Football fans who attended the game Oct. 29, 2010 at Harmon Field will never forget that moment in Har-Ber sports history. Senior Sara Lachance, who was a sophomore at the time, remembers solemnly standing in the student section like it was yesterday. There were 17 seconds left on the clock as the Fayetteville Bulldogs set up to kick off after they had scored, taking the lead 51-48.
The Wildcats came out with a last second victory, due to a 92-yard kick-return by then senior and now legend Shawn Sayarinh.
“I thought for sure we would lose. We had a kick off, and I thought that there was no way we could run it back, but to my surprise we did,” said Lachance.
That was the last time the Wildcats set foot on Harmon Field, as each season conference teams alternate home fields. The Wildcats make their return Oct. 26. This game has everything it takes to have an outcome of a great game, rivalry and revenge.
“They’re pretty much our rivals, everyone’s got a lot of friends over there,” said Senior Tucker Lee. “They got a little chip on their shoulder because of what happened the last time we played there.”
Fayetteville has traditionally been a rival to the whole town of Springdale, not just the Bulldogs. Kids have grown up in this area being a Springdale Bulldog fan, which is all the more reason why Fayetteville is a rival.
“It’s one of those games we want to win,” said head football coach Chris Wood.
Fayetteville has three players on the 2012 team who have committed to Division I schools at the collegiate level, which make them that more of a difficult team to go against. Getting a win against Fayetteville would mean the Wildcats would be one step closer to being seeded No. 2 in the playoffs and have a bye week.
“A bye week would mean we all get a week off which would mean a lot, because the grind gets to us sometimes,” said junior Sam Struebing.
The Wildcats will be going up against another rival the following Friday, cross-town rival Springdale Bulldogs. That game will conclude the 7A West regular season and finalize the playoff bracket.
