Saints march on

Shiloh Christian’s defense held Dumas tailback Kylin James mostly in check, and sophomore quarterback Eli Wisdom rushed for 135 yards and three touchdowns as the Saints defeated the Bobcats 31-12 at Springdale to secure a spot in next week’s Class 4A semifinals.

SPRINGDALE — Thomas Reece doesn’t get all the flash and notoriety that his two older quarterback-playing brothers did at Shiloh Christian.

But make no mistake, his impact on the field for the Saints is just as important.

Reece, a 6-1, 255- pound sophomore, led a Shiloh Christian defense that forced three turnovers and held one of the state’s top rushers in check in a 31-12 victory over Dumas in the Class 4A quarterfinals in Champions Stadium.

“I came out of the womb a little heavier than they did,” said Reece of his older brothers Connor and Eli.

Shiloh Christian ( 12-1) will host Stuttgart next Friday night in a Class 4A state semifinal. Stuttgart knocked off Ozark 35-21 on Friday night.

With Reece dominating the middle of the Saints’ defense, Shiloh Christian was able to shake off an early 6-0 deficit. Bobcats’ senior tailback Kylin James led his team on a 9-play, 56-yard scoring drive on their first possession. James, who entered the game with 2,281 rushing yards, had gains of 22 and 15 yards in the drive, which was capped by quarterback Kennon Jones’ 7-yard keeper.

James, who finished the game with 116 yards, gained 77 of those on his first eight carries. His next six carries went for 3 yards as the Saints made several defensive adjustments to try and keep him contained.

“Phenomenal,” said Shiloh Christian Coach Jeff Conaway of his defense. “The defensive plan these last two weeks has been incredible. The way our players have executed has been extremely sound.”

Shiloh Christian was able to answer the Dumas (9-4) score with an 84-yard drive. Saints sophomore quarterback Eli Wisdom ripped off a 36-yard run on third down and Ben Baker capped the march with a 27-yard dash down the left sideline. Cale Slaba’s extra-point kick gave the Saints a 7-6 lead with 3:43 left in the first quarter.

The first big defensive stop for the Saints came with just over four minutes left in the half. Dumas was at its own 39 facing fourth and inches and James got the call. Reece split the Bobcats’ offensive line and planted James in the backfield.

“Our coaches made a great call there,” Reece said. “We were aligned, then we shifted and we were ready for it and I was able to go straight through and make a play.”

After Shiloh Christian was able to extend its lead to 10-7 on Slaba’s 23-yard field goal with 1:58 left in the half, the Saints’ defense again came up with a huge fourth-down stop.

Dumas was faced with a fourth and 1 at its own 29 and the Bobcats elected to go for it. The Saints were ready, and James was again stopped for no gain to give the Saints the ball at the Dumas 29. Three plays later Wisdom scored on a 3-yard keeper for a 17-6 Shiloh Christian lead.

The Bobcats did not go quietly, however. After Shiloh Christian moved to the Dumas 10 midway through the third quarter, Bobcat linebacker Brandon Johnson stepped in front of a Wisdom pass and returned the interception 90 yards for a touchdown, pulling his team within 17-12 with 5:05 left in the third quarter.

Again the Saints answered, starting with Jacob Solomon’s 30-yard kickoff return. Shiloh Christian stayed exclusively on the ground with Wisdom and Cam Wiedemann leading the way. Wisdom, who rushed for 135 yards, scored on a 10yard keeper for a 24-12 advantage.

Shiloh Christian added a final touchdown with 2:16 left. Wisdom scored from 5 yards out.

“The defensive plays tonight were huge,” said Conaway. “We were able to end their drives and get good field position and take advantage of it.”