Like Rocky Balboa staggering under force of repeated crushing blows, yet refusing to go down, Prairie Grove lasted longer than most team in the face of Warren's precision offense.
The Lumberjacks were on top of their game opening up a 28-0 first half lead in Friday's 48-28 game that eliminated Prairie Grove from the 2016 State 4A playoffs, a game away from playing for the state championship at Little Rock's War Memorial Stadium scheduled for Dec. 9.
Sometimes the effort coaches and players put forth is temporarily overlooked in the aftermath of a season-ending setback. Yet, contrasted with Warren's tremendous display of passing prowess, local fans should take their hats off to the Tigers and their coaches.
Warren quarterback Hayden Lassiter was near perfect, completing 18 of 22 passes for 437 yards and 6 touchdowns. Sophomore receiver Treylon Burks had 8 catches for 202 yards and 4 touchdowns - highlighted by a circus fingertip grab on the Lumberjacks' final score, a 40-yard touchdown that put them ahead, 48-20, with10:27 left in the game.
"Their quarterback played pretty good. I was thinking he finally missed him, and he didn't miss him," Abshier said.
Lassiter threw incomplete on his first pass, but was good on eight consecutive passes afterwards including touchdowns to Burks of 32 and 44 yards. He also had a 56-yard scoring pass to Keemontrae McKnight as the first quarter ended with Warren ahead by three touchdowns. Lassiter threw a fourth touchdown pass of 41 yards to McKnight four plays into the second quarter, and Sergio Yepes' PAT kick gave the Lumberjacks their 28-0 cushion.
Many teams would have folded under such an onslaught, but Prairie Grove wasn't ready to cash in their chips. The Tigers drove 75 yards in 7 plays to get some desperately-needed points to give them some life and deny Warren an opportunity to have a running clock implemented to start the second half.
The march began with halfback Reed Orr catching a pass for 9 yards. Fullback Kyle Sam followed senior tackle Jack Stone's blocking for 11 yards. Halfback Anthony Johnson literally crawled for extra yards by touching the turf to hold himself up with one hand. Prairie Grove had to take some shots and a deep pass fell incomplete bringing up fourth-and-1 from the Lumberjack 46. In a must-have situation, Johnson picked up a first down by running off-tackle for 11 yards.
Prairie Grove senior quarterback Zeke Laird hit Isaac Disney for a 35-yard touchdown with 7:47 left in the second quarter. The Tigers then found a way to stop Warren twice. After the Lumberjacks drove 45 yards to the 11, Troy Sugg dropped Lassiter for a 5-yard loss with a fourth-down sack. Prairie Grove was still having trouble moving the ball against the Lumberjacks large defensive line and had to punt, but got the ball back after one play when Johnson intercepted a pass.
Taking advantage of a short field, the Tigers still needed 9 plays to reach the end zone. Sam ran for three first downs on the drive, but was stopped at the one on first-and-goal from the Lumberjack 2. On the next play, Zeke Laird beat the defense off the ball for a 1-yard touchdown. His second extra-point kick narrowed the gap to 28-14 at halftime.
Unable to convert another fourth down at midfield, the Tigers surrendered another touchdown on Lassiter's 8-yard keeper and fell behind, 35-14, at the 8:16 mark of the third. Prairie Grove still wasn't ready to admit defeat and picked themselves up from one more devastating blow. Warren didn't make things easy, kicking the ball deep for a touchback. The Tigers traveled 80 yard in 9 plays to reach paydirt.
Johnson kicked off the drive with a 27-yard jaunt. Dustin Burton slipped tackles to make a first down on a counter play. Facing fourth-and-6 from the Lumberjack 42, the Tigers found a way to stay in the game when Zeke Laird passed to Clay Fidler for 8 yards. Lassiter, who made some big plays on defense, then nailed Tiger tight end DeMarkus Cooper for a 7-yard loss, but on third-and-10 Zeke Laird went back to Cooper, who scored on a 30-yard pass. The touchdown narrowed the gap to 35-20 with 4:56 showing in the third.
Warren dished out a couple more haymakers on the Lassiter to Burks connection for scoring passes of 38 and 40 yards to assume a commanding, 48-20, lead with 10:27 left in the fourth period. Still, Prairie Grove had one more drive in them. The Tigers moved the ball 65 yards in 11 plays, but on third-and-2, they lost a fumble, their first and only turnover throughout three playoff games. A Lumberjack defender picked the ball up and ran the other way, but was quickly overtaken. While he was being brought down, the ball again popped loose and Prairie Grove's Dawson West recovered - giving the Tigers a second chance with a first down at Warren's 22.
They overcame a penalty, driving 27 yards in 7 plays capped by Zeke Laird's 1-yard touchdown carry. Fidler caught a 2-point conversion pass to cut the deficit to 48-28. Alas, time finally ran out on the Tigers. They never got the ball back as Warren ran out the final 4:16.
MARK HUMPHREY IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR THE ENTERPRISE-LEADER.
Sports on 12/07/2016