Blackhawks overwhelm Lions

GRAVETTE — Gravette Lion fans filled Lion Stadium Oct. 5 in hopes of seeing their team win its first football contest of 2018. After the 48 minutes of hard-hitting football action, the fans’ hopes were dashed when the Blackhawks from Pea Ridge handed the Lions another loss, by 42 points.

Doug Greenwood, Gravette head football coach, made a few lineup changes before the game, moving senior quarterback Tajae White to the running back position and sophomore Cy Hilger to quarterback for the Oct. 5 contest.

About five minutes into the first quarter, Pea Ridge’s Brayden Ralph found the end zone for the first touchdown of the night. The two-point conversion attempt from Blackhawk quarterback Tate Busey to Carson Rhine was successful, giving Pea Ridge the early lead by eight.

Toward the end of the quarter, Busey, on a quarterback keeper, made the second touchdown of the night on a run from the Gravette 20 yard line. Luis Reyes’ point after made it a 15-0 Blackhawk contest going into the second quarter.

Gravette was unable to move the ball throughout the half. The only touchdowns came on a 50 yard run by Ralph and an additional touchdown and a pair of point-afters by Reyes, ending the first half with the Blackhawks holding a 29-0 lead over the Lions.

A 60 yard run by Hilger on a quarterback keeper in the third quarter moved the Lions to within an inch of the goal line. As happened during the Prairie Grove contest a week earlier, the Blackhawks strong defense pushed the ball back and, after a failed attempt to move the ball over the goal line, on fourth down returned possession to Pea Ridge.

The Lions tried to get into the contest several times during the second half, but the Blackhawk defensive line proved too strong and Gravette was never able to penetrate to the goal line.

Touchdowns by Busey and Samuel Beard in the second half, coupled with a Reyes point after, gave the Blackhawks a 42-0 victory at the final horn.

The Gravette Lions travel to Berryville Oct. 12 to face the Bobcats in the Berryville High School stadium. Game time is 7 p.m.

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS A pride of Lions surround Blackhawk quarterback Tate Busey near the 20-yard line of Gravette shortly after the start of the Oct. 5 Gravette-Pea Ridge football contest at Lions Stadium in Gravette.

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Gravette quarterback Cy Hilger (10) runs out of bounds after a 20 yard run for a Lions first down during the second half of the Gravette-Pea Ridge football game in Gravette Oct. 5.