Looking Back At 2017 Junior High Football

Junior Tigers Win At Vian

PRAIRIE GROVE — The junior Tigers avenged last year’s home loss by going on the road and winning, 18-6, at Vian, Okla., Sept. 7.

“We played well overall, it was good to get our first win,” said Prairie Grove coach John Elder. “It was a long road trip over there.”

Prairie Grove’s junior high team (1-1) led Farmington until the final seconds in week one and the junior Tigers were eager to redeem that setback plus make up for a late game lapse in which Vian won last year.

Halfback Cade Grant broke a long run to get Prairie Grove on the scoreboard. The conversion failed and Prairie Grove settled for a 6-0 lead. Later in the first half, Foster Layman broke another long touchdown while running the ball. Again the conversion failed, yet Prairie Grove was in front by two scores, at 12-0.

Vian had an eighth-grade running back who gave Prairie Grove trouble in 2016 in a seventh-grade game. He was hard to tackle and powered a long, sustained scoring drive for Vian to cut the lead in half, at 12-6. Other than that one drive the junior Tigers held their own on defense.

“We played decent defense,” Elder said. “They were a physical team. That one running back is a big kid, who is hard to tackle. He’s a big, physical runner.”

Prairie Grove added an insurance touchdown in the second half. Quarterback Miles Castleman hit tight end Josh Webber, who took the ball in for a 55-yard touchdown.

“Josh just found the seam between the cornerback and safety and they couldn’t catch him,” Elder said.

The touchdown made the final score, Prairie Grove, 18; Vian, 6.

“We played decent defense. They were a physical team. That one running back is a big kid, who is hard to tackle. He’s a big, physical runner.”

John Elder Prairie Grove junior high football coach