'Hawks outdefend Cards

Run record to 3-0

"When life hands you lemons, make lemonade"

Pea Ridge football team had lemons falling on them like the rain that pelted the area Friday, but the resolute 'Hawks made enough lemonade to stay undefeated as they edged host Farmington 13-7 in the final non-conference game of the season.

Scoring summary

Pea Ridge 0 0 13 0 - 13

Farmington 0 7 0 0 - 7

Second quarter

Farmington - Javon Jowers, 7-yard run, kick good 8:31

Third quarter

Pea Ridge - Jakota Sainsbury, 1-yard run, Green kick good 4:51

Pea Ridge - Jakota Sainsbury, 1-yard run, kick blocked 2:49

Pea Ridge suffered four turnovers, had five offensive plays totaling 114 yards waived off by penalties, with the penalties themselves pushing them back another 75 yards. However, an unyielding, stone wall defense overcame the 'Hawks' offensive woes enough to claim their 11th straight regular season road victory.

After a day of rain, the game was delayed for more than an hour due to lightning. Farmington took the ball first, and made an initial first down via the Cards Trey Waggle's passing. After gaining only 4 yards total on four rushing attempts, the 'Hawks defense forced an early punt, the first of several.

Tailback Zaine Holley opened the 'Hawk offense with a 3-yard run, which was followed by a tremendous 17-yard dash by Drew Winn on the next play. A penalty wiped out the gain and pushed the ball back 10 yards. Two plays later, facing a second and 8 from the 'Hawk 33, a pass was tipped with another Cardinal defender Nile Thomas gathering it in and running it back to the 'Hawk 8. Four plays resulted in a loss of a yard for the Cardinals and the 'Hawks took over on the 9.

Five runs by Holley netted 34 yards to the Farmington 44. Facing a fourth and 1, Holley then ran 20 yards to the Cardinals 24, but a flag was thrown and the ball moved back to the Farmington 49 and Pea Ridge had to punt.

Utilizing the running of Cardinal star back Caleb Williams, Farmington kept it on the ground on their next possession, gaining 22 yards but when they ran into a fourth and 8 on their own 48, they opted to kick it away.

Holley gained 2 yards on the next play with Jordan Sainsbury completing a 9-yard pass to Hayden Holtgrewe for a first down on the 'Hawk 25. Sainsbury's next pass went through the hands of a 'Hawk receiver and into the hands of defensive back Trenton Thomas who ran it into the red zone on the Pea Ridge 16. The Cards chances of scoring were quashed after two quarterback sacks by Brett Kirby and Duncan Truesdale pushed them back 10 yards. A fourth down rush came up short with Pea Ridge taking over on their own 14.

After Holley opened the next series with a 2-yard run. Sainsbury then hooked up with Holtgrewe for a 20 yarder, only to see a flag thrown and the 'Hawks set back to the 13-yard line. At this point, the first of several bizarre officiating calls cropped up after Sainsbury tossed a 14-yard pass to Holtgrewe which advanced the ball to the 'Hawk 32. After a long discussion among the field judges, it was ruled that an official had accidentally blown his whistle before Holtgrewe caught the ball, negating the play and resulting in a "do over."

Two plays later and the Cardinals had their third interception, with Farmington's Skylar Montez almost scoring on the return before being brought down on the 3. Farmington's first rush hit a brick wall, but their second attempt was run by little used back Javon Jowers who scored from the 8. The PAT kick was good with Farmington jumping out to a 7-0 lead with 8:31 left in the half.

Each team had two more possessions before the intermission but they all resulted in three and out and a punt.

On the second play of the second half, Sainsbury threw a lateral to Holtgrewe which the junior receiver caught on one bounce. Holtgrewe took off upfield and could've possibly scored until the referee's whistle blew again. The official mistakenly ruled the lateral an incomplete forward pass wiping out another big offensive gainer for the 'Hawks.

A fumble and penalty forced another Pea Ridge punt and the Cards got the ball near midfield at their own 47. After two runs netted the home boys but 2 yards, the Cardinals went to the air but this time, the 'Hawks were ready with Wyatt Weber snaring the pass and returning it to near the Farmington 30. Again, however, a yellow flag flew and Weber's run was wiped out, moving the ball back across midfield at the 'Hawk 46.

