Late field goal gives Shiloh the edge

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

SPRINGDALE -- In a closely fought game between the two conference powerhouses -- Pea Ridge Blackhawks and Shiloh Saints -- both team's defenses kept each either's high-scoring offenses at bay.

Pea Ridge did not score until the second half when quarterback Jakota Sainsbury hit receiver Hayden Holtgrewe for a 75-yard touchdown reception. Shiloh's front seven also held Pea Ridge running back Drew Winn, the conference's leading rusher, to 69 yards on the ground.

Shiloh Christian 17, Pea Ridge 14

Pea Ridge^0^0^7^7^—^14

Shiloh Christian^7^0^7^3^—^17

First Quarter:

Shiloh – Russ 39 run (Williams kick), 4:18

Second Quarter:

Third Quarter:

Pea Ridge – Holtgrewe 75 pass from Sainsbury (Green kick), 8:20

Shiloh – Brown 4 run (Williams kick), 2:20

Fourth Quarter:

Pea Ridge – Sainsbury 1 run (Green kick),

Shiloh – FG Williams 28, 3:59

"They played outstandingly on defense," Neal said. "They fly to the football."

Pea Ridge (9-1, 6-1) had an opportunity to tie the game at the end but failed to connect on the 35-yard attempt. The Blackhawks had a third-and-10 looming with 20 seconds still left on the clock when Blackhawk coach Stephen Neal decided to send out his special teams unit to attempt the field goal.

"We had run out of time outs at that point in time, and we were afraid that if we took another sack or if something were to occur, that we couldn't spike the ball and stop the clock at that time," Neal said. "If it was going to be a deal where it was a scramble around, and they scramble six, seven seconds off the clock, and we're going to be in a real huge rush to get our kids on the field and kick the ball, so we decided 20 seconds left, let's get a good shot at it, and we can take our time at it."

Shiloh Christian coach Jeff Conaway had a lot of confidence in his kicker Pat Williams Friday when he sent him out in the fourth quarter to attempt the winning 28-yard field goal.

Williams, who had missed a 35-yard attempt earlier in the game, nailed the kick to give the Saints (7-3, 5-3) the lead with a little less than four minutes left, and the Shiloh defense held out the rest of the game as the Saints came away with the victory, knocking off the undefeated Pea Ridge Blackhawks, 17-14.

"After that first kick, I told him, 'Get ready for the next one,' and, sure enough, he got that opportunity," Conaway said.

Conaway was pleased with how smart his defense played and how well they tackled, he said.

Senior Blackhawk Holtgrewe was one of the top players for the Blackhawks after he finished with nine catches for 134 yards and the long touchdown grab in the second half.

Sports on 11/08/2017