GRAVETTE — Anthony Johnson ran for two touchdowns and Prairie Grove extended its regular season win streak to 14 games by blanking Gravette 35-0 Friday night in 4A-1 Conference action.
Johnson rushed for 114 yards and scored on runs of one and 38 yards as the Tigers (5-0, 2-0 4A-1) dominated the game from the opening kick.
“Coach (Craig) Laird does such a great job for us,” Prairie Grove coach Danny Abshier said of the Tigers’ defensive coordinator. “(Gravette coach) Billy Harrelson is so difficult to plan for every year. He has an excellent program, we just pulled it off.”
The Tigers took an 8-0 lead on their second offensive possession, driving 56 yards in 13 plays, capped by Zeke Laird’s 1-yard keeper with 4 minutes, 33 seconds left in the first quarter. The score was set up on Laird’s 9-yard strike to Demarkus Cooper over the middle on third down.
The play that turned the momentum in Prairie Grove’s favor for good came midway through the second quarter. Gravette defensive end, Colton Grimes, crashed the end and sacked Laird on back-to-back plays for losses of six and three yards. After the second sack, the Tigers were also hit with a personal foul penalty that moved the ball back to the Prairie Grove 28.
Facing third and 24, the Tigers called a vertical pass play to try and get the ball to the speedy Isaac Disney on the outside. Laird lofted a pass down the right sideline and Disney caught it in stride, racing 72 yards for a touchdown.
“Initially, they called a penalty on the play for illegal substitution,” Laird said. “We had a player who lined up on the wrong side and they thought he was out of bounds, but they ended up waving it off. We just had (Disney) on the go. I know I can trust him. He got (the defender) on his back and I just tried to lead him out there and let him do the work.”
Prairie Grove carried the 15-0 lead into halftime, then tacked on touchdowns on its first three possessions of the second half, the last a 43-yard run by fullback Reed Orr that made it 35-0, invoking the sportsmanship rule.
Johnson led a bullish Tigers running game that accounted for 326 yards. Orr added 81 yards on nine carries and Kyle Sam finished with 58 yards on 12 carries.
The Tigers’ defense was equally impressive, holding a potent Gravette (3-2, 1-1) offense to 44 yards rushing and just 113 total yards.
Prairie Grove faces a huge road game next week at Shiloh Christian, and the Lions host Pea Ridge.
PRAIRIE GROVE 35, GRAVETTE 0
Prairie Grove ……8 7 13 0 — 35 Gravette …………0 0 0 0 — 0 First Quarter
Prair — Laird 1 run (Lairdpass to Smith), 4:33.
Second Quarter
Prair — Disney 72 pass from Laird (Fidler kick), 8:17.
Third Quarter
Prair — Johnson 1 run (Fidler kick), 4:12. Prair — Johnson 38 run (Kick failed), :32
Fourth Quarter
Prair — Orr 43 run (Fidler kick), 8:45.
PRAIRIE GROVE 35, GRAVETTE 0
More photos of the game may be viewed at: http://nwamedia.photoshelter.com/gallery/Prairie-Grove-at-Gravette-2016-09-30/G0000tUE.URq7lGQ/C0000UZ2coSfDbnM