Wiedemann helps Shiloh Christian down Prairie Grove

Cam Wiedemann rushed 14 times for 115 yards and five touchdowns, including two in the second half, that helped Shiloh Christian claim a 42-28 4A-1 Conference win over Prairie Grove on Friday night.

Prairie Grove ( 5-1, 2-1) tied the game at 28 in the third quarter after trailing by two scores. But the Saints (3-1, 2-0) went back in front on Wiedemann’s 1- yard plunge late in the third. He added his fifth touchdown, an 8-yard run, in the fourth quarter and the Saints’ defense did the rest.

“He ran extremely hard, and he had great vision tonight,” Shiloh Christian coach Jeff Conoway said. “We challenged him a couple weeks ago because he had an injury, and he answered tonight.”

The win for the Saints tonight puts them in a position to control their own destiny for their 16th conference championship. The loss for the Prairie Grove Tigers (51, 2-1) gives them their first loss in the season.

“The loss is on me tonight; our kids played their hearts out and did very well,” said Prairie Grove coach Danny Abshier.

Both teams scored on their first possession of the game. Wiedemann ran the ball 42 yards for the first points of the night. The kick from Cale Slaba gave the Saints a 7-0 lead. The Tigers answered quickly, scoring on a 4-yard run by running back Cade Grant. The kick from Paytin Higgins tied the game 7-7 with 7:34 left in the first.

Shiloh was great for the rest of the first quarter. Scoring on two run plays, one by running back Ben Baker for 3 yards and one by Wiedeman for 9 yards. Eli Wisdom intercepted a pass that led to the score by Wiedeman.

Prairie Grove needed a big drive since they were down by two possessions. A big fourth down pass from quarterback Knox Laird to tight end Matthew Velasco closed the gap for the Tigers. After making the kick, they were down by 7.

The Saints scored on two plays to put them back up by two possessions. Prairie Grove ate seven minutes off the clock on its next possession. An 11-yard run by Foster Layman and a made kick by Higgins made the score 28-21 with the Saints ahead.

A big fourth down stop by the Tigers kept the game within one possession going into halftime.

Both teams scored once in the third quarter. Prairie Grove was the first to score with a 3-yard run by Cade Grant with 6:09 left in the third. Shiloh answered on the next possession with a 1-yard run by Wiedemann. The score to end the third was 35-28.

Shiloh will travel to Elkins next, and Prairie Grove will host Huntsville.