SPRINGDALE — SPRINGDALE - What was supposed to be a game to decide supremacy in the 1-4A Conference turned into another Shiloh Christian blowout win on Friday night.
Three touchdowns in a 1:32 span of the first half helped Shiloh Christian beat Gravette 48-9 in a mercy-rule game at Champions Stadium. With two games left in the regular season, the win puts the Saints alone on the inside track to another 1-4A title.
Shiloh Christian, ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, improves to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the conference, while Gravette drops to 7-1 and 5-0.
“It’s a huge win,” Shiloh coach Josh Floyd said afterward. “It’s ours tolose now.”
Shiloh Christian showed early and often why it is the best team in 4A.
After being forced to punt on their first possession, the Saints quickly strung together a fiveplay, 59-yard drive for a 7-0 lead on a 12-yard run by Chris Bryant.
Shiloh increased that lead to 14-0 at the end of the first quarter on a 47-yard catch and run by Zann Jones.
But that was only a precursor of what was to come in the next minute. An 85-yard interception return for a touchdown by Colt Thomas made it 21-0. Floyd called the play a “gamebreaker.”
Thomas made a perfect read on the play, intercepted the ball, then followed his blockers down the left sideline.
Sports, Pages 8 on 10/24/2009