Tigers Get A Handle On Pirates

PRAIRIE GROVE -- After giving up an early touchdown, Prairie Grove's defense got a handle on Gosnell, lifted the Pirates up by their sashes and threw the swashbucklers down, uncermoniously, 48-26.

Key defensive stops beginning with the Pirates' second drive after the Tigers tied the game at 6-all on the first of Anthony Johnson's three first half touchdown runs enabled Prairie Grove to build a 35-12 halftime lead.

"Our defense in the first quarter was a trade-off on touchdowns," said Prairie Grove coach Danny Abshier. "Then in the second quarter, we figured out how to stop them. They never did figure out how to stop us."

Gosnell started their second drive with a big play through the air with Tramaine Anderson catching Brandon Partee's pass for 55 yards. Tackles were made by Johnson (first down) Reed Orr (second down) and Sol Walker (third down) bringing up fourth-and-5 from the Tiger 22. Walker put the heat on as Partee threw a pass that was tipped and fell incomplete turning the ball over on downs.

Prairie Grove seized opportunity. DeMarkus Cooper dragged two tacklers forward after making a catch and gained 31 yards. Johnson scored from two yards out on fourth-and-goal, then Isaac Disney hauled in a 2-point pass and the Tigers moved in front, 14-6, the first of 29 points they put on the board during the second quarter.

Less than two minutes later, Prairie Grove got the ball back after forcing a Gosnell punt. Cooper had another big catch for 34 yards on a drive that was capped by Zeke Laird's 9-yard touchdown pass to Justis McNatt. Gosnell answered with a drive that started in Tiger territory from the 46. Marquel McKinney scored the second Pirate touchdown on an 8-yard pass from Partee, but a 2-point run failed, leaving the visitors trailing, 20-12, at the 5:13 mark of the second period.

"We gave them a short field," Abshier said. "We had a kickoff that took a weird bounce and didn't get past the 50."

Prairie Grove would score twice more before halftime on Orr's 20 yard-run capping a 40-yard drive set up by penalty and Johnson's 1-yard plunge with two seconds left in the half. The Tigers took the third quarter kickoff and drove 65 yards in 11 plays, taking a, 42-12, lead on Cooper's 16-yard reception and Laird's point-after kick.

Next came a goal line stand. On the heels of a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty followed by a 26-yard Gosnell pass completion to the Tiger 8, Prairie Grove dug in defensively. Disney broke up a pass in the end zone on first down. Gosnell's Albert Boyd was met by a gang tackle and held to 4 yards on second down. Disney tipped another pass on third and goal that was intercepted by teammate Stone Bryant, who juked past two attempted tackles, coming out of the end zone and was off to the races. He was eventually brought down at Gosnell's 39.

"That was huge, Stone Bryant made that pick," Abshier said. "They drive inside the red zone. We get the pick, keep them out of the end zone."

Four plays later, Prairie Grove put the game out of reach by scoring their seventh touchdown on as many possessions with Laird throwing to Disney. The score activated a running clock with 4:24 left in the third and extended the Tiger lead to 48-12. With Friday's win the Tigers advance to a meeting against Warren this week, marking their third appearance in the semifinals since 2012.