Crosstown Showdown: Bentonville West Looks to Make History Against Bentonville

By Joe Blaze Bush 

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — One city, two football programs, and a rivalry that has remained one-sided since its beginning.

Friday night, the Bentonville Tigers and Bentonville West Wolverines will meet once again in one of Northwest Arkansas’ biggest high school football matchups. While both teams have enjoyed successful seasons, Bentonville West enters the contest looking to accomplish something it has never done before: defeat its crosstown rival.

Since Bentonville West launched its football program in 2016, the Tigers have dominated the series, winning all 11 previous meetings. However, with both teams competing near the top of the Class 7A-West Conference, Friday night’s matchup could provide the Wolverines with their best opportunity yet to change that history.

Bentonville enters the contest with an 8-1 record, coming off a commanding 29-0 shutout victory over Springdale. The Tigers currently hold the No. 2 seed in the 7A-West Conference and will look to continue their momentum heading into the postseason.

Bentonville West, meanwhile, enters at 7-2 following a narrow 51-48 loss to Shiloh Christian. Despite the defeat, the Wolverines remain among the conference’s top teams, currently holding the No. 4 seed.

For Bentonville West head coach, Coach Pratt, a victory Friday night would represent another milestone for a program that has experienced considerable growth over the past decade.

“We’ve had a lot of firsts in the 11 years of this program,” Pratt said. “We’ve made the playoffs every year.”

Despite those accomplishments, one milestone continues to elude the Wolverines.

“All the success we’ve had, we’ve still yet to get that win over Bentonville,” Pratt said. “Definitely want to get this monkey off our back.”

Although the Wolverines have never defeated the Tigers, Pratt doesn’t believe the history of the rivalry will weigh heavily on his players.

“I don’t think it’s a factor,” Pratt said, explaining that the program has grown considerably since its early years.

Pratt noted that Bentonville West began with roughly half the number of players it has today, and the program has continued to close the gap with its crosstown rival.

The Wolverines have also come close to changing the outcome in previous meetings, including a playoff matchup two years ago in which West held a late lead before ultimately falling short.

For Pratt, the biggest keys to finally breaking through will be protecting the football and creating opportunities for explosive plays.

“I think turnovers, as always,” Pratt said. “Another thing is big plays. We’ve got to have more explosive plays than them.”

On the opposite sideline, Bentonville head coach Jody Grant recognizes the challenge his Tigers face against a talented West squad.

“Great opportunity for us this week to play a really good West team,” Grant said. “Our kids are excited about the opportunity. We need to be playing our best football in November, I’m hoping that starts tonight.”

While the rivalry carries plenty of significance for both schools, Pratt emphasized that his program’s ambitions extend beyond defeating Bentonville.

“Our ultimate goal is not to beat Bentonville, it’s to win a state championship,” Pratt said.

Pratt also praised the Bentonville community for supporting two competitive football programs within the same school district, something he said isn’t always the case in communities with multiple high schools.

Both teams have established themselves as consistent contenders in Arkansas’ largest classification, making Friday’s matchup about more than just bragging rights.

For Bentonville, it’s an opportunity to extend its undefeated streak against the Wolverines and build momentum toward the playoffs.

For Bentonville West, it’s an opportunity to finally rewrite the history books.

And when the two teams take the field Friday night, the Wolverines will have another chance to answer a question that has followed their program since its beginning.

Can Bentonville West finally beat Bentonville?