Prairie Grove’s Big Quarterback Option

PRAIRIE GROVE’S SOEHNER LIKE HAVING ROETHLISBERGER AS HIGH SCHOOL QB

PRAIRIE GROVE — Prairie Grove has achieved outstanding offensive production the last two years with quality play from the quarterback position and preseason critics who expect otherwise for 2014 might be surprised.

Cooper Winters led the Tigers to the state semifinals and a 12-1 season in 2012 followed by Jacob Storlie guiding Prairie Grove to a 10-2 mark in 2013. Rushing totals for the past two years in Prairie Grove’s Wing T offense exceed 7,400 yards, a sizable chunk of real estate.

Questions about finding a suitable successor have led Hooten’s to project the Tigers as the secondbest team in the 4A-1 for 2014 but Prairie Grove has a potentially dynamic option.

“Dylan Soehner is a behemoth with a strong arm who will prove to be intimidating when he tucks the ball and runs,” wrote Ben Madrid two years ago in a junior high preview.

At the time Soehner was a freshman starting junior high quarterback standing a mere 6-foot-3 at 215 pounds. Now, coming into his junior year as a superb athlete, Soehner is an imposing physical specimen at 6-foot-7, 265 pounds. Nimble on his feet for a big man, Soehner has 5.2 speed in the 40 and he played varsity basketball last winter which helps enhance his agility.

Although Soehner didn’t begin the hoops season as a starter he improved tremendously from November to February sparking an 8-game winning streak, district tournament championship and state tournament appearance. Soehner’s desire to win will only grow as he gains more confidence in his play-making ability and he could step into a signal-caller role after having played quarterback in junior high.

Soehner’s good hands, pass catching ability and size make him a prime candidate at tight end where last season he caught 7 passes for 105 yards.

“Even when he’s not open, he’s open,” Prairie Grove head football coach Danny Abshier said.

Still, the Tigers may think of using Soehner at quarterback when the season begins with a home game against U.S. 62 rival, Farmington, on Sept. 5.

Should Abshier and offensive coordinator John Elder decide to go with Soehner in the backfield instead of tight end where he was projected to line up, this will create a situation similar to what the Pittsburgh Steelers (another black and gold team) have with Ben Roethlisberger, 6- foot-5, 241 pounds, who is difficult to bring down at quarterback — except that defenders at the high school level are nowhere near as fast, big or strong as NFL players.

The scenario would create a different type of offensive set and may be ideal in short yardage situations, never mind Soehner’s ability to see over defenders when throwing the ball.

“Right now he’s the best one we’ve got,” Abshier said, describing quarterback workouts from spring drills.

Maybe the Tigers should reassign Soehner with his old quarterback’s jersey number 14 from junior high, which was worn by All-State linebacker Brandon Nodier last season and get ready to run or just run over opponents as Soehner is likely to do in the hunt for a postseason advance.

MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER Prairie Grove junior Dylan Soehner has grown to 6-foot-7 and 265 pounds. He played quarterback as a freshman before switching to tight end last season and gives the Tigers another option as a signal caller.

BEN MADRID ENTERPRISE-LEADER Dylan Soehner, shown trying to ward off a defender after making a catch against Morrilton last season, is projected to line up at tight end but could play quarterback where he started in junior high as a freshman.