PEA RIDGE — Competition for starting spots at quarterback and tailback was still intense as Pea Ridge prepared for Monday’s pre-season scrimmage at Fayetteville.

Bo Rylee (5-foot-11, 171 pounds) and Austin Easterling (5-10, 150) were still working at quarterback, while Blackhawk coach Tony Travis said as many as four players could carry the ball at tailback.

Rylee, a junior, played tight end last season while Easterling was the junior high quarterback.

“The good news for us is that we have two guys that can play quarterback,” Travis said. “They are both inexperienced on the senior high level and that will show itself at times, I’m sure. One of them is going to play quarterback and one of them (is) going to play someplace else.”

Rylee would return to tight end if he doesn’t winthe job while Easterling would play in the secondary.

Andrew Woollard (5-9, 150), Dayton Winn (5-7, 126) and Dalton Fisher (5-6, 155) are in the mix at tailback.

“We don’t have a back that we are going to give the ball to 25, 28 times,” Travis said. “But the good news is we have three, possibly four guys that can split up the carries and hopefully stay fresh.

We may get our receivers involved in some running game stuff.”

Sports, Pages 11 on 08/25/2010