Tigers Pummel Eagles, 41-12

PRAIRIE GROVE — The final score was no indication of two turnovers Prairie Grove overcame in the first 7:40 of Friday’s 41-12 win against Huntsville to open conference play.

The Tigers mishandled the opening kickoff and dug in defensively to stop Huntsville’s offense in the red zone. Huntsville converted a fourth down on Lukas Rayl’s catch between two Tiger defenders and the Eagles reached the Prairie Grove nine. Playing defensive end, Sol Walker stopped Eagle runningback Cyrus Crow for a 2-yard loss. Then on third-and-8, linebacker Reed Orr recovered an Eagle fumble at the Prairie Grove 10.

When their offense took the field, the Tigers needed only four plays and less than a minute-anda-half to travel 90 yards for the game’s first score. Junior halfback Anthony Johnson reeled off a 68-yard touchdown run and Clay Fidler kicked the extra-point for a 7-0 Prairie Grove lead with 6:33 left in the first quarter.

Prairie Grove then forced a Huntsville punt which hit a retreating Tiger in the back and was recovered by Huntsville’s J.D. Vaughn giving the Eagles a first down at the Tiger 28. This was the same field position Huntsville began from on their first drive, but again the Tiger defense was equal to the task. Dawson West chased down Eagle quarterback Sean McCone, holding him to one yard. On second down, Walker nailed McCone, who pitched to Crow, but Isaac Disney came up from the cornerback spot to make a tackle. Stone Bryant stopped Crow on a sweep setting up fourth and six from the Tiger 23. McCone ran the opposite direction of the flow on a bootleg, getting past two Tigers, but Fidler brought him down at the 22.

After the turnover on downs, Prairie Grove drove 78 yards in three plays. Quarterback Zeke Laird ran 33 yards on a keeper. Then Orr broke off left tackle for 38 yards to the Eagle seven. He finished the drive on the next play with the first of a pair of touchdown runs. Fidler’s kick made the score, 14-0, in favor of Prairie Grove with 1:55 left in the first quarter. Johnson’s diving interception returned the football to Prairie Grove with the Tigers covering 54 yards in six plays and scoring on Orr’s 2-yard run for a 20-0 lead.

After an exchange of punts, Prairie Grove pinned Huntsville inside their 10. Keaton Sugg and West combined to stop McCone, who was sacked for an 11-yard loss on second down by Troy Sugg setting up a punt from the Eagle two. Fidler’s fair catch at the 32 put the Tigers in business from the Eagle 32. Six plays later, Johnson fumbled at the one. Two Eagle defenders did not hold him on the ground, however, and he quickly leaped on the ball which had fallen into the end zone and was credited with a 10-yard touchdown run. Fidler’s boot extended the Tiger lead to