Adams, Withrow rally Blackhawks

Joe Adams and Zac Withrow were pressed into starting roles on Pea Ridge’s offense after a pair of starters went down with season-ending injuries.

Both of them were vital in rallying the Blackhawks to a 35-28 victory over Alma in their 5A-West Conference debut. Adams tied the game at 28 with his 4-yard touchdown run, capping a 95-yard scoring drive that included Withrow’s reverse 45-yard flea-flicker pass to Kayden Rains.

Adams, who recovered a fumble to set up the game-tying drive, then scored on a 20-yard run with 2 minutes left after Pea Ridge’s defense stopped Alma on a fake punt attempt near midfield.

“We’ve had to overcome some injuries,” said Blackhawks coach Jeff Williams. “Joe Adams and fullback Carlos Martinez have done a good job running with the ball, and Zac has thrown the ball well the last two games.

“They have accepted their roles, and that has been part of the process.”

Pea Ridge (1-3, 1-0) won despite allowing a school-record 287 yards rushing by Alma tailback Logan Chronister. Williams pointed out that his team had four turnovers in its season opener against Shiloh Christian, but none in its last two games.

“I know we gave up a lot of yardage,” Williams said. “But our guys made the plays we needed to make in order to win the game. The bottom line is they turned the ball over and we didn’t.

“Winning that first conference deal is a good deal, and I’m happy for our team. Our first three games were used as building blocks toward preparing for the 5A-West. But we only enjoyed the win for about 24 hours because it doesn’t get any easier this week with Morrilton.”