustomed to, so travel and loss of class time is a con- cern for our student-athletes and community. We will miss competing against teams in the 4A-1 as we have done for so many years. We are looking forward to the new conference, and competing against teams and schools we have not seen before." Nowhere will the impact of reclassification be felt more than in Fort Smith, where Northside and Southside will play in different conferences for the first time since 1980 when Northside was a Class AAAAA school and Southside was a member of the AAAA- West Conference. The AAA handbook is rig- id with a rule that requires 7A football and Class 6A basketball schools to have eight teams in each conference. That means two schools located three miles apart will head in differ- ent directions with Southside rejoining the 7A-West Confer- ence and Northside remaining in the 7A-Central. That means the state's best high school football rivalry and long described as the "Battle of Rogers Avenue" will lose some of its impact as a nonconfer- ence game. That means the game be- tween Northside and South- side on Nov. 8 at Southside will signify another chapter in a sports story that changes every two years. That'll be a sad day, for sure, regardless of who wins. Rick Fires can be reached at rfires@ nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWARick. Fires v Continued from Page 4 Flannigan is also a stand- out in the classroom with a 3.9 grade point average. Air Force and Yale have already offered scholarships, and more Division I schools could do the same as long as Flannigan continues to produce on the field. "To play Division I football, that's my goal of course," said Flannigan, who scored a 34 on his ACT. "But I wouldn't be too disappointed if I ended up at Yale, an FCS school, or even a Division II school if it was the right fit for me academically and socially." BEAU STUCKEY Stuckey (6-0, 180) is a versa- tile athlete who plans to attend Missouri State next season on a baseball scholarship. He's also a dangerous receiver who caught 63 passes last year for 991 yards and 13 touchdowns. "Both of these young men are phenomenal receivers," Ben- tonville coach Jody Grant said. "They are great route runners who catch the ball well. Having both of these guys out there together makes it real tough v Continued from preceding page NWA Democrat-Gazette/DAVID GOTTSCHALK Fayetteville High School receiver Connor Flannigan plays during the Southwest Elite 7on7 tournament July 12 at Harmon Field at Fayetteville High School. "I've heard, 'Oh, you're only playing because you're a coach's kid.' ... I want people to say, 'He's a good player no matter who his dad is.'" — Connor Flannigan, Fayetteville wide receiver See DUO, Page 9 "You have a lifetime guarantee on all repairs and paint for as long as you own your vehicle." All Major & Minor Repairs Auto Glass Replacement Free Estimates BOB MOREY'S AUTO BODY, INC. 1019 N Walton Blvd Ste 7 • Bentonville, AR 72712 479-271-7292 Mon-Fri 7:30am to 5:00pm Proud Sponsor of Bentonville Athletics PREP RALLY | 8.22.2019 | 7