Tigers Beat Mirror Image Of Former Selves

PRAIRIE GROVE — A short-handed Prairie Grove squad playing without two- way starter Matthew Velasco took on a mirror image of its former self, denying ball-control beyond the first quarter to win 28-10.

“He’s a big kid. He does an outstanding job on the defensive line. We missed him more there than on offense,” said Prairie Grove coach Danny Abshier.

Two players, Dalton Frazier and David Stephens, rotated in every other series to fill in for Velasco on offense.

The Tigers (9-2, 6-1 4A-1) erased an early 7-0 deficit after Jonesboro Westside (4-7, 4-3 4A-3) controlled the ball for the entire first quarter driving 76 yards in 21 plays to score first on quarterback Gus Yearta’s 2-yard run 19 seconds into the second quarter.

Prairie Grove’s defense rose to the occasion and never allowed the Warriors to replicate that feat.

“They had one strong running back. Maybe we wore them down. They couldn’t continue doing what they were doing,” Abshier said.

Prairie Grove answered with explosiveness getting the hometown crowd pumped up.

Paytin Higgins’ 56-yard kickoff return to the Westside 19 set up a short field. A block-in-the-back penalty pushed Prairie Grove backwards into a third-and-18 situation but Ethan Miller took a wingback reverse 18 yards bringing up first-and-goal from the nine. Two plays later, halfback Colin Faulk ran through a gaping hole created by the Tiger offensive line off left tackle for a 3-yard touchdown.

Higgins kicked the P.A.T. and the game was tied, 7-7, with 8:57 left in the first quarter.

Prairie Grove tried an onside kick. Westside recovered at its own 49 but Craig Laird’s defense held with Ryder Orr making a stop on third down and forcing a punt.

The Tigers didn’t field the kick which was downed at their seven and fullback Coner Whetsell fumbled with Edward Wilson recovering for the Warriors at the nine.

Whetsell made an impact defensively after the change of possession. He stood up Westside power

back Darvin Fowler, a 5-feet8, 218 pound junior, by wrapping up both legs until help arrived holding the first down carry to three yards. On second down Whetsell, Rhett Marrell and Joseph Sims gang-tackled Fowler dropping him for a 3-yard loss. Whetsell made the play on third down by tackling Yearta at the Tiger five.

On fourth- and- goal the Warriors opted to kick a 23-yard field goal off the foot of Hayden Alls to regain a 10-7 lead with 4:24 showing in the first quarter.

Twelve seconds later Miller busted a 66- yard touchdown jaunt once again igniting the Tiger faithful. Higgins’ P. A.T. kick gave Prairie Grove a 14-10 lead.

“Miller is just fast. He has good vision. He’s a strong runner,” Abshier said.

As the half wore down, Prairie Grove found themselves dealing with some of the same tactics Elkins used the week before. Replays showed a Warrior grasping Marrell by the throat on the bottom of the pile after tackling him on first-and- goal from the Warrior 8. When Orr pushed the defender off of Marrell, he got flagged 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct which stunted the drive and Prairie Grove couldn’t expand its lead.

Turnovers were part of the problem something Abshier said he wants to fix this week.

The Tigers took the second half kickoff and marched into Westside territory but turned the ball over on downs when Higgins was sacked. Again replays showed a different Warrior throwing a punch to the gut of a Prairie Grove player during the series which was not flagged.

Still the officiating appeared much more competent and objective than what was experienced during the Nov. 5 game against Elkins. Westside’s extra- curricular activities began to get detected and the penalty yardage piled up. A deadball foul put the Warriors in second-and-17 killing a drive that reached the Tiger 41 on Michael Ivy’s 24-yard run.

Prairie Grove mounted a third straight drive that penetrated Warrior territory but came away empty when Camden Patterson was intercepted on fourth-and-three from the Westside 17.

Westside free safety Montana Neely ( 5-10, 131) returned the pick out to the Warrior 42 but back-to-back infractions left the Warriors in third-and-11. Yearta tried to air it out but Prairie Grove sophomore Conner Hubbs made a sensational interception while being pushed and the Tigers regained possession on their own 32.

On the next play, Faulk went the distance. His 68-yard touchdown romp and Higgins’ extra- point kick stretched the Tiger advantage to 21-10 with the third quarter clock down to 56 seconds.

Westside got flagged for spearing a Tiger in the back on the kickoff and had to start from its own 17. On second down Whetsell hit Yearta squarely on a quarterback keeper jarring the ball out and Landon Semrad recovered the fumble for the Tigers.

An unsportsmanlike penalty against the Warriors on the opening play of the fourth quarter changed a fourth-and-four into firstand-goal for Prairie Grove at Westside’s 10. From there Hubbs ran around left end untouched for a touchdown. Higgins added the P.A.T. to make the score 28-10 in favor of Prairie Grove.

Caleb Muller returned the kickoff out to Westside’s 40 but the Warriors drew two penalties including a deadball foul that undone their efforts to get back into the game and they started from their own five and were never able to score again.

The win advances Prairie Grove into the second-round of the Class 4A playoffs against Lamar which edged Gentry, 21- 20, when the Pioneers missed an extrapoint kick in the fourth quarter. Kickoff on Friday is 7 p.m. at Prairie Grove’s Tiger Den Stadium.

Abshier noted Lamar played against a Wing-T team earlier this season when they beat Class 2A Carlisle, 42-20, on Sept. 17.

“They’re pretty multiple on offense. Their offense is similar to ours. They don’t throw it as much as we do when we get to throwing it,” Abshier said, explaining the Tigers may show more spread looks against Lamar than they have in the past two weeks.