PRAIRIE GROVE -- Prairie Grove scored early and scored often executing well in all facets of an All-American game known across the globe as football, trouncing Huntsville, 55-14, to celebrate Homecoming.
The Eagles played without leading rusher, Slayter Watkins, out for the season with an injury, but Prairie Grove left no doubt who owned the field on Friday.
Two first quarter touchdowns came within 14 seconds of one another. Huntsville went three-and-out on its first possession and the Tigers did everything but block the Eagles' punt, which traveled a mere seven yards.
Prairie Grove began from the Eagle 43 and put the pedal to the metal. David Hall's 13-yard wingback reverse was followed by Knox Laird's 19-yard completion to Landon Semrad. Cade Grant carried the ball in from 5 yards out staking the Tigers out to a 7-0 lead with Paytin Higgins' P.A.T. added.
Huntsville suffered a snap over the quarterback's head in the shotgun and Cade Redfern scored a defensive touchdown by scooping the ball up at the seven and running for the end zone.
Bam, less than a minute-and-a-half later, Prairie Grove scored again on Laird's 19-yard touchdown toss to Semrad on the heels of a blocked punt and the rout was on with a 21-0 Tiger advantage.
Grant got his second rushing touchdown of the game on a 7-yard sweep to punctuate a 10-play, 61-yard drive ending the first quarter with the Tigers on top, 28-0.
Kobe Frazier's interception on the first play of the second period got the ball back for Prairie Grove, resulting in Higgins' 25-yard field goal with 10:19 left in the first half.
Huntsville, at last, interrupted Prairie Grove's string of 31 unanswered points by sustaining a 14-play, 74-yard drive ending in Kolton Reynolds' 5-yard rushing touchdown and Christian Scott's P.A.T. kick to make the score 31-7, but the Eagles left 4:25 on the clock.
Ethan Beason returned the kickoff 20 yards out to the Tiger 46 and Prairie Grove needed only 8 plays to move 54 yards with Layman punching the ball in from the one to expand the Tiger lead to 38-7 at halftime.
Prairie Grove tacked on 17 points dominating the third period even with reserve runningbacks getting carries. Mason Tucker's interception offset a Tiger turnover and Colin Faulk ripped off an 80-yard run to the house. Later in the period Ethan Miller showcased sharp instincts by cutting back against the grain and sprinting 56 yards for a touchdown. In between, Miller's pick postured a drive culminated in Kade Walker's 30-yard field goal.
Prairie Grove also recovered a Huntsville fumble one play before Miller's touchdown romp.
A running clock was in effect from the 9:05 mark of the third quarter when the difference on the scoreboard reached 38 points with the Tigers ahead, 45-7, thanks to Faulk's long touchdown jaunt.
In the fourth quarter, Huntsville polished off a 65-yard drive when Curt Ferguson caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Amos Mayes with 5:15 showing to make the final 55-14 in favor of Prairie Grove.
PRAIRIE GROVE 55, HUNTSVILLE 14
Huntsville^0^7^0^7^--^14
Prairie Grove^28^10^17^0^--^55
First Quarter
Prairie Grove – Cade Grant 5-yard run (Paytin Higgins kick) 10:14
Prairie Grove – Caden Redfern 7-yard fumble return (Paytin Higgins kick) 10:00
Prairie Grove – Landon Semrad 19-yard pass from Knox Laird (Paytin Higgins kick) 8:40
Prairie Grove – Cade Grant 7-yard run (Paytin Higgins kick) 1:10
Second Quarter
Prairie Grove – Paytin Higgins 25-yard field goal 10:19
Huntsville – Kolton Reynolds 5-yard run (Christian Scott kick) 4:25
Prairie Grove – Foster Layman 1-yard run (Paytin Higgins kick) 1:15
Third Quarter
Prairie Grove – Colin Faulk 80-yard run (Paytin Higgins kick) 9:05
Prairie Grove – Kade Walker 30-yard field goal 3:07
Prairie Grove – Ethan Miller 56-yard run (Ryder Orr kick) 1:29
Fourth Quarter
Huntsville – Curt Ferguson 14-yard pass from Amos Mayes (Christian Scott kick) 5:15
TEAM STATISTICS
Prairie Grove^Huntsville
Total plays^49^55
First downs^18^12
Total offense^424^183
Rushes-yards^27-309^29-68
Passing yards^116^115
Rush average^11.4^2.3
Comp-Att-Yds^TD^Int^6-13-116-1-0^12-24-115-1-3
Punts-Avg.^0-0.0^2-3.5
Fumbles lost^1^1
Turnovers^1^4
Penalties-Yds^7-53^1-5
Third-down conversion^4-8^5-11
Fourth-down conversion^1-1^2-3
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING -- Prairie Grove, Ethan Miller 5-84, Colin Faulk 1-80, Cade Grant 6-39, Paytin Higgins 3-33, Matthew Velasco 1-24, Foster Layman 5-19, David Hall 1-13, Cooper Singleton 1-12, Kobe Frazier 1-5, Abe Caves 1-3, Camden Patterson 2-(-3). Totals 27-309. Huntsville, Kolton Reynolds 6-27, Justin Reynolds 11-23, Dakota Copeland 3-21, Philip Toole 2-8, Amos Mayes 1-2, Gus Comer 2-2, Spencer Barnard 1-0, Brooks Wiggins 3-(-15). Totals 29-68.
PASSING -- Prairie Grove, Knox Laird 5-8-91-1-0, Paytin Higgins 1-5-25-0-0. Totals 6-13-116-1-0. Huntsville, Brooks Wiggins 7-18-84-0-3, Amos Mayes 5-6-31-1-0. Totals 12-24-115-1-3.
RECEIVING -- Prairie Grove, Landon Semrad 4-78, Caden Redfern 1-19, Ethan Miller 1-16. Totals 6-116. Huntsville, Kolton Reynolds 6-40, Curt Ferguson 4-26, Tucker Bradley 1-33. Philip Toole 1-11, Dakota Copeland 1-5, Totals 12-115.