Pea Ridge celebrated Homecoming 2019 in a big way, trouncing the Gravette Lions 42-0 in a game that was mercy ruled in the second quarter.
The Blackhawks were led by a four-touchdown, 159-yard rushing effort by senior Samuel Beard. The veteran tailback accomplished the totals on just 14 carries.
Quarterback Tate Busey was five of 10 passing for 128 yards and also gained 22 yards on the ground rushing. Senior Brayden Ralph was his primary target, catching four of the passes for a touchdown and 112 yards. Hunter Rains caught the other pass for 16 yards.
Busey, the best punter in the 4A-1, was very effective in flipping the field on the Lions on fourth down. He punted three times for a whopping 49.3 yards per kick average, keeping the Lions pinned back deep into their own territory.
On defense, the Lions' passing game was totally shut down with Gravette's outstanding quarterback Cy Hilger only managing 31 yards on six of 20. In the Lions first four games, they averaged nearly 250 yards per game passing. The visitors did manage 114 rushing yards on 28 carries. The Hawks had been limiting their opposing teams to an average of -5 yards on the ground in their first two league games. The Hawks' rushing defense is now giving up only about 30 yards per game on average, an impressive figure.
On offense for Pea Ridge, Daniel DeLeon picked up 36 yards running up the middle 12 times to balance the attack. Luis Reyes managed some defensive offense, picking off a Lion pass on defense, running it back 30 yards for a touchdown. Reyes was also a perfect six for six on the point after touchdown kicks.
Beard got things going early in the first quarter, dashing 21 yards for the initial touchdown. Beard set up the score with a 52-yard run to start the game. The Hawks' offensive line opened a hole in the line large enough for school bus to drive through, then Beard dodged and outmaneuvered the secondary all the way to the Lion 21. Reyes' kick made it 7-0.
A Hawk interception right after the opening score paved the way for another. Busey's and Beard's running took the ball to the Lion 1 where Beard bashed it in for the score. Reyes split the uprights for a 14-0 lead.
Just before the end of the quarter, Reyes made his pick for the score, then booted the PAT for a 21-0 lead headed into the second period.
Gravette put up a little more starch into their defense, forcing a Hawk punt they couldn't get any traction on their possession. Still, they were no more fortunate on their next series, with the Hawks setting up inside their own 20. A big 50-plus run by Beard put them back deep into Lion territory. A 16- yarder to Rains and runs by Busey got them close to paydirt with Beard dashing into the end zone for the Hawks' fourth score of the day. Reyes was accurate on the kick and the Hawks were close to a mercy rule invocation, leading 28-0.
It appeared the mercy rule was about to be activated when Beard ran 25 yards for another touchdown, but a penalty waved off the score. It only delayed the inevitable as the Hawks would score on a Busey pass moments later for a 35-point lead. Beard would put the finishing touches on the big victory with a 7-yard touchdown run late in the half. The remainder of the game was clock shortened with reserves on both sides getting lots of action.
Seniors Lance Nunley and Gavin Warden led the defensive tackling with five stops each, with junior Samual Tillman close behind with four tackles. James Fort, Anthony Bleything, Chandler Snow, John Roses, Luis Reyes and Cole Brown all had three tackles each. Caleb Neil, Joe Adams, Peyton Losey, Rhett Snyder, Mazon Harris, Adam Trammel and Daniel Wood all chipped in with two stops each.
The game was the first one back for junior Cole Brown who has been rehabbing from knee surgery. Brown suffered the injury during basketball season last winter.
The win by the Hawks left them tied with Shiloh alone atop the 4A-1 with four games left in the season. This Friday, the Hawks will host Prairie Grove, whom they have beaten the past two years. The Hawks beat them 38-29 last season in Prairie Grove and they beat them at home for the first time ever in 2017 by a 26-21 count. It was the first time in school history to ever beat the vaunted Tigers in consecutive games.
The Tigers come into the game with a losing record at 2-4, compared to the Hawks' 3-3 mark. Like Pea Ridge, they lost their three non-conference tilts, 27-7 to Farmington, 45-8 to Dardanelle, then 34-28 to Pottsville. After whipping Gravette 48-7, and Green Forest 55-14, Prairie Grove was run over by Shiloh 56-7 in their worst defeat to the Springdale school ever.
Tiger head coach Danny Abshier has been the skipper of the Washington County school for over 20 years, amassing a 195-107 overall record to be one of the top coaches in the state regardless of class for total victories. They have not missed a playoff run in this millennium. Abshier is 1-2 against Hawks coach Stephen Neal.
After Prairie Grove, the Hawks travel to Berryville on Oct. 25 then host Green Forest on Nov. 1. The season will come to a climax on Nov. 8 when the Hawks invade Springdale with the 4A-1 title on the line against Shiloh. Neal is 2-2 against the private school to the south since taking over in Pea Ridge.
Sports on 10/16/2019