Brave Play-Calling And Bold Execution

TIGERS THROTTLE CAC, 61-14

MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER What’s wrong with this picture? No defenders are in the frame as Prairie Grove’s Dustin Burton crosses the goal line after receiving a touchdown pass from quarterback Zeke Laird during the Tigers’ 61-13 victory over Central Arkansas Christian in a Nov. 18 playoff game.
MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER What’s wrong with this picture? No defenders are in the frame as Prairie Grove’s Dustin Burton crosses the goal line after receiving a touchdown pass from quarterback Zeke Laird during the Tigers’ 61-13 victory over Central Arkansas Christian in a Nov. 18 playoff game.

PRAIRIE GROVE -- Bravery was incorporated into Prairie Grove's game-plan with coaches preparing special teams for an onside kick, which was boldly executed by players after grabbing an early 6-0 lead.

This was a sampling of a standard of excellence achieved by Prairie Grove in all facets of a Nov. 18, 61-14, playoff victory over Central Arkansas Christian. CAC attempted three onside kicks and recovered none, including one to start the game which the Tigers turned into a 6-0 lead after driving 56 yards in six plays. The Tigers were hungry, having sat out last week with a first-round bye. CAC seemed powerless as Prairie Grove imposed their will from the opening kickoff.

Nov. 18 4A State Playoffs

PRAIRIE GROVE 61, CAC 13

Central Arkansas Christian^0^13^0^0^—^13

Prairie Grove^20^21^6^14^—^61

First Quarter

Prairie Grove — Anthony Johnson 2-yard run (run failed), 9:51

Prairie Grove — Zeke Laird 1-yard run (pass failed), 5:51

Prairie Grove — Anthony Johnson 18-yard pass from Zeke Laird (Reed Orr run), :18

Second Quarter

CAC — Kamryn Vick 1-yard run (Zac Otwell kick), 10:01

Prairie Grove — Dustin Burton 33-yard pass from Zeke Laird (Zeke Laird kick), 7:05

CAC — Grant Wood 21-yard pass from Noah Evans (kick failed), 5:16

Prairie Grove — Reed Orr 14-yard run (Zeke Laird kick), 3:39

Prairie Grove — Kyle Sam 14-yard run (Zeke Laird kick), :16

Third Quarter

Prairie Grove — Zeke Laird 25-yard run (kick failed), 7:49

Fourth Quarter

Prairie Grove — Anthony Johnson 15-yard pass from Zeke Laird (Zeke Laird kick), 11:51

Prairie Grove — Isaac Disney 80-yard fumble return (James Mayer kick), 6:39

Senior quarterback Zeke Laird threw to tight end DeMarkus Cooper, who dragged tacklers an extra 5 yards before CAC got him down at the two, exemplifying the type of effort Prairie Grove would give all night. From there, Anthony Johnson crashed into the end zone. Then came a short, sky kick recovered by Justis McNatt and the Tigers were writing the script the way they wanted. Zeke Laird snuck over from the one and the Tigers were ahead, 12-0, without letting CAC touch the football.

The first defensive series helped Prairie Grove gain more confidence as well as demoralize the Mustangs when senior cornerback Isaac Disney batted away a third-down pass. CAC punted and soon found themselves trailing, 20-0. Prairie Grove was so efficient offensively, they never punted, instead converting three times on fourth down, including twice on their third touchdown march. The Tigers traveled 84 yards in 10 plays, including a daring call by head coach Danny Abshier with Johnson running 6 yards on fourth-and-2 from the Prairie Grove 24. The scenario was repeated six plays later on fourth-and-2 from the CAC 18 with Zeke Laird coolly dropping back and waiting for Johnson to break open before delivering an 18-yard touchdown pass that provided a 20-0 lead after Reed Orr's 2-point run.

"You have got to have confidence that everybody is in," Abshier said. "You look at your offense. You see that everybody is in. You see if your defensive coordinator is OK with it. If you have confidence in all these things, then it's going to happen."

This year's team has told Abshier they want to go where no Tiger team has gone before and win a state championship, something they came within half-a-game of doing last year while taking a 20-19 lead into halftime against Nashville in the 2015 state finals. Abshier and his staff are doing their part to help make the dream a reality. After CAC scored on Kamryn Bick's 1-yard run, Abshier went back to his playbook, a part of his coaching mantra that has been overlooked. Over the past five years, Prairie Grove has become perpetually proficient at passing out of the Wing-T run-first offense. As much as Abshier likes to run, he discovers opportunity when down-and-distance don't create one.

Runningback Dustin Burton ran into the Mustang secondary uncovered and Zeke Laird hit him on the money for a 33-yard Tiger touchdown, that coupled with Zeke Laird's P.A.T., pushed the lead back to three touchdowns at 27-7. There was plenty of time left and CAC answered with a 7-play, 56-yard scoring drive capped by Noah Evans 21-yard pass to Grant Wood narrowing their deficit to 27-13 at the 5:16 mark.

Orr and Kyle Sam scored as the Tigers punched the ball in twice more before halftime to lead, 41-13, at the break. CAC would not score in the second half. Abshier credited defensive coordinator Craig Laird with tweaking the defense to shut down the Mustangs' lateral passing attack.

"We played well defensively, we did good," Abshier said. "Coach Laird made some adjustments at halftime. I helped him a little bit, but mostly it's him. He does a good job with our defense."

Stone Bryant intercepted an Evans' pass near the sideline to end CAC's opening drive of the third quarter. The Tigers capitalized with yet another drive of 56 yards concluded by Zeke Laird's 25-yard touchdown run. The senior quarterback jump-started the drive with a 19-yard pass to Disney. He then halted another Mustang threat deep in Tiger territory by swooping in on a fumbled exchange at the Tiger 7. Sam finished the ensuing 93-yard drive with another touchdown run.

Prairie Grove's final touchdown came when John David Elder intercepted Evans but was hit and dropped the football. While CAC players momentarily froze, Disney grabbed the fumble and cruised down the sideline, twice making tacklers miss while staying in-bounds. Eighty yards later he crossed the goal line to the cheers of Tiger fans celebrating the feat.

"We didn't throw a touchdown pass to him tonight, so he got his own," Abshier said, of Disney's electrifying runback.

James Mayers came on to kick a playoff P.A.T. for the final margin of 61-13.

Sports on 11/30/2016