PEA RIDGE — The most successful football season in a generation for the Pea Ridge Blackhawks came to an end as the Heber Springs Panthers came from behind to take a 42-21 victory in the second round of the Arkansas 4A State playoffs.
The ’Hawks started the game well prepared and had an answer for almost everything the Panthers threw at them in the first half as Pea Ridge led 21-6 at intermission. Heber came out of the half with a new game plan and new energy as the deeper, larger visitors wore down the homeboys to advance to this week’s quarterfinal game against Highland.
Dayton Winn rushed for 116 yards on 18 carries to finish the season with 2,061 yards, best in the state regardless of classification. His run to break the 2,000 mark was a dramatic one as he burst up the middle of the Panther defense to dash 53 yards for the ’Hawks’ second touchdown.
The first quarter was all Pea Ridge as they marched deep into Panther territory on their first three possessions, scoring on two. On Winn’s scoring run to start the second quarter, Pea Ridge had outgained Heber Springs 174 yards to a paltry 7 yards.
The ’Hawks began the game with the first possession and they wasted no time in moving the ball down the field. After Winn’s initial 3-yard run to open the game, quarterback Austin Easterling executed a magnificent fake and keeper, outrunning a host of Panthers 24 yards downfield to the Heber 37. Fullback Dalton Morgan then bashed the line for 7 yards, followed by two runs by Winn that totaled 19 yards and a first down on the Heber 21.
After the Panther defense broke through to sack the quarterback for a 3-yard loss, Winn went wide to pick up 14 yards on the next play, gaining a first down on the Panther 10. Easterling scrambled on a keeper the very next play, maneuvering his way into the end zone for the game’s first score.
Nick DeLeon punched through the PAT for a 7-0 lead with 8:24 left in the first quarter.
The ’Hawks threw up a brickwall defense following the kickoff, forcing Heber to punt after gaining only 3 yards on three plays.
Starting from their own 24, the ’Hawks used Easterling on four consecutive carries to gain 30 yards, the last run being an 18-yard scamper for a first down on the Panther 46. An 8-yard run by Winn was followed by a 4-yard jaunt by Morgan as the ’Hawks gained a first down on the Panther 34. From there, the going got tougher as the ’Hawks could only gain 5 yards before turning the ball over on downs.
Although Heber got a stop, their offense fared little better, gaining only 4 total yards before being forced to punt again. Starting from the ’Hawk 38, Winn broke loose for 11 yards to the ’Hawk 49. After a first down play went nowhere, Winn electrified the overflow crowd as he took a hand-off up the middle and shot through a hole opened by the offensive live, hitting the hole at full speed to rocket past the stunned defenders for the game’s second score. DeLeon was again accurate as Pea Ridge assumed a 14-0 advantage.
The score into the teeth of their defense did something to the Panthers, as they came out after the kickoff determined to get back into the game. Heber’s quarterback Nelson threw a pair of bullets to receivers Ligon and Dew for 30 yards and a first down on the Pea Ridge 33. Nelson then Dew with a 7-yard pass, following it up with runs of 9, 5, and 1to score the visitor’s first touchdown. The Panthers’ extra point attempt went awry when Jonah Torres broke through to get a hand on the kick, leaving the score at 14-6 with 10:58 left in the half.
The Panthers were fired up, limiting the ’Hawks to just 8 yards on their next possession.
Following the punt, the Panthers used a 9-yard pass to Dew and an 11-yard run by Nelson to get into Pea Ridge territory once again.
However, tight pass defense by the ’Hawks forced two incompletions and the Panthers’ lone running play was stuffed at the line of scrimmage to force another punt.
The ’Hawks’ ensuing possession consumed over five minutes and would be their longest march of the game. A pass from Eastering to Braxton Caudill picked up 8 yards, and a 2-yard run by Winn left the ’Hawks inches short of the first down on the Pea Ridge 42. Facing fourth and inches, head Black coach Tony Travis rolled the dice and counted on his big men to make enough space to gain the down and retain possession. The sea of bodies swirled and smashed together. When the mass of players was unpiled, Easterlng’s quarterback sneak had moved the ball past the marker by no more than a quarter-inch, but enough for a first down.
Four plays later had the ’Hawksfacing a third and 5 from the Heber 42. Easterling found Caudill loose on the right side with a resultant 15-yard gainer to the Heber 27. On the next play, Daniel Beard got behind the Panther defense and was wide open for a perfectly thrown pass. The Panther cornerback, seeing a sure touchdown coming, committed intentional interference that netted the ’Hawks a 15-yard gain, but prevented the score. Two plays later, Easterling led a streaking Jack Rapp to the left corner of the end zone that resulted in a 14-yard scoring pass.
DeLeon kicked his third PAT to give the Blackhawks a 21-6 bulge at the half.
Heber Springs took the second half kick and almost immediately tightened the game. The first play was a 14-yard keeper by the quarterback Nelson, and after the ’Hawks stopped them on two running plays, the Panthers faced third and 6 from their own 49. A short pass to Ligon was followed by a long run by the receiver who was pushed out of bounds on the ’Hawk 26. Pea Ridge was then saddled with a late hit penalty which moved the ball to the ’Hawk 11. Ligon ran it in from there on the next play to cut the lead to 21-14 with 10:30 left in the third quarter.
Following the kickoff, Easterling went to work, rushing for 3 yards before hooking up with Caudill for a 9-yarder and a first down on the ’Hawk 42. Facing third and 7, disaster struck when Easterling went back to pass and was joined by a number of Heber defenders, which resulted in a 14-yard loss, forcing a punt.
The next play, the Panther’s Ligon shook loose from ’Hawk tacklers and looked sure to score as he broke free down field. Winn chased him down to knock him down on the ’Hawk 28 after the visitor picked up 38 yards. Nelson and Ligon then alternated carries which resulted in a 3-yard touchdown run with 5:30 left in the quarter. The PAT failed, leaving the ’Hawks with a tenuous 21-20 lead.
The ’Hawks decided to go to the air, but weren’t able to make connections as they were forced to punt less than minute later. This time it took the Panthers only three plays to go the 52 yards to paydirt, the last being a 33-yard run by Ligon. The PAT was againno good as Heber Springs led 26-21 with 3:25 left in the third quarter.
The most controversial play was to follow after Pea Ridge set up shop on the ’Hawk 38 following kickoff. Easterling got off a big gainer and was brought down near mid-field. With the signal caller under a pile of bodies, Panther defenders clawed and scratched to get the ball loose, finally getting it to squirt away, bouncing to the Heber 48 where the Panthers covered it. During the time out to discuss whether the ball had been blown dead, the officials decided to let the Panthers have possession, with which they scored three plays later to put a serious deficit on the ’Hawks. Heber ran in the 2-point conversion to take a 34-21 lead with 1:04 left in the third quarter.
The ’Hawks, dismayed at the turn of events, were determined to come back. On first and 10 from the ’Hawk 30, Winn ran for 8 yards, followed by a 10-yard run by Morgan that placed the ball near mid-field at the ’Hawk 48. However, a fight broke out after the play with officials deciding to penalize just the ’Hawks. Saddled with a first and 25 from their own 33 was more to overcome as the Panthers covered the obvious passing situation. Shunning a fourth down punt, the ’Hawks refused to give up, but were unsuccessful in converting with the Panthers taking over on downs on the ’Hawk 47.
The ’Hawk defensive line was fired up, with Blake Roughton, Zach Oldebeken and Morgan throwing Panther running backs for losses on their next three running plays. However, the guests hit three straight passes for 40 net yards and a first down on the ’Hawk 5. The Panthers decided to steamroll it in from there, but three runs left them short facing a fourth and 1. Heber finally got the last yard to score their sixth TD and close out the scoring for the game. The 2-point conversion made the final score 42-21.
Easterling picked up 93 yards on 15 carries, but two sacks while back to pass reduced his total to 68 yards on 17 tries.
The loss left the Blackhawks with a 10-2 record, one of the best records in school history. Their record included a 5-0 mark in road games, which may be a first in the record books, pending research.
Sports, Pages 7 on 11/21/2012