Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Prairie Grove’s Bartholomew Signs With Arkansas Tech
PRAIRIE GROVE’S BARTHOLOMEW SIGNS WITH ARKANSAS TECH
PRAIRIE GROVE — Opposing defenses experienced tons of trouble trying to tackle Prairie Grove running back Logan Bartholomew during his senior season, if they could even get their hands on him.
There were situations like on his first carry in the 2013 State playoffs during the Tigers’ 49-15 win over Pulaski Robinson on Nov. 15 when no defender laid a hand on him as he raced untouched into the end zone after a long jaunt.
“The first time I ran the ball I think I ran another 90-yard touchdown. No one was even near me. That was a big moment coming back from an injury,” Logan said.
Logan is taking his big- play capacity to the next level.
Logan, who will graduate from Prairie Grove High School in May, recently signed a national letter of intent to play college football for Arkansas Tech.
Prairie Grove head football coach Danny Abshier simplified Logan’s explosiveness.
“He’s the drag racer, the short fielder. If you give him a crease there’s not many people who can take him down even from an angle.”
“I always looked up to being a college athlete when I was younger,” Logan said. “Everyone wants to be a college player when they grow up, then it gets here and you’ve got all these big decisions to make. It’s like a dream come true. It will be exciting to experience that.”
Prior to his senior season Logan thought about going into the medical profession as a dentist but instead he expects to major in Bio Engineering at Tech.
Despite missing part of his senior year with a foot injury, Logan rushed for 684 yards on 47 rushing attempts averaging a whopping 14.6- yards- per- carry with eight touchdowns.
“He wanted to play more physi- cal this year and I believe he did,” Abshier said. “He broke a lot of tackles this year. He lifts weights on his own. He lifts every day at the house on his own and it shows. He’s well cut, got a lot of muscle on a smaller frame.”
Logan counts the influence of and sibling rivalry with his older brother Justin, now 21, as a source of motivation in helping him attain personal achievement.
“He’s very athletic. He ran track. He’s stout,” Logan said, explaining the competitive edge between the brothers drove him.
“I wanted to be better than him. I carried it out on the football field with that competitiveness and just exploded from there.”
Logan has grown up in a Christian home and attended Prairie Grove Christian Church with
Logan has grown up in a Christian home and attended Prairie Grove Christian Church with Justin and the b oys ’ parents, Doug and Brenda Bartholomew. After seeing his dad go on a mission trip and how the service unto people in need changed his life, Logan began going each year during spring break and relishes the opportunity to serve others to build up the kingdom of God.
“I’ve been on five or six mission trips and built homes for homeless people,” Logan said, saying his objective is “To carry that into my life and to show others the love that Christ has for them as he has shown for me.”
Logan will carry his faith to college just as naturally as he has toted the pigskin at Prairie Grove.
“I’m just really blessed and fortunate. My ability to spread his [God’s] word through this and glorify him through everything I do that’s the most important thing.”