Saints start quick, roll past Pocahontas

SPRINGDALE — Shiloh Christian got off to a fast start and cruised into the Class 4A quarterfinals with a 63-14 win over Pocahontas on Friday night in Champions Stadium.

The Saints rolled up nearly 700 yards of total offense but moved it through the air and on the ground in domi- nating the Redskins.

Shiloh Christian grabbed a 21-0 lead before Pocahontas had earned any positive yardage and the Redskins never recovered.

Shiloh Christian cruised down the field on an 11-play, 74-yard opening drive finished off by a 1-yard run by Cam Wiedemann for a 7-0 drive less than three minutes into the game.

The Saints (12-0) then recovered a pooch kick and again rolled right down the field. This time quarterback Eli Reece found Luke Hutchinson for a 17-yard touchdown pass for a 14-0 Shiloh Christian lead.

Pocahontas (8-4) lost 2 yards in three plays on its first possession of the game. This time the Saints overcame a pair of penalties but traveled 67 yards in nine

plays. Wiedemann, who finished with over 100 yards on the ground and four touchdowns on the night, scored again from a yard out for a 21-0 Shiloh Christian lead with 2:33 left in the opening quarter.

The Saints went on to a 49-7 halftime lead and cruised in the second half. The Shiloh Christian defense allowed just 83 yards of total offense in the first half, including 7 yards rushing.

Shiloh Christian coach Jeff Conaway couldn’t have been more pleased with his offensive execution. The Saints rushed for more than 300 yards and also rushed for over 300 yards.

“I was very pleased with the way we adjusted,” Conaway said. “In our offense,

“We love scoring points and we don’t care if we have to run it or throw it. Tonight we did both really, really well. I’m very proud of our guys, especially our guys up front.”

Shiloh Christian coach Jeff Conaway

it’s to our advantage to take what they give us. We felt like we were able to do both and our guys did both well.

“We love scoring points and we don’t care if we have to run it or throw it. Tonight we did both really, really well. I’m very proud of our guys, especially our guys up front.”

Wiedemann, a 5-foot-10, 199-pound junior, accounted for 184 yards of total offense in a half of action. He rushed for 144 yards on 19 carries with four touchdowns and also had three catches for 40 yards. Logan Raben also rushed for 114 yards on just nine carries and a touchdown.

Reece also completed 14 of 17 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Truitt Tollett finished with seven receptions for 134 yards and a touchdown. That gives him 26 receiving touchdowns, which ties the Saints’ school record.

FOUR DOWNS

• The Saints will take on Nashville, which defeated Dardanelle, in next week’s quarterfinals. It will be the second consecutive year Shiloh Christian and Nashville have squared off in the quarterfinals. The Saints won last year’s matchup 40-21. • Pocahontas’ C.J. Palmer returned an interception 59 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

• It was the second time Shi- loh Christian played Pocahontas ever and both in the second round of the playoffs. The Saints also won the last meeting 14-7 in 2014.

• Eli Reece’s older brother, Connor, was the starting quarterback on that 2014 team and threw a touchdown pass in the Saints’ victory over the Redskins. Paul Boyd can be reached at pboyd@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWAPaulb.