Defense shines in Blackhawk benefit game
Stephen Neal’s Blackhawk football squad tested the 2018 football waters by taking on the 6A Siloam Springs Panthers in a pre-season benefit game scrimmage on the road Friday.
The scrimmage, which went on for two quarters, was dominated by both teams’ defenses. Only a first quarter field goal by the home standing Panthers kept the game from going scoreless.
“The game was a lot like our practices,” Neal said, “in that the boys got better as the game went on. We have a lot of young players who have steadily improved their game as we get ready for the regular season.”
The ’Hawk defenders limited the Panthers to just three first downs in the contest, with the Pea Ridge offense piling up seven first downs. Four penalties on the offense along with a pair of fumbles combined to slow the attack.
While the scrimmage ended with Siloam Springs on top of the scoring with 3-0 lead, the ’Hawks ended the contest with a 138-69 advantage in total yards. The Panthers got half of their yardage on their first possession but were kept in check the rest of the way.
Pea Ridge went first on offense and had immediate success with quarterback Tate Busey flipping a 16yard pass to Hunter Rains for a first down on the ’Hawk 36. The next two plays netted zero yards and the ’Hawks nearly moved the chains when Busey hooked up with Trevor Blair on a pass that picked up a little over 9 yards. So close to a first down, Pea Ridge went for it on fourth down but were stopped just short on a run, giving the ball to Siloam on the ’Hawk 42.
Panther tailback Kaiden Thrailkill then dashed 9 yards to the ’Hawk 33 on first down. The defensive line stiffened and stopped the next two Panther rushes for no gains. Facing fourth and 1, the third time was the charm for Thrailkill who bulled through for 3 yards to the ’Hawk 30.
A Landon Ellis pass to Keondre Westbrook got the Panthers 5 yards to the ’Hawk 25, then a 4-yard run by Gustavo Fuentes and a 1-yarder by Thrailkill was just enough to move the chains with a new set of downs on the Pea Ridge 20. Ellis then passed to Thad Wright for 12 yards to the ’Hawk 8.
Thrailkill was stacked up at the line of scrimmage on first down, and a play later, the ’Hawks’ Adam Trammel broke through the O-line to drop Fuentes for a 1-yard loss. Looking at a third and 9, the Panthers threw into the end zone where a ’Hawk defensive back made a diving interception to seemingly douse the threat. However, a penalty on the ’Hawks wiped out the interception and put the Panthers on the Pea Ridge 4. Another Ellis pass missed its mark, which led to the Panther coach sending in Harrison Losh to boot through a 21-yard field goal with 4:46 left in the first period.
Pea Ridge started again with a Busey to Raines Junior Tate Busey (No. 4) passes to junior receiver Hunter Rains (No. 11).
pass to get the ’Hawks rolling, this one a 7-yarder to their own 27. A 5-yard procedural penalty set the ’Hawks back to the 22, and a 2-yard rushing loss and incompletion forced a punt back to Siloam.
The Panthers, though aided by a 5-yard penalty against the ’Hawks, were fruitless on two pass attempts in their next series. With a tackle of a Siloam ball carrier 3 yards behind the line of scrimmage by Tristan Brewer, the hosts were forced to eventually punt the ball back.
The ’Hawks then moved the ball to near mid-field on the strength of 4- and 8-yard runs by Samuel Beard and a 9-yard pass by Busey to Brayden Ralph but a disastrous fumble flipped possession back to Siloam on the ’Hawks’ 49yard line.
The Blackhawk defense rose to the occasion, with the Panthers unable to connect on a first down pass followed by Mike Mahoney’s rampage up the middle to drop the Panther rusher for a 3-yard loss. Mason Harwell came within a hair of taking down a third and long pass, forcing another Siloam punt early in the second quarter.
A fumble, tipped pass and rushing loss forced a return punt by the ’Hawks with Siloam setting up on their own 45. Ellis threw a pass into the flat to Panther receiver Elijah Coffey but Pea Ridge defender Gavin Warden sniffed it out and corralled Coffey for a 7-yard loss. An incomplete pass was followed by a 12-yarder from Ellis to Keegan Soucie, but it wasn’t enough to gain the first down so another punt gave the ball back to Pea Ridge, this time on their own 20.
Carson Rhine then pulled off the play of the game, dashing 22 yards down the sidelines for a first down to the ’Hawk 42. Busey picked up 4 more yards on a keeper but another procedure penalty on the next play set them back second and 11 from the 41. Rhine then broke through for a 9-yarder then rushed again for a yard to set up a fourth and 1 from the Siloam 49. Rhine got the call and picked up the yard needed for a fresh set of downs.
The first down pass was incomplete with the ’Hawks penalized with a motion penalty on the next play. The penalty
pushed the ’Hawks back onto their side of the field at the ’Hawk 47. Busey threw a pass to Rains who made a sensational catch to pick up 12 yards. However, the next rush by the ’Hawks lost 2 yards and the ’Hawks punted again.
Siloam, starting from their own 45, quickly drove into Pea Ridge territory after a 9-yard run by Thrailkill and an Ellis to Westbrook pass for 16 more. With a first down on the ’Hawk 29, Thrailkill rushed twice for 4 and 2 yards with Fuentes adding 3 more on a run to bring up a fourth and 2 on the 21. Thrailkill managed to pick up a yard on the next play but it wasn’t enough to stop the ’Hawks from taking over on downs.
The Blackhawks then rode the arm and legs of junior signal caller Busey to drive deep into Siloam territory. A Busey to Blair pass netted 6 yards which Busey matched with a keeper on the next play for a first down at the ’Hawk 32. Busey scrambled for 9 yards then threaded a pass to Raines for 2 more yards and a first down on the ’Hawk 43.
A Busey pass to Peyton Galbraith took the ’Hawks across mid-field, gaining 12 yards to the Siloam 45. A 9-yarder to Galbraith on second down gave the ’Hawks a third and 1 from the Siloam 36. However, a batted pass and tight coverage by the Panthers stopped the Blackhawk threat with the Panthers taking over on down with just 28 seconds left in the contest. The hosts then ran out the clock.
Rhine led the ground attack with 31 yards on five carries with Busey gaining 19 yards on three runs. Beard chipped in with 9 yards on four attempts.
Busey led the air attack, completing nine of 19 passes for 80 yards. Raines led the receivers with four catches for 35 yards with Galbraith grabbing two for 21 yards, Blair taking two for 15 yards with Ralph rounding out the totals with one catch for 9 yards.
The Blackhawks will be opening their season for real this coming Friday by traveling to Harrison for their first ever matchup with the Goblins. Playing in the 5A, Harrison has been a regular playoff team for many years with MaxPreps/CBS giving the host team a slight edge in this early matchup.
Date & Time Thursday, Aug. 23
4 p.m. 4:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 24
7 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 25
TBA
Monday, Aug. 27
4 p.m. 5 p.m. 6 p.m. TBD
Tuesday, Aug. 28
4 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 30
TBD