Blackhawks (4-0) turn away Tigers
5A-WEST
PEA RIDGE 41, PRAIRIE GROVE 14
PRAIRIE GROVE — The turnaround continues for the Pea Ridge Blackhawks.
Seth Foster scored four touchdowns and rushed for more than 200 yards as Pea Ridge overpowered Prairie Grove 41-14 on Friday night in a 5A-West Conference opener at Tiger Stadium. Pea Ridge is 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the league after winning only three games last season.
Foster placed an exclamation point on his standout performance with 49-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter after scoring on runs of 27, 6, and 7 yards earlier in the game.
“Seth is a great kid off the field and it shows up on the field,” Pea Ridge Coach Brey Cook said. “He does everything right and it pays off for him.”
The mistakes Prairie Grove (2-2, 0-1) made in a 48-14 loss at Tulsa Metro Christian followed the Tigers home with four turnovers against the Blackhawks. An interception by Mason Wolfenden led to a 27-yard touchdown run by Foster. Wolfenden also came up with a big play on the previous series with a sure tackle that left the Tigers short on fourth down following a catch by tight end David Stephens.
“Mason Wolfenden is a senior captain and he is playing amazing football right now,” Cook said. “He’s playing hard, he’s playing smart, and he’s going to have a lot of success.”
Pea Ridge led 14-0 at halftime after a 1-yard touchdown pass from Gavin Dixon to Brayden Wright. Pea Ridge then took the second-half kickoff and scored on a 6-yard run by Foster to increase its lead to 21-0.
Prairie Grove got to within 21-8 in the third quarter when Cole Bray broke loose for a 43-yard touchdown run.
But Pea Ridge blew up any momentum the Tigers had hoped to gain with two quick touchdowns to increase its lead to 34-8 in the third quarter. Foster scored on a 7-yard run before Wright padded the lead on a 35-yard touchdown catch from Dixon.
Prairie Grove gave the ball right back on a fumble after Foster scored and the Blackhawks took advantage when Dixon spotted Wright in the left flat and he scored easily with 1:20 left in the first half. Pea Ridge added a 2-point conversion pass to take a 14-0 lead into the locker room.
Prairie Grove’s best series came on its opening possession when the Tigers used a seven-minute drive on 15 plays before being stopped on fourth down at the Pea Ridge 28.
Joe Sims, a stout running back who also plays on the defensive line, picked up good yardage with runs into the middle of the Pea Ridge defense. Sims was the primary ball carrier in the first half for the Tigers after Conner Hubbs was injured last week against Tulsa Metro Christian.
Conference play continues next week with Pea Ridge returning home to face Dardanelle. Meanwhile, Prairie Grove will travel to Harrison.