Fort Smith Northside 2021 Season Recap

The Fort Smith Northside Grizzlies had an impressive 2021 football season. Some of the wins this season for the Grizzlies did a great job of opening some eyes in the state of Arkansas. Victories over Greenwood, Springdale Har-Ber, and over Bentonville West did a great job of displaying just how dangerous a team the Grizzlies were this season. We are going to take a look at some of the key players returning and the players that helped lead the Grizzlies this season. Starting things off with a look at the offensive side of the ball. Senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="75122" first="Walker" last="Catsavis"] is one of the most dynamic athletes in the state. Fort Smith Northside was able to line him up all over the field. Catsavis threw for 1,423 yards, 16 touchdowns, and only five interceptions last season. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies’ signal caller rushed for 210 yards and three touchdowns this season. The Grizzlies will use the spring and summer to get a quarterback ready to go to replace Catsavis. From a rushing perspective, the Grizzlies had two solid running backs that ran hard all season. Senior running backs [player_tooltip player_id="180296" first="Ty" last="Massey"] and [player_tooltip player_id="201997" first="Sundquist" last="Church"] terrorized opposing defenses with a mix of thunder and lightning style rushing. Church rushed for 1,281 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season. Church has a bruising, powerful running style that allows him to churn out the yards on the ground. Meanwhile, [player_tooltip player_id="180296" first="Ty" last="Massey"] used his mix of speed and shifty running style to amass 1,209 yards and 16 touchdowns. Look for freshmen running back [player_tooltip player_id="230545" first="Camron" last="Massey"] to earn some carries next season as well as freshman Issac Wright. At the wide receiver position, the Grizzlies have several experienced players returning for the 2022 season. Junior wide receivers T’Kavion King, Mauri Smith, and Joshua Hardwick all were productive at the wide receiver spot this season. Hardwick hauled in 14 receptions for 178 yards and one touchdown. Meanwhile Mauri Smith, and T’Kavion King each racked up over 400 receiving yards each. Both Smith and King found the endzone multiple times on pass receptions in 2021. Northside will lose some talented players on the defensive side of the ball this season. Senior linebacker McCade Moody played well at the linebacker spot this season. He used his size and quickness well to terrorize opposing ball carriers. Moody is always around the ball, so it will not be easy to replace him in 2022. Look for [player_tooltip player_id="230545" first="Camron" last="Massey"] to see snaps on both sides of the ball next season. The defense will see some talented players rise through the ranks over the next few months. Players to keep an eye on for the Northside Grizzlies in 2022. <strong>Mauri Smith-Wide Receiver-2023</strong> <strong>T’Kavion King-Wide Receiver-2023</strong> <strong>Joshua Hardwick-Wide Receiver-2023</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="230545" first="Camron" last="Massey"]-Athlete-2025</strong> <strong>Issac Wright-Running Back-2025</strong>