Blackhawks
Beat Shiloh
SPRINGDALE — Coaches spend countless hours diagramming plays, but they’d all agree that no offensive formation is better than the victory formation.
Pea Ridge Blackhawk quarterback Jakota Sainsbury took a snap and dropped to a knee in true victory formation, then raced to the sideline to celebrate his team’s 24-21 win Friday over Shiloh Christian in 4A-1 Conference action at Champions Stadium.
The win propelled the Blackhawks (8-2, 5-1 4A-1) all the way to the No. 2 seed for next week’s Class 4A state playoffs and a home game. The loss sent Shiloh Christian (6-3, 5-2) to the No. 3 seed, but the Saints will also host a firstround playoff game next week.
“This is a hard place to get a win,” Pea Ridge coach Tony Travis said. “I’m just proud of our guys; I don’t care where we have to go to next week.”
The Blackhawks were held to just 229 yards of total offense, but forced three Shiloh Christian turnovers in the second half to pull off their second straight win over the Saints.
Pea Ridge trailed 14-0 after getting torched for two first-quarter touchdowns on Shiloh Christian’s first three offensive plays. Saints quarterback Connor Reece, who was 30-of-45 for 416 yards, hit Tion Walker on a 78-yard touchdown strike down the seam, then hit Tyler Roth for another 78-yard score with 6 minutes, 5 seconds left in the first quarter.
But the Blackhawks never blinked. Pea Ridge took advan- tage of a short field when the Saints unsuccessfully tried an onside kick, and Cole Wright hit Zaine Holley on a 32-yard touchdown pass to close within 14-7. Twice Shiloh Christian failed on onside kick attempts, and both times the Blackhawks made them pay by driving short distances for scores.
Shiloh Christian increased its lead to 21-7 on a fourth-down pass from Reece to Roth, but the Saints again failed to execute an onside kick and the Blackhawks drove 50 yards to pull within 21-14 on Wright’s 21-yard pass to Hayden Holtgrewe.
The Saints’ defense came up with a big stop on Pea Ridge’s opening drive of the third quarter to force a punt. But the Saints gave the ball back when Walker was stripped at his own 30. Two plays later Drew Winn took a double-reverse 28 yards for a touchdown to tie the score at 2121.
Shiloh had three fumbles and a pass interception in the game, which were mistakes coach Jeff Conaway said proved costly
“Three turnovers in the second half, it’s hard to overcome that,” Conaway said.
Another Shiloh Christian special team’s blunder led to Pea Ridge’s final points when a 10yard punt gave the Blackhawks the ball at the Saints’ 35. Pea Ridge drove to the 14, where Jake Edwards drilled a 30-yard field goal that proved to be the gamewinner.
Pea Ridge’s defense crushed the Saints’ run game, limiting Shiloh Christian to just 82 yards on the ground.
Travis said his team showed a lot of fight after trailing twice by two touchdowns.
“We told our kids all year long, it’s hard to beat a man who never quits,” Travis said. “I think that’s a Babe Ruth quote. And Harry S. Truman said it’s amazing what you can accomplish when nobody cares who takes the credit.”