Two runs by Holley crossed the midfield stripe, and after Farmington jumped offsides, the 'Hawks were in business on the Cardinal 42. Sainsbury slipped an 8-yard pass to Holtgrewe before a 1-yard run by Weber and a 3-yard sneak by Sainsbury earned another first down, this time at the Farmington 28. The first down run by Sainsbury was greeted by an unsportmanlike act on the part of a Cardinal which placed the ball on the 13. Holley ran twice for 12 yards, and with 4:51 left in the third quarter, Sainsbury took it in from the 1 for the score. New placekicker Evan Green made his presence felt by nailing the PAT to tie the score at 7-7.

Special teams coach Josh Reynolds made the decision to try an onside kick following the tying score. Though the ball traveled over 20 yards, a little deep for an onside kick, hustling 'Hawk defenders beat the surprised Cardinal receive team to the ball, covering it on the Farmington 29. On second down, Holley burst through for the game's longest run, a 24-yard ramble to the 5-yard line. Three runs by Holley got the 'Hawks to the 1-yard line, where Sainsbury repeated the same play from moments before to score again. The touchdown put the 'Hawks in front 13-7 with 2:49 left in the third.

Green then placed the kick off all the way to the Cardinal 3, with a return setting Farmington up on their own 17. The Cards next three plays gained but 3 yards and they were forced to punt once more.

After getting great field position on the Farnington 45, a 10-yard penalty and a 7-yard loss on a busted play left the 'Hawks with a second and 27. Sainsbury hit his favorite target Holtgrewe with a 12-yard pass to get most of the yardage back and then hooked up with Robby Pickthal for a big 35-yard gainer to the Cardinal 15. Once again, the play came back when officials launched another yellow flag. Subsequently, the 'Hawks were then facing a fourth and 11 from the Card 46, now a punting situation.

Pea Ridge got new life when the punter (Sainsbury) was run over by a Farmington defender. The resulting penalty gave the ball to the 'Hawks on the Cardinal 30. After a short run by Holley, the drive went off the rails when the Cards came up with their fourth interception.

With the clock running out and the 'Hawks proving unyielding on the ground, Farmington was forced to go to the air with Waggle completing two passes to Xavier Staten for 18 and 34 yards. After a 1-yard run, Farmington had three straight incomplete passes. The last one came on fourth and 9 from the Pea Ridge 30 when Britton Caudill tackled the quarterback just as he was throwing the ball, causing it to go awry.

The 'Hawks couldn't move the ball after Holleys' two 4-yard runs were offset by a penalty, which led to a punt. The 'Hawks caught a break when the officials ruled a Cardinal had touched the punted ball with Pea Ridge covering it on their own 41. The 'Hawks still could not move the ball, but the ensuing punt pushed the Cardinals back to their own 21.

It looked like the 'Hawks were going to ice the game when a bad snap sent the Cardinal punter scrambling back to their 3-yard line. Although surrounded with 'Hawk tacklers, the punter made a shovel pass forward to the nearest Cardinal jersey with the surprise receiver running the ball all the way to the 35 for a first down.

On first down, Blackhawk Mike Mahoney broke through the blockers to sack the quarterback resulting in a 5-yard loss. Two incomplete passes were followed by a bad snap on fourth down, giving the ball to Pea Ridge on the Card 29.

Winn got loose to gain 15 yards on first down, but once again, a referee's whistle wiped out the play. Holley gained 8 yards on two carries but it wasn't enough and the 'Hawks were forced to kick it away and give the Cardinals one last chance.

Three incomplete passes later and the Cardinals were looking at the end of the game with a minute left. The fourth pass was off the mark but it hit a 'Hawk defender and bounced into the hands of a Cardinal receiver to keep the game alive as they moved the ball to near midfield. Waggle did complete one short pass for 7 yards but the other three were incomplete, effectively ending the contest.

Holley led the way to the 'Hawks' triumph, rushing 26 times for 114 yards. Farmington's leading rusher was Williams who picked up 27 yards on 17 tries. Waggle led Farmington's passing game with 69 yards on five of 24 passing. The 'Hawks' Sainsbury was five for 17 for 40 yards.

All told, Pea Ridge outgained Farmington in total yards 134 to 109 with the Cards gaining most of their yardage (70 yards) in the fourth quarter. The time of possession in the second half favored the 'Hawks with Pea Ridge controlling the ball 18 minutes to the Cards 6.

The 'Hawks ended the game with 134 yards total offense, compared to the Cardinals total of 94, most of which came via the air in the last quarter.

The game marked the end of the non-conference season and for the third straight year, the Hawks finish 3-0. Pea Ridge will be opening the 4A-1 Conference schedule this Friday by traveling to Gentry. Game time is 7 p.m.

Sports on 09/21/2016