Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Abshier Plays Grace Card
PRAIRIE GROVE HOLDS UP DURING 52-8 ROUT OF GREEN FOREST
PRAIRIE GROVE — Green Forest played with fire, dealing a hard blow to the back of Prairie Grove quarterback Knox Laird’s head on the first play from scrimmage during its 52-8 loss.
Friday’s blindside hit dished out by Green Forest senior Max Jones, who came in untouched because of a missed blocking assignment, leveled Knox Laird and caused a fumble. Knox Laird, son of Prairie Grove Defensive Coordinator Craig Laird and Cheerleader Advisor Tracy Laird, picked himself up and played a good game on both sides of the football behaving as if the impact had no effect at all.
Yet, the most telling thing was the fact Prairie Grove head coach Danny Abshier and his staff never gave in to temptation to run up the score — something many an opponent may have instigated as retaliation had that happened to their starting quarterback.
Sometimes mercy gets thrown out the window in football, but Abshier never allowed that to compromise his integrity or cloud his vision.
“We just rode pretty well, but in Green Forest’s defense they haven’t played with all their starters yet and so it’s been a tough year for them,” Abshier said, referring to Green Forest missing players in isolation due to covid-19 concerns.
“Our offense played well, our defense played well, too. It was a good night,” Abshier said. “Good coverage, too. Four interceptions, Jackson Sorters got a pick. He had a nice run on a [17-yard] reception, too. [Paytin] Higgins got two interceptions and then [Landon] Semrad. That’s pretty good.”
Prairie Grove routed Green Forest, 52-8, on Friday in a game that might be the most lopsided contest Abshier ever coached in. The final point spread could easily have wound up with 70 points or more separating the teams. Abshier, however, seems to live by a definition of grace, a concept which in today’s society far too often doesn’t enter the thinking of decision-makers, both within the world of sports and outside that realm.
On Friday grace played out on a level that doesn’t show up in the official statistics as something that can’t be earned or attained through personal merits — manifested as a free gift to the undeserving.
“Our offense, there are times when maybe they don’t produce like they should, but tonight Cade Grant, who scored three touchdowns last week didn’t even carry the ball this week and he scored a touchdown on a pass [ reception],” Abshier said. “We spread it around pretty good, Knox [Laird] with two touchdowns, [ Ethan] Miller with one touch scores a 97-yard touchdown.”
Prairie Grove utilized some of its most potent offensive weapons quite sparingly — senior halfback Grant never ran the ball, although for the second straight week he caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from Knox Laird. Speedy sophomore halfback Miller’s singular carry generated a 97-yard touchdown sprint after Green Forest turned the ball over on Sorters’ interception of a tipped pass.
Green Forest couldn’t score despite recovering Knox Laird’s fumble and returning it to Prairie Grove’s 10 when Ryder Orr’s saving tackle kept Green Forest defensive end Dalton Randolph out of the end zone.
Prairie Grove starting senior fullback Foster Layman ran the ball twice, gaining 24 yards to set up Knox Laird’s 2-yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown putting the home team up 21-0 with Paytin Higgins’ point-after kick tacked on with 4:23 left in the first quarter.
Green Forest turned the ball over on downs when they elected to go for it on fourth-and-seven from their own 45 and Reiley Gordon got sacked for a 6-yard loss. Layman’s last carry of the night, his third of the game, netted 13 yards. Knox Laird then completed back-to-back passes to Semrad for 17 yards and a first down at the Green Forest
Laird then completed back- to- back passes to Semrad for 17 yards and a first down at the Green Forest eight.
On the next play Knox Laird scampered for his second touchdown, expanding Prairie Grove’s lead to 28-0 still in the first quarter.
Green Forest’s trouble on their punt coverage units resulted in net punts of 6, 10, and 11 yards in the first half, consistently giving Prairie Grove a short field. On the third such occasion, Semrad took a handoff and ran 31 yards to the house, stretching the lead to 35-0 with 10:49 remaining in the second quarter.
Green Forest’ next possession lasted all of one play with Higgins picking off Gordon, setting up Prairie Grove’s second- team offense with a first-and-10 at the Green Forest 40. Cade Walker broke a 27- yard touchdown run, then booted the PAT increasing Prairie Grove’s advantage to 42-0.
Prairie Grove could have generated more points because Higgins again intercepted a Gordon deep throw inside Prairie Grove territory at the 35 this time on Green Forest’s second down play. Prairie Grove mercifully burned the final 7:43 of the first half gaining 49 yards to the Green Forest 16 in eight running plays. They took a flag and 5-yard penalty for delay of game, allowing 2:37 to elapse and didn’t snap the ball on the last play of the half although well within Higgins’ field goal range.
The entire second half played out with Arkansas’ mercy- rule implemented and neither team scored in the third quarter.
Higgins kicked a 28-yard field goal 58 seconds into the fourth quarter.
Green Forest got on the scoreboard against Prairie Grove’s reserve defensive players with Gordon scoring on a 4-yard keeper at the 3:45 mark of the fourth. He caught a 2-point conversion pass from Isaiah Fraga, cutting Prairie Grove’s lead to 45-8.
Prairie Grove scored on its last possession, a 4-play, 58- yard drive capped by Colin Faulk’s 51-yard touchdown run. Higgins contributed one more extra-point kick for the 52-8 final.
This week Prairie Grove (4-0, 1-0) travels to Gravette ( 1-3, 0-1) which lost 59-20 to conference newcomer Elkins last week. Abshier is learning about the Lions studying game film.
“You just rock back and go see what you can improve on and there are a few things we can improve on,” Abshier said. “We were trying to cut down on penalties. I don’t believe we did, but a lot of those were five yards instead of 15 like last week. I’m prideful our kids played well and just glad they had fun.”