PRAIRIE GROVE — Playing one of their best defensive games in recent memory, the Blackhawks couldn’t get enough offense going as the Prairie Grove Tigers used their passing game to defeat the ’Hawks 13-0 in a district battle last week.
The Tigers scored all their points on fourth-down plays and, in fact, didn’t score any points until the final 20 seconds of the first half.
Prairie Grove had drives that went all the way to the ’Hawks’ 1-, 9-, 17-, 6-, 18- and 15-yard lines with the Tigers coming up with just a single touchdown. Offensively, the ’Hawks ended up with only 70 yards total offense. Dayton Winn led the rushing with 68 yards on 15 carries with Austin Easterling throwing three completed passes for 30 yards.
The ’Hawks’ offensive star for the evening was kickoff return specialist Daniel Beard who racked up over 100 yards in just two kickoff returns. The speedy junior had both runs in the fourth quarter following Tiger scores. With 7 minutes left in the game with the team trailing 10-0, Beard gathered in a kick from the ’Hawk 5-yard line, then sped forward for 10 yards before veering right to dash down the right sidelines. Beard had picked up 51 yards before being stopped by Prairie Grove’s last defender on the Tiger 44. However, the ’Hawks turned the ball over two plays later which then led to a Tiger field goal.
Beard again caught the ensuing kickoff at the 5-yard line then outran the Tiger defenders on a near repeat of the first run and gained 56 yards before being stopped by the last defender on the field at the Tiger 39.
Defensively, the ’Hawks dropped Tiger ball carriers on or behind the line of scrimmage on 12 occasions, forcing the usually powerful ground gaining Prairie Grove squad into a passing game. However, the faster, quicker Tiger receivers were open on nearly every play, a situation that won the game for them.
Although the ’Hawk defense got through numerous times to chase the quarterback into missing passes, the times the Tiger signal caller had time to throw usually resulted in a completion.
The game started well enough for the ’Hawks as the Tigers lostyardage on second down and the pass rush forced the Tigers to throw the ball away on third down.
A booming Tiger punt backed the ’Hawks up to their 17-yard line.
Winn picked up 14 yards on the first play of the game and then picked up another first down with a 12-yard jaunt two plays later. At that point, Prairie Grove decided to fill the box with defenders which resulted in three running plays that netted by a single yard.
Cory Lawson, who had one of the best punting games Pea Ridge has had in a spell, booted a 34-yarder to push the Tigers back to their own 17. When their first two rushing plays went nowhere, the Tigers got a 21-yard passing play to move near mid-field. Two more rushes by Prairie Grove were again unsuccessful, but once again, the Tigers went to the air and gained 18 yards to the Pea Ridge 38. The Tigers then managed a first down on the ground but then got another 18-yard pass play for a first down on the ’Hawk 5. Three rushes couldn’t get into the end zone and the fourth down pass failed after the ’Hawks put a hot pursuit on the quarterback.
The ’Hawks couldn’t get untracked and were forced to punton fourth and 1. A 34-yard punt by Lawson pushed the Tigers back to the ’Hawk 44. A pass interference call against the ’Hawks and passes of 9 and 14 gave the Tigers a first down on the ’Hawk 9. The Tigers tried to run it in but the ’Hawk defense held them out again to keep the game scoreless. An Easterling pass and two runs by Winn gave the ’Hawks a first down on the 24.
A fumble, incompletion and short gain forced another punt with Lawson kicking a 35-yarder to mid-field.
The TIgers used a pair of passes and a 20-yard rush to gain a first down on the ’Hawk 11. Three rushes left them facing a fourth and 2 with a little over 20 seconds left in the half. The Tiger coach, mindful of the problems they were having with the ’Hawk defense, decided to settle for a field goal. The 24-yarder was successful, sending the home team into intermission with a scant3-0 lead.
Jonah Torres’ 20-yard kickoff return set up Pea Ridge’s first possession of the second half. However, it ended in a punt with Lawson’s boot sailing the pigskin 41 yards to the Tiger 20-yard line. The Tigers seemed set to return to their vaunted running game and theyripped off 47 yards in three first downs until a jarring Pea Ridge tackle knocked the ball loose which was covered by the ’Hawks. The ’Hawks could not solve the Tiger defense and were forced to punt again, as Prairie Grove took over on the Tiger 34.
The ’Hawk defenders forced another fumble which put the Tigers in a hole, facing second and 21 from the ’Hawk 47. Forced to go to the air, the Tigers connected on a 23-pass play for a first down on the ’Hawk 24. After getting to the ’Hawk 16, the ’Hawks stuffed two run attempts, forcing a fourthdown passing play. Once again, the ’Hawk defense chased and harried the quarterback into making an inaccurate pass.
Winn picked up 9 yards on first down, but a 8-yard loss on a quarterback sack left the ’Hawks looking at a third and 9. Winn picked another 8 yards, but not quite enough to prevent the punt as the Tigers took over with 11 minutes left in half at the Pea Ridge 41 leading 3-0.
At this point the Tigers decided to go almost exclusively to the air.
Tigers passes drove them to the ’Hawk 19 with the home boys stillhaving difficulty running against Pea Ridge as they were facing a fourth and 5 from the 18. The Tiger field general threaded a pass to a waiting receiver standing on the goal line, who caught it for the game’s first touchdown with 7:28 left in the game. The successful PAT pushed the lead to 10-0 over the ’Hawks.
The score set the stage for Beard’s electrifying kick return to the Tiger 44. Two plays later, the Tigers intercepted a pass at the ’Hawk 43. The TIgers finally got their ground game cranking as they moved 26 yards to the ’Hawk 15 but it ground to a halt, facing fourth and 4 from the ’Hawk 15.
The 35-yard field goal attempt was accurate and the host’s lead grew to 13-0.
Beard’s second powerful return gave the ’Hawks a chance as they started from the Tiger 36. A 16-yard pass from Easterling to Rico Schneider gave them a first down on the Tiger 20. Winn then rushed ahead, but a fumble, incompletion and a quarterback sack turned the ball over to Prairie Grove with two minutes left in the game. The Tigers were content to let the game clock run out for the victory.
Sports, Pages 7 on 10/26/2011