PRAIRIE GROVE — The Wing-T offense worked to perfection for Prairie Grove Friday night. The Tigers got their first win of the season on homecoming defeating the Huntsville Eagles. 49-30.
Thomas Soehner was the star of the show for Prairie Grove (1-3, 1-0). He carried the ball 23 times for 250 yards and 5 touchdowns on the night.
"We went back to basics, and what we do best and that is running the ball," Prairie Grove coach Danny Abshier said. "Soehner made some big cuts outthere and ran the ball well."
Soehner scored his first touchdown of the night on the Tigers first offensive possession. He took it in from 19 yards out and had 4 carries for 54 yards on the drive to give his team the early 6-0 lead.
Huntsville (1-3, 0-1) answered quickly on its first possession as well. Running back Wilson Phillips scored on a 3-yard run capping an 8 play 64 yard drive and the Eagles went up 7-6.
From there it was all Prairie Grove. Soehner's second score came with just under 3 minutes to go in the first quarter and the Tigers were up 14-7.
Soehner scored again early in the second quarter for his third TD of the night. This one was a 2-yard run that finished off a 7-play, 58-yard drive for the Tigers.
Huntsville then fumbled the ball on the ensuing kickoff and Prairie Grove took advantage quickly. Soehner carried it to pay dirt on a 10-yard run just two plays after the fumble, giving Prairie Grove a commanding 28-7 lead.
The Eagles bounced back on their next possession with a touchdown to pull within 14. Phillips scored his second touchdown of the evening this time on a 19-yard passfrom quarterback Cody Stevens.
Huntsville then held Prairie Grove on its next possession and were knocking on the door late in the first half. The Eagles drove the ball down to the Tigers' 14-yard line before they fumbled it away back to the Tigers with seconds left in the half.
The Eagles started the