Blackhawks improve

Show their stuff in 7 on 7 at Bentonville

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

— Tony Travis’ Blackhawks completed their second evening of 7 on 7 football competition at Bentonville High Schools’ spacious Tiger Stadium.

“The boys had fun, and I think we improved on some things,” Travis remarked. “Junior Braxton Caudill had a lot of catches, as he did last week, and junior Daniel Beard also had some scoring catches as well.”

The ’Hawks were withoutstarting quarterback Austin Easterling which resulted in Pea Ridge’s top receiver, Bo Rylee, taking over the passing responsibility. The senior back exhibited fairly accurate attempts, completing many with most the incompletions either dropped passes or good plays by the defense.

“The one thing we did that probably no other team did, or did as well, was playing everyone we brought,” Travis said.

“The boys have been working hard this summer and I appreciate their efforts.”

Seven on seven football uses,as the name implies, seven players with one hiking the ball to the quarterback, who then tries to pass to the other five trying to get open for a pass.

The quarterback has four seconds to release the ball with all defenders limited to guarding receivers. The teams take turns with possessions at the 40-yard lines with first downs gained by reaching the 25- and 10-yard markers.

Pea Ridge were a bit surprised after learning that their first opponent in the fiveteam four game would be the host school Bentonville’s first string varsity. Bentonville recently won a prestigious 7 on 7 multi-state tournament in overwhelming fashion outscoring their competition by over 100 points collectively. The defending state 7A champion, the Tigers are looking poised to retain their best-in-the-state overall ranking.

Against the hosts, Pea Ridge gave up a long bomb on the first Tiger play to put Bentonville up 7-0. Rylee found seams in the Tiger defense to get passes through to his receivers but they were dropped, one a pass that could have tied the score.

Rylee did hook up with Caudill in the corner of the end zone to score late as Bentonville won the game 21-7.

Against future 7A school Siloam Springs, the ’Hawks came from behind and took a lead into the final seconds of the game before a completed Panther pass one yard deepinto the end zone turned away Pea Ridge. Pea Ridge had controlled the ball for nearly all the second half until the late score gave Siloam a final 13-12 victory.

Facing conference nemesisGentry, the ’Hawks came out on top 10-8 after falling behind early on a deep pass. Multiple stops and touchdown in the second half was just enough to edge the Pioneers.

Sports, Pages 7 on 07/20/2011