The Pea Ridge varsity football team cleared a major hurdle in their quest to claim the 2014 4A-1 football title with a hard fought 28-20 conquest of defending champion Prairie Grove last Friday.
Jumping on the Tigers 14-0 early on, the 'Hawks led from start to finish with a host of Blackhawks turning in stellar efforts to secure the victory. Quarterback Seth Brumley scored the game's first two touchdowns then boomed a 55-yard punt to set up the team's third score. Shane Ivy led all rushers with 92 yards and scored the 'Hawk's fourth touchdown to put the game away at the 2-minute mark. Jonathan Small led an outstanding performance by the team's defense, recording 12 tackles to help slow Prairie Grove's rushing offense.
GAME SUMMARY
Pea Ridge 7 7 7 7 - 28
Prairie Grove 0 0 8 12 - 20
FIRST QUARTER
Pea Ridge - Brumley 2 yard run (Edwards kick) 7:59
SECOND QUARTER
Pea Ridge - Brumley 5 yard run (Edwards kick) 10:57
Third quarter
Prairie Grove — Lopez 6-yard run (Catt Run) 7:47
Pea Ridge — Easterling 2-yard fumble return (Edwards kick) 1:20
Fourth quarter
Prairie Grove — Soehner 4-yard pass from Marrell (run failed) 9:01
Pea Ridge — Ivy 9-yard run (Edwards kick) 2:25
Prairie Grove — Marrell 1-yard run (pass failed)
Total Yards — Prairie Grove 322, Pea Ridge 212
The 'Hawks opened the game on offense then moved 64 yards for the score. After short runs by Ivy and fullback Cody Foltz, Ivy broke off a 12 yarder for a first down on the Tiger 46. Brumley crossed up the Tiger defense with a 21-yard keeper to the 25, followed by a quick strike to Britton Caudill for 13 yards to the Tiger 12. After a 3-yard pickup, Ivy nearly got into the end zone on the next carry, rushing for 8 yards before being stopped inches from the goal. Brumley then took it over on the next play. Edwards added the PAT kick as the 'Hawks' led 7-0 with 7:59 left in the first period.
Although Prairie Grove moved the ball to mid-field after beginning their first possession on their own 10, the defense held to force a punt to the 'Hawk 30. Prairie Grove got a 12-yard run by Faulk to open their offense, but stalled when 3 runs by Bobby Catt, Eli Lopez and Ryan Marrell left them short facing a 4th and 5 on the Hawk 48. The Tigers then depended on their vaunted rushing attack, eschewing the punt to go for a first down. The 'Hawk defensive line held, stopping the Tigers cold for no gain to regain possession.
On first down, Brumley got outside of containment to dash 26 yards downfield to the Tiger 44. Two runs by Ivy netted 10 yards and another first down. A short 3 yarder by Caudill, a 3-yard pass to Easterling,, followed by a run for no gain put the 'Hawks into a fourth down and three situation on the Tiger 28. Brumley then threw another quick strike to Caudill who made the first down with 8 yards with more tacked on when the Tigers grabbed Caudill's face mask. With a first down on the Tiger 10, Ivy nearly broke it, gaining 10 yards to the Tiger 5. Brumley scored on a quarterback sneak on the next play with Edwards second true PAT inflating Pea Ridge's advantage to 14-0 with 10:57 left in the first half.
The Tigers unforeseen dilemma of being behind two scores seemed to fire up their defense as they stopped 'Hawk running plays three straight times for losses to force a punt. Perhaps unknown to them, Brumley was also a punter and he blasted a high 49-yard kick kick over the Tiger return men's heads to push Prairie Grove all the way to the 11-yard line.
After the TIger's first two rushes went nowhere, Prairie Grove elected to go to the air, completing three passes from Marrell to Catt and Dylan Soehner for a first down on the Tiger 35. Facing a third and four on their own 41, a fierce 'Hawk ripped the ball away from the Tiger ball carrier with Foltz covering it on the Tiger 38.
Foltz got in a 5-yard run to open the series but a 5-yard penalty left the 'Hawks third and 9 on the 37. Ivy then ripped off runs of 8 and 4 yards to gain a first down on the Tiger 25. Two plays later on the Tiger 20, the hosts put great pressure on the quarterback on a passing play with the ball a bit off mark that defensive back Catt snared for an interception, very nearly running it back all the way. After eluding several 'Hawk tacklers, Catt was taken down by Ivy on the Tiger 45, the last man between the goal line and the ball.
The Tigers abandoned their running game, passing on three straight plays, one of them a 14-yard completion to Soehner. The possession's first rushing play ended in disaster when the swarming 'Hawk defense jarring the ball loose for still another fumble with the half then coming to an end with the 'Hawks up 14-0.
Prairie Grove stayed in the dressing room for a long time, coming out just before the second half kickoff. They seemed to have gained some fire as they moved down the field 79 yards on 10 plays to finally dent the scoreboard. Lopez had runs of 11 and 29 yards before scoring from the 'Hawk 6. Passes of 22 and 26 yards to Blake Faulk aided greatly in the scoring drive which ended at the 7:47 mark. Catt ran the ball in for the 2-point conversion as the Tigers made a game of it trailing on 14-8.
On the 'Hawks' next possession, Brumley carried for 4 yards then passed to Tristan Trundle for 4 and 6 yards but a 10-yard holding penalty forced a 'Hawk punt. The 46-yard punt and short return set the Tigers up on their own 24. Marrell got in a 15-yard pass to Reed Orr but the Tigers were forced to punt three plays later.
The 'Hawks weren't able to move the ball, but Brumley's punt became a weapon when it traveled 55 yards to the Tiger. Having to back pedal, the Tiger return man misplayed the bounce, losing it at the 2-yard line with Easterling bearing down in hot pursuit. When the senior 'Hawk back saw the loose pigskin, he scooped up the ball and jumped into the end zone in one motion to score. Edwards' kick was again good and the 'Hawks were shocking the Homecoming crowd as Pea Ridge led 21-8 with 1:20 left in the third quarter.
The Tigers got a great run from Catt on the kickoff return to set up first and 10 on the 'Hawk 46. The Tigers Faulk rushed for 8 yards before Marrell passed to the tall Soehner for 10 more for a first down on the 'Hawk 28. A 7-yard pass to Soehner, a short run by Marrell, and a 15-yard sprint by Catt gave the Tigers a first down. The tall Soehner was covered by three 'Hawks in the end zone, but the pass was perfect, just low enough for the 6-6 Soehner to get to but too high for the 'Hawk defenders. The PAT run was stopped by the 'Hawk defenders to leave the score at 21-8.
Sparked by a 35-yard run by Brumley and runs of 6, 4 and 2 by Ivy, the 'Hawks drove to the Tiger 14 with just 6 minutes left in the game. Facing a fourth and 4, Brumley got off a great pass to a 'Hawk receiver but the two Tigers covering the ball tipped it away. The Tigers then took over, losing a yard rushing, then passing for 6 more to Soehner before a third down incompletion left them facing a fourth and 5 on their own 20. Fearing time was running out on them with just over 4 minutes to play, the Tigers decided to gamble and went for it on a passing play but turned the ball over when Caudill darted in to knock the ball away.
The 'Hawks went to senior tailback Ivy to bash the line for 2,3,2, and 4 yards to claim a first down on the Tiger 9. Fooling the Tigers on a misdirection play, Ivy then sprinted left to race into the end zone and all but ice the contest as Pea Ridge led 28-14 with 2:25 left in the game. Edwards was again accurate on the PAT kick for the fourth time.
With time running out, Prairie Grove forsook their ground game as 10 of their last 13 plays going through the air. Penalties on Pea Ridge and passes from Marrell to Soehner for 9 and 21 yards along with a 15-yard run by Catt. Two other passes were on the mark but defensive back Dakota Winn deflected away from the intended receiver. An 8-yard pass to Soehner gave the Tigers a first down on the Pea Ridge 3 with under a minute left. Two quarterback sneaks by Marrell got the Tigers into the end zone with 0:26 left in the game. The 2-point pass by Marrell to Soehner went by the boards when Winn leaped high to intercept the pass.
With no timeouts left and trailing by 8, the Tigers tried an onside kick but the Prairie Grove cover team touched the ball before it traveled the requisite 10 yards, allowing Pea Ridge to take over at mid-field. Brumley then downed the ball in the victory formation allowing the clock to run down to finish the 'Hawk victory.
Following Ivy's 92-yard effort on 22 carries, Brumley picked up 76 yards on eight tries, with Caudill gaining 3 on one carry with Foltz having 2 yards on two tries. Brumley was five for 10 in the passing game, for 36 yards. Caudill caught two for 25, Trundle two for 12 with Easterling having one catch for 3 yards
Prairie Grove had their lowest rushing total of the year, 156 yards, and were out rushed by Pea Ridge which totaled up 176 yards. The run first Tigers actually had more yards through the air (166), an occurrence which hasn't happened in a very long time.
The 'Hawks will have their own Homecoming game this week as they host Berryville Friday. The 'Hawks will be going for their third homecoming game victory in as many weeks after serving as the guest in both Gravette and Prairie Grove's homecoming games.
Sports on 10/22/2014