Stripes Of A Different Color

Prairie Grove Wins Battle Of Tigers

MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER Prairie Grove defensive back Clay Fidler makes a leaping tackle of West Fork’s Devin Worley. Fidle returned an interception for a touchdown as Prairie Grove defeated West Fork 53-0 Friday.
MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER Prairie Grove defensive back Clay Fidler makes a leaping tackle of West Fork’s Devin Worley. Fidle returned an interception for a touchdown as Prairie Grove defeated West Fork 53-0 Friday.

PRAIRIE GROVE - Senior wide receiver Isaac Disney is a playmaker, who Prairie Grove feeds the ball, but opponents don't help their cause when they put the football in Disney's hands.

West Fork learned the hard way. Not only did Disney catch three passes for 98 yards with touchdowns of 43 and 36 yards. He also returned an interception 90 yards for another score during Prairie Grove's runaway 53-0 win over West Fork Friday. In addition, Disney had one carry for 48 yards, breaking for a big gain when West Fork was expecting a pass. West Fork tackled him as time expired to end the first half.

PRAIRIE GROVE 53, WEST FORK 0

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First Quarter

Prairie Grove — Isaac Disney 43-yard pass from Zeke Laird (Fidler kick), 10:05

Prairie Grove — Zeke Laird 5-yard run (Fidler kick), 7:34

Second Quarter

Prairie Grove — Clay Fidler 9-yard interception return (kick failed), 11:53

Prairie Grove — Isaac Disney 36-yard pass from Zeke Laird (run failed) 1:20

Third Quarter

Prairie Grove — Isaac Disney 90-yard interception return (Fidler kick), 4:43

Fourth Quarter

Prairie Grove — Aaron Preston 40-yard run (Fidler kick), 11:53

Prairie Grove — Garrett Heltemes 16-yard run (Zeke Laird kick), 6:50

Prairie Grove — Rudy Ayala 2-yard run (kick failed), 4:08

Disney's touchdown return with 4:43 left in the third quarter was the second given up by West Fork's offense during the contest. Living dangerously, West Fork tried a pass on third-and-10 from their own two on the first play of the second quarter. Clay Fidler made them rue that play selection by intercepting the pass which he easily scored on a 9-yard runback. Fidler's touchdown came on the heels of a pair of first quarter scores by Prairie Grove.

Prairie Grove reached the end zone in five plays after receiving the opening kickoff. Reed Orr ran for 10 yards as Prairie Grove converted a third-and-two from their own 32. Two plays later, senior quarterback Zeke Laird (6-13, 128 yards, 2 touchdowns) connected with Disney running a flag pattern for a 43-yard touchdown with 1:55 elapsed. Fidler booted the point-after for a 7-0 Prairie Grove lead. West Fork's first series ended with a 15-yard punt from their nine that rolled dead at the 24. Prairie Grove cashed in on the short field. Zeke Laird ran five yards for a touchdown, keeping the pigskin on an option right, then spinning away from a tackler into the end zone. Fidler's kick extended Prairie Grove's lead to 14-0 at the 8:21 mark of the first quarter.

Fidler's defensive touchdown stretched the lead to 20-0 when the kick failed. Disney's second score, at the 1:20 mark of the second period, pushed the margin to 26-0 at the half when the extra-point was no good. His third quarter "pick-six" was followed by Fidler's kick and Prairie Grove found themselves in front, 33-0.

Prairie Grove's defense stopped West Fork several times in Prairie Grove territory. West Fork had a first down at midfield after Hunter Hardin recovered a fumble in the second quarter, but Jack Stone stuffed a run and West Fork blew the opportunity with a high snap in the shotgun. Prairie Grove quickly covered the fallen quarterback and West Fork punted on fourth-and-24 from their own 36. Three plays later Hardin intercepted a Prairie Grove screen, setting up the West Fork offense with first down at Prairie Grove's nine. Dawson West contained a sweep and Sol Walker forced an intentional grounding flag pushing West Fork back to the 25. On fourth down, Disney intercepted a pass to end the threat. Disney duplicated the feat in the third and this time turned defense into offense by running the pick back 90 yards for the score.

Prairie Grove scored three times in the fourth Quarter, beginning with an Aaron Preston 40-yard run. Fidler booted the P.A.T. for a 40-0 lead with 11:53 left in the contest. With reserves playing, Garrett Heltemes got in the act, scoring on a 16-yard run with 6:50 showing. This time, Zeke Laird kicked the extra-point. Prairie Grove would add one more touchdown on a Rudy Ayala 2-yard run with 4:08 left. The kick failed, but Prairie Grove won easily, 53-0.

Fundraisers

More than 800 "Battle of Highway 62" t-shirts in Honor of Jarren Sorters, son of Prairie Grove High School assistant principal Joey Sorters and his wife Donna who passed Aug. 11, were sold. With fan support from both the Prairie Grove and Farmington communities $5,500 will be donated to Arkansas Children's Hospital's 4K, Hematology/Oncology Unit.

T-shirts were also sold for the Prairie Grove vs. Huntsville game at Tiger Den Stadium kicking off at 7 p.m. Friday. The t-shirts honor students from each school, who passed away in the last 12 months, Sorters, of Prairie Grove; and Shelby Dotson, of Huntsville. All proceeds will be divided equally between the schools, with half going to Jarren Sorters Memorial Fund and half going to Shelby Dotson Memorial fund.

Sports on 09/21/2016