’Hawks open conference season, blast Pioneers 43-7
Stephen Neals’ Pea Ridge Blackhawks open the 4A-1 Conference season with a blast, running past the Gentry Pioneers 43-7 is a game that was mercy ruled by intermission.
“We started our second season and we started it well,” remarked head coach Neal. “The offensive line played exceptionally well, the defensive players were dominant and the team just played well. The scoreboard told the tale.”
Samuel Beard led the offense with 131 yards rushing and four touchdowns. Tate Busey had a big night with four of six passing for 67 yards while adding 69 yards rushing and two scores. Trevor Blair caught three passes for 63 yards, and Charles Martinez rushed three times for 27 yards. Luis Reyes was a perfect five for five in kicking PATs.
On the defensively side, Joe Adams and Mazon Harris led the way in tackling with six stops with Samual Tillman and Chandler Snow adding four.
After penalties slowed the Hawks in their initial possession, their offensive machine cranked out touchdowns on their next three possessions. Meanwhile, Gentry’s first three possessions ended in an interception, lost yardage and lost fumble. With Pea Ridge out gaining Gentry 138 yards to 1 in the early going , the Hawks raced out to a 21-0 first quarter advantage.
Joe Adams’ early first quarter interception led to the Hawks first score. Starting on the Gentry 35, it didn’t take Pea Ridge long to score as quarterback Tate Busey took the first snap and then outraced the Pioneer defenders to the end zone. Luis Reyes booted the PAT for a 7-0 lead at the 7:02 mark.
Standout Pioneer quarterback Brandon Atwood hit receiver Tomblin for a 12-yarder in the ensuing drive, but three Gentry running plays netted -6 rushing yards, necessitating a Pioneer punt to the Pioneer 22. Beard bashed the line for 2 and 9 yards for a first down on the 11-yard line. Busey ran the next play from the Pioneer 11 to double the Hawk lead. Reyes kicked in the point after for a 14-0 lead with 4:23 showing in the first period.
The Hawks’ chances came at them quickly when Gavin Warden jumped on a fumbled ball at the 4:03 mark, setting off another scoring drive. Busey ran for 4 yards on second down with Beard picking up 10 more to cross over into Pioneer territory. After Busey set Trevor Blair for a 15-yard pass to the Gentry 23. Beard then ran for 3, Busey scooted ahead for 8 with Beard’s 11-yard run picking up 11 yards to the Gentry 1-yard line. Beard punched it in from the 1 as Pea Ridge had built a 21-0 lead.
In a game where the Hawks were installed by the media as a scant 3-point favorite, the Pioneers were stung by the deep deficit facing their team. Atwood responded by completing seven straight passes for 68 yards with the march slowed only by Mazon Harris’ sack of the quarterback for 4 yards. Gentry dented the scoreboard when Atwoods dropped a 12-yard touchdown bomb to Jarnigan to draw the guests a little closer at 21-7 with 9:45 left in the half.
That lead was expanded two minutes later when the six-play scoring driver culminating in a 2-yard plunge by Beard with 7:13 showing. The big play of the drive as a 36-yarder from Busey to Trevor Blair to the Gentry 22. Beard rushed three times for 1, 15 and 2 yards to set up the score. A bad snap on the PAT sent Busey scurrying the senior leader rambled into the end zone for the 2-point score. The score lifted the lead to 29-7.
Reyes kicked off into the end zone and it all went downhill for Gentry from there. Gavin Warden sacked the quarterback for a 5-yard loss on first down then the visitors were pushed father back to their own 7 on a holding penalty. Three more plays netted the Hawks 3 yards forcing punt. The Hawks’ fierce punt coverage induced the kicker to kick the ball straight up into the air where the Hawks covered it on the same 10yard line.
Beard slashed for 5 yards, following that up with another 5-yard jaunt to the end zone and a 36-7 lead. Reyes added the PAT with 4:49 left in the period.
Gentry took the kickoff and got 9 yards on two rushing plays to set up a fourth and 1 on the Pioneer 38. The guests gambled on a first down play but were foiled when the Hawk defense dropped the ball carrier for a 2-yard loss. Two plays later, Beard burst loose to dash 45 yards down field to paydirt and the Hawks’ sixth touchdown. Reyes’ kick was again good to boost the lead to 43-7 with 1:53 let in the half.
The latest score activated the Mercy Rule with a continuously running clock in the second half.
The Hawks only got to run four plays in the third quarter with substitutes playing extensively in the second half. The youthful reserves allowed the Pioneers get to the 22- and 14-yard lines, but they stopped them on both fourth down plays,
The Pioneers had one more chance to get into the end zone, with Gentry’s run then pass plays getting them all the way down to the Pea Ridge 1-yard line. Gentry went to the air and had a man open in the end zone, only to see Blackhawk junior Marcus Nobles step in front of the pass to intercept and end the game’s last threat.
The Hawks will be in Lincoln Friday to take on the 0-1 Wolves. Lincoln was shot down by Gravette 34-14 last week.