Tigers To Play At Next Level

DISNEY, STONE, WEST, WILL PLAY COLLEGE FOOTBALL

MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER/Prairie Grove 2017 graduates (from left): Isaac Disney, Dawson West and Jack Stone, have accepted college scholarships to play football. The trio were part of a 2016 Tiger team that went 12-1 and advanced to the 4A State semifinals for the second year in-a-row.

MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER/Prairie Grove 2017 graduates (from left): Isaac Disney, Dawson West and Jack Stone, have accepted college scholarships to play football. The trio were part of a 2016 Tiger team that went 12-1 and advanced to the 4A State semifinals for the second year in-a-row.

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

PRAIRIE GROVE -- Senior Tigers Isaac Disney, Jack Stone and Dawson West aren't done playing football.

Dawson West

On May 11, West signed a national letter of intent to play college football for Hendrix College. West had 13 solo tackles and 26 assists with 4 tackles for losses, plus 1 forced fumble and 4 hurries.

"My favorite memories are mercy-ruling Shiloh and making it to the state finals," West said.

Isaac Disney

Disney will play defensive back at Arkansas Tech, at 6-0, 160 pounds.

"Isaac was a deep threat, a decoy, a receiver, handled our kickoff and punt returns, when he gets the ball he's a threat to take it and score and he wants to score," said Prairie Grove coach Danny Abshier. "He gained such confidence in his ability to catch the ball that anytime we threw it anywhere near him, he would catch it."

Disney sustained a shoulder injury which caused him to miss his senior baseball season. He opted to play through basketball season, then had surgery. Abshier thought having shoulder surgery would slow down Disney a lot and there was the effect of missing baseball, a sport he thoroughly enjoys.

"He would have stolen 30 to 40 bases for us," said Prairie Grove baseball coach Chris Mileham, admitting he wished Disney would have been able to play.

As a leadoff hitter, Disney's ability to get on base and move around the bases was a dimension missing from the 2017 Tigers, which showed in their disappointing season-ending loss, a 5-4 setback to Gravette during the first-round of the District 4A-1 baseball tournament.

On the positive side, Abshier said Tech coaches were impressed by Disney grittily sticking out the basketball season while playing hurt.

"They were glad to see that he worked through basketball season, it showed toughness, that's what the coach told me," Abshier said. "It was a tough decision because he likes baseball as well as basketball. His rehab is going well. He is still on schedule to do what he was expected to do at Tech before surgery."

The Pea Ridge game was one of Disney's peak performances. He was used effectively as a decoy and didn't have any pass receptions, but opened the field up for receivers playing opposite him, such as Clay Fidler, who had 2 catches for 46 yards and Anthony Johnson with 2 catches for 26 yards and a touchdown.

On defense, Disney wreaked havock, intercepting a pair of Blackhawk passes and returning both for touchdowns, plus blocking a punt on a speed rush from the edge.

Disney's season totals included 33 pass receptions for 813 yards, an averge of 24.3-yards-per-catch and 11 touchdowns. He also made a number of key 2-point conversion catches. Defensively, Disney racked up 21 solo tackles and 11 assists with 5 tackles for losses, 5 interceptions, 4 defensive touchdowns and a blocked punt. Disney returned 12 punts for 235 yards, averaging 19.6 yards-per-return with 2 touchdowns and long of 69. He ran back 2 kickoffs for 50 yards, adding to his all-purpose total of 1,145 yards including 3 rushes for 47 yards.

Jack Stone

Stone will play on the offensive line at Arkansas Tech, at 6-feet-5 ,235 pounds. Stone became one of the Tigers' unsung heroes, quietly, but efficiently laboring in the offensive and defensive trenches after playing tight end as a junior.

"He was a tight end and he caught a touchdown pass for us in the playoffs the year before," Abshier said, referring to the Tigers' 2015 march to the 4A State finals which they led 20-19 at halftime before injuries changed the game and Nashville won, 39-20.

"We moved him to offensive tackle and he never looked back," Abshier said. "He was really salty on both sides of the ball. He is very, business-like, he means to win. He's a quiet leader with a nice, easy laugh. He doesn't have a whole lot of extra words to say."

Stone recorded 3 solo tackles and had 5 assists in the Tigers' key, 42-21, win over Pea Ridge which decided the 4A-1 Conference championship. He made an interception while rushing the passer and returned the football for big yardage to set up an offensive touchdown. For the year, Stone had 13 solo tackles and 27 assists plus 3 sacks, a fumble recovery and 1 interception.

Stone, like Disney, signed with Arkansas Tech in February.

"Both guys are very happy about signing with Tech," Abshier said.

Sports on 06/07/2017