Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Homecoming Triumph
TIGERS DEFEAT WOLVES 40-17
PRAIRIE GROVE — The Prairie Grove Tigers continue to steamroll 4A-1 opponents after they dispatched the Lincoln Wolves 40-17 on Friday.
The previously unbeaten Wolves (5-1, 2-1) had only turned the ball over once all season, however against the stingy Tiger defense Lincoln gifted Prairie Grove with five turnovers. Two of those miscues happened within a minute and thirty seconds of each other in the second quarter and both were turned into touchdowns by Prairie Grove. It also turned a 7-6 Wolves advantage into a 19-7 deficit.
“We talked all week about turnovers being crucial,” said Wolves’ coach Brad Harris. “We knew we couldn’t turn it over against a team like this. If we just take care of the ball two times in the first half, it’s a different ballgame.”
Prairie Grove drew first blood when Dylan Soehner out-jumped a defender in the end zone on a Jacob Storlie pass for a seven-yard touchdown and a 6-0 Tiger lead. Unfazed, Lincoln countered with a touchdown pass from Drew Harris to Alec Pitts, who outraced the Prairie Grove defense 71 yards to pay dirt. Emilio Marrufo booted the PAT to give the Wolves a 7-6 advantage.
The Wolves defense staunched the Tigers at the 12 yard line but Brandon Nodier recovered a fumbled Wolves’ snap at Lincoln’s six. Two plays later Nick Sugg punched it in from 10 yards out for the touchdown, making the score 12-7, in Prairie Grove’s favor. On Lincoln’s next series, Logan Bartholomew took an interception 35 yards to the house. J.D. Speed booted the extra point to make the score 19-7.
Marrufo’s 25-yard field goal cut the lead to 19-10 midway through the third before Bobby Catt scored from six yards out and then pulled in a 26-yard touchdown pass at the 7:14 mark. Speed added both extrapoints to make the score 33-10.
Drew Harris used his legs to make a dent in the Tigers’ lead when he weaved his way through traffic for a 30-yard touchdown run, however Catt corralled a pass from Storlie for a 9-yard touchdown which made the final score, 40-17.
This Friday Prairie Grove travels to Berryville to face the Bobcats, while the Wolves are at home to host the Gentry Pioneers with both games starting at 7 p.m.