'Hawks win first round

John McGee

Special to The TIMES

"When a team plays long enough, it will get to known for something, an identity.

"This team will be known as a team that overcomes adversity," remarked head football coach Stephen Neal after his Blackhawks turned back the Arkadelphia Badgers 30-24 in the first round of the state 4A playoffs.

Indeed, the 'Hawks played the ninth-ranked visitors, battling the conditions nearly as much as the opposition. A very brisk northerly wind blowing handcuffed both teams when playing into the wind with the guests seemingly having the best of it.

Arkadelphia did most of their damage in the first quarter when they had the wind, scoring the first 10 points of the game. When the wind was at the 'Hawks' back in the second quarter, they returned the favor, scoring 10 points to tie it up at the half. Both teams scored twice in the third quarter but the 'Hawks shut the visitors down in the final period to win by six.

Lightning Drew Winn scored three touchdowns, rushing 10 times for 127 yards while catching two passes for 64 yards. Thunder Zaine Holley picked up a touchdown while running for 113 yards on 25 totes. Jakota Sainsbury raked up 113 yards passing on a five of 12 performance.

The game started well enough for the 'Hawks as they set about defending into a strong head wind. The 'Hawks' Hayden Holtgrewe nailed the Badger ball carrier for a 2-yard loss on the first play. Jacob Torres brought down potential all-stater Zion Hatley for a 3-yard loss on third down to force the game's first punt.

Facing a strong headwind, the 'Hawks kept the ball on the ground but a stacked Badger line limited the hosts to just 4 yards on three runs, forcing a punt and giving the ball to Arkadelphia on the Badger 28. Quarterback sneaks by Cannon Turner got the ball near mid-field at the Badger 40.

After Blackhawk Kenny Dorsey stormed into the backfield to drop the Badger running back Zion Hatley for a loss on first down, the guests went to the air on third down where Shemar Dickens made a fingertip catch for 18 yards for a first down in Pea Ridge territory. Hatley then broke loose for 12 yards on two runs and the Badgers were threatening on the Pea Ridge 28.

Wyatt Weber stopped Turner for a yard loss on first down but two plays later, Turner threw a perfect pass into the corner of the end to zone for the game's first score. Nathan Warner booted the PAT to send Arkadelphia ahead 7-0 with 4:46 left in the first.

Pea Ridge was still having trouble adjusting to the wind with the 'Hawks punting again after gaining but 4 yards. The wind picked up in intensity to hold up the kick, with the pigskin coming down just 15 yards from the line of scrimmage.

With a short field at the 'Hawk 39, the visitors seemed to be stopped after no gain on the first run and a loss of 6 on the second attempt. The third and 16 hole was overcome with a 22-yard passing play from Turner to Dickens. Three rushes later saw Arkadelphia knocking on the door with a first down on the 'Hawks' 6-yard line.

Blackhawk Robbie Pickthal blew up the next play with a tackle of Hatley 4 yards behind the line to the 'Hawk 10. Turner passed to Alec Ruble for 6 yards to the 4, but when the Badgers went to their star back Hatley on third down, Pickthal was there to greet him again for another loss. The 2-yard loss brought on the kicking team on fourth own and Warner was accurate to boost the lead to 10-0 with 11:08 to go in the half.

The 10-point lead didn't last long. Holley broke through the middle for 12 yards on first down, and Winn dashed the remaining 42 yards to paydirt on the next play. Evan Green booted the PAT to reduce the lead to 10-7 with 10:39 showing.

Seth Trammel stuffed the first down run by Hatley for a 1-yard loss on the ensuing play after the kickoff, and just 3 yards on the next two plays. The Badger punt set the 'Hawks up first and 10 on their own 43. A 3-yarder and two incomplete passes led to another punt, but not having to kick into the wind helped Pickthal as he booted it 54 yards into the end zone.

The 'Hawk defenders hung another 3 and out on Arkadelphia to get the ball back on their own 44. Holley started things off with a 6-yard run with Sainsbury finding Holtgrewe loose for a 16 yarder to the Arkadelphia 35. Holley rushed for 5 on first down, but two more Pea Ridge rushes netted but 2 yards bringing Green on to tie the game. Tie it he did with a 35-yard field goal with 3:12 left before intermission.

Arkadelphia took the ball on their own 20 and moved into 'Hawk territory at the 40. Pickthal ran them back 5 yards with a backfield tackle of Hatley, with Bret Kirby and Trevor Hyman dropping Turner back another 5 yards on a sack just inside Badger territory. The punt two plays later was then caught by a gust of wind and actually bounced back the other way for a 2-yard loss.

With excellent field position, the 'Hawks picked up 12 yards on first down on a Sainsbury/Holtgrewe play, then it appeared that Sainsbury had thrown a touchdown pass to Winn with the junior speedster catching the pass and falling over the goal line with a tackler on his back. The ball came out when the pair hit the ground and the referee ruled it incomplete, essentially ending the first half action.

Holley bashed the middle for a yard to start the second half, and Winn picked up another 5 but a pass was overthrown in the wind and the 'Hawks had to punt. The flags were popping and the 'Hawks' punt into the wind could make but 9 yards before coming down at 'Hawk 34.

With such good field position, the Badgers took eight plays to cover the yards into the end zone. A series of short gains moved the ball to the 'Hawk 16 where Turner flipped a 12-yard pass to Lucas for a first down on the 'Hawk 4. Turner threw a great pass into the end zone on the next play but Holtgrewe was there to tip it away for an incompletion. Turner then went back on the next play then sprinted into the end zone as Arkadelphia regained the lead at 17-10 with 7:56 left in the third quarter after Warner's PAT kick.

Winn brought the crowd to its feet as he gathered in the deep kickoff at the goal line and scampered 39 yards up field. Two plays later, Winn caught a Sainsbury pass just past mid-field and was tackled at the 25. Undaunted, Winn refused to go down and spun off the tackler to get free and run the rest of the way to score. Green's kick was good and the game was tied again, this time at 17-all.

Return man Dillon Scott caught the ensuing kickoff and appeared to be going out of bounds on the east sidelines. The Badger turned and then sprinted across the field and turned the corner to score on an 80-yard return. The accompanying kick by Warner restored the visitors' 7-point lead with 7:14 on the clock in the third period.

The 'Hawks could not move the ball in their next series and got off another punt held up in the wind. The resulting 13 yarder gave Arkadelphia a golden opportunity to go up by two scores with a first down on the 'Hawk 33.

After the guests rushed twice for a first down on the 'Hawk 22, the 'Hawks became ball 'Hawks. The next running play saw the Badger stripped of the ball by the 'Hawk defenders to stave of another Badger score.

The defensive gem buoyed the 'Hawks, and the next three plays sent the home fans into elation. Holley picked up 5 yards on first down, then on second down, burst up the middle before getting tackled 4 yards later. Holley would not go down, dragging at least two tacklers down field with him 8 more yards before other Badgers arrived to finally bring him down on the 50-yard stripe. Winn went left on a sweep, outfoxing defenders as he weaved among them before blowing past them to score for the third time. Green was good and so were the 'Hawks as they tied the Badgers again, 24-24 with 4:08 left in the quarter.

With their time with the wind at their backs about to expire, Arkadelphia went to work. A kickoff into the wind helped them take over at their own 40.