Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Tigers Dominate Shiloh Christian
PRA IR IE GROVE — Surrounded in a sea of black and gold, Prairie Grove coach Danny Abshier kept his promise.
Abshier delivered an impromptu Ne Ne dance as his players whooped and hollered their approval.
“I’d give it about a 1,” Prairie Grove running back Blake Faulk said. “He wouldn’t make it on ‘Dancing with the Stars.’”
Abshier didn’t have to do the Whip … his players did plenty of that on their own.
In a battle of 4A-1 Conference heavyweights, this one was about as one-sided as a Ronda Rousey match. Prairie Grove dominated every facet en route to a 62-33 win over Shiloh Christian on Friday night in Tiger Stadium.
“Coach promised us if we beat Gravette and Shiloh he would do the Ne Ne,” Faulk said.
Prairie Grove ( 5- 1, 3- 0 4A-1) used two late second quarter touchdowns to seize control of the game and invoked the mercy rule in the third quarter.
Faulk played a huge role in the blowout, rushing for 149 yards on 13 carries and three touchdowns, and adding two catches for 74 yards and another score.
The Tigers set the tone on the game’s second play as quarterback Sam Dodd found Faulk down the seam for a 64-yard touchdown strike. Faulk added the two- point conversion to give Prairie Grove a quick 8-0 lead with 11 minutes, 6 seconds left in the first quarter. Dodd finished the night going 4-of-9 for 175 yards and three touchdowns.
“We worked on that play all week,” Faulk said. “It’s called Up 59, and we had a lot of confidence going in, but we didn’t know coach was going to run it that quick. But scoring that fast, starting the game off that fast with a quick touchdown, made us feel more confident and ready to go.”
Prairie Grove used big plays all night. After Faulk’s score, the Tigers struck again quickly as Dodd hit Reed Orr on a 56-yard screen pass on third and long and Faulk’s second conversion run made it a 16-0 game.
“Those plays were huge,” Abshier said. “We were going to try and kill the clock because (Shiloh Christian) can score so fast. Obviously, we can score pretty quick, too. We were just going to try and run it, run it, run it and see if we can’t find a crease, and the guys did a great job carrying it out tonight.”
Shiloh Christian bounced back to cut the deficit to 16-6, driving 69 yards in 8 plays. Saints quarterback Connor Reece, who was 13-of-30 for 281 yards, hit Tyler Roth for 41 yards to highlight the drive, capped by a 1-yard run by Broc Berus with 3:38 left in the first quarter.
But the momentum Shiloh Christian gained by the touchdown march lasted just 16 seconds. Prairie Grove’s Isaac Disney gathered the ensuing kickoff at his own 15 and tore through the Saints’ coverage for 85 yards. The Tigers added their third 2-point conversion by Sol Walker and a 24-6 lead with 3:22 left in the first quarter.
Shiloh Christian also turned in some big plays, the first coming late in the first quarter when Reece hit Jake Nelson on a 30-yard touchdown strike, then hitting Roth for two points to pull the Saints within 24-14.
But each time the Saints threatened, Prairie Grove had an answer. Shiloh Christian tried an onside kick after the Nelson score, but the ball did not travel the necessary 10 yards, giving Prairie Grove the ball near midfield. The Tigers moved swiftly into the end zone behind Faulk, who ripped off a 39-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter for a 30-14 lead.
“Honestly we had a big lead and they came back, but we all stayed calm, we stayed confident,” Faulk said. “Our team played hard and played with heart.”
The Saints still refused to go away and suddenly found holes in the Prairie Grove defense. Reece hit Brennan Fulgham for 31 yards after the Faulk touchdown, and John Marcus Carruthers skirted the left side for a 15-yard touchdown with 10:09 left in the first half.
Shiloh Christian successfully executed an onside kick and took over at the Tigers’ 47, and one play later Reece hit Tion Walker on a 47-yard dart. The Saints added a two- point conversion and suddenly it was a 30-27 game.
Again the Tigers answered. Faulk and Orr led Prairie Grove on a 65-yard drive with Faulk getting the last 22 yards for the score. Again the Tigers added a two-point conversion for a 38-27 lead.
Prairie Grove’s defense set the Tigers up for their next score when Dakota Woods broke through to stop Reece on fourth- and- five near midfield.
“That’s what we do!” a fired-up Woods said when he reached the Prairie Grove sideline.
The Tigers capitalized as Gavin Heltemes took a reverse nine yards for a touchdown right before the half that gave Prairie Grove all the cushion it needed at 46-27.
Abshier said his team’s ability to respond after Shiloh Christian cut the lead to three points was the difference.
“What can I say. It was big. I did the Ne Ne for them,” Abshier said. “At that time, since they can score so quick, I think it was a real test for us. These guys were coming back on us, and we made a few mistakes and then that touchdown kind of proved it, and the next series also it was like, yes, let’s go do this again.”
Prairie Grove’s defense came up with another big play on Shiloh Christian’s opening series of the second half when Cole McClellen intercepted a Reece pass at the Saints’ 37. A penalty moved the ball back, but Dodd found big tight end Dylan Soehner down the seam for 45 yards and a 54-27 lead.
“I think in the second half the turnovers were big,” Abshier said. “We got one, then a pick, then another pick, so the turnovers were huge.”
Zeke Laird came away with another interception on Shiloh Christian’s next drive, catching a tipped pass at the Saints’ 30. Faulk burst off the left side for a 16-yard touchdown and the Tigers had the mercy rule at 62-27.
The Tigers will travel to Pea Ridge on Friday in another big conference game. Pea Ridge had its 15-game regular season winning streak snapped last week against Gravette.