Heritage edging Fort Smith Northside 41–40 in overtime

Heritage 41, Northside 40

ROGERS — Heritage needed every snap Friday, edging Fort Smith Northside 41–40 in overtime at Gates Stadium. Junior quarterback Braedon Carroll powered the War Eagles’ double‑tight attack with two rushing touchdowns, including the winner in OT, and a fourth‑quarter dart to fullback Connor Autrand. Kicker/punter Ronald Vizuetadded a 35‑yard field goal and was perfect on PATs as Heritage built a 27–13 halftime lead. Evan Gordon jump‑started the night with a 69‑yard pitch for the game’s first score, while senior two‑way starter Jake Stout’s first‑half interception set up another Carroll plunge. A team safety on an errant snap just before intermission pushed the margin to two scores.

But the Grizzlies answered behind senior tailback Warren Bijou, who turned the second half into a track meet. Bijou exploded for touchdowns of 80 and 51 yards and added short scoring runs in the third, fourth and overtime periods. Senior Ja’Leal Covin chipped in a third‑quarter touchdown out of the Wildcat, while junior quarterback Drew Jackson connected with junior wideout Keelan Mendoza to move the sticks as Northside erased a 14‑point deficit to force extra time.

In overtime, Carroll’s tough run gave Heritage a seven‑point edge. After Bijou scored again, Northside elected to go for two; his jump‑pass fell incomplete, and Heritage closed out a cathartic home win — the kind built on ball security, field position and timely defense. Carroll, a junior, calmly managed the clock in the Wing‑T, and Vizuet’s leg and coverage units flipped the field repeatedly down the stretch.

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter
Heritage – Evan Gordon 69-yard run (Ronald Vizuet kick), Heritage 7-0.
Northside – Warren Bijou 80-yard run (Jaylen Chavez kick), 7-7.

2nd Quarter
Heritage – Braedon Carroll TD run (Jayden Cortez 2-pt run), Heritage 15-7.
Heritage – Ronald Vizuet 35-yard FG, Heritage 18-7.
Heritage – Braedon Carroll TD run (Vizuet kick), Heritage 25-7.
Northside – Warren Bijou TD run (2-pt run failed), Heritage 25-13.
Heritage – Team safety (snap through end zone), Heritage 27-13.

3rd Quarter
Northside – Ja’Leal Covin TD run (Chavez kick), Heritage 27-20.
Northside – Warren Bijou TD run (Chavez kick), 27-27.

4th Quarter
Heritage – Connor Autrand 6-yard pass from Braedon Carroll (Vizuet kick), Heritage 34-27.
Northside – Warren Bijou TD run (Chavez kick), 34-34.

Overtime
Heritage – Braedon Carroll TD run (Vizuet kick), Heritage 41-34.
Northside – Warren Bijou TD run (pass incomplete), Heritage 41-40.

Players who stood out

• Braedon Carroll (QB, Heritage) — 3 total TDs (2 rush, 1 pass).

• Warren Bijou (RB, Northside) — 5 TDs, including 80- and 51-yard bursts.

• Evan Gordon (RB/MLB, Heritage) — 69-yard TD to open scoring.

• Jake Stout (WR/SS, Heritage) — 1 interception that set up points.

• Ja’Leal Covin (RB, Northside) — third‑quarter TD out of the Wildcat.