Alma gets three TDs from Daily

ALMA 27, PEA RIDGE 13

PEA RIDGE — When it was Jackson Daily’s turn to run with the football, Alma’s quarterback spent most of his time running to his left.

But when the senior decided to run to his right, good things happened for the Airedales.

Daily ran for three touchdowns in the second half as Alma improved to 3-0 in 5A-West Conference play for the first time since 2018 with a 27-13 victory over Pea Ridge at Blackhawk Stadium.

“When you’re a good football team and you’re winning games, you’re going to get some things from people,” Alma Coach Rusty Bush said. “[Pea Ridge Coach] Brey Cook and that staff did an outstanding job preparing for us, and those kids played their tails off.

“I’m happy for our kids, too. But when you’re playing well, the bull’s eye is on your chest.”

Daily engineered a 12-play, 61-yard drive to put Alma (5-1) ahead to stay after Pea Ridge (4-2, 1-2) had tied the game at 6 on Daniel Trejo’s 24-yard field goal midway through the third quarter. His fourth-down pass to Samuel Schlegel kept the drive alive, then he went up the middle for 8 yards on another fourth-down play and scored to give the Airedales a 13-6 lead with 2:02 left in the third quarter.

He struck again on Alma’s next possession as he went down the right sideline and scored on a 43-yard run and made it a 20-6 game with 8:42 remaining.

“We were banging the zone one direction, then would counter the other way,” Bush said. “We got them shifted heavy on one side. We thought that’s what they would do and got some great kickouts with the offensive line, and he busted it just like he has done the past few weeks.

“They wadded up and stuffed us a few times at the line of scrimmage. But we knew if he could ever get loose and past that first wave he would go the distance.”

Pea Ridge was able to get in the end zone when Gavin Dixon hit Austin James with a 14-yard touchdown pass and make it a 20-13 game with 2:17 remaining.

The Blackhawks’ ensuing onside-kick attempt went out of bounds, and Daily scored on a 14-yard run to put the game away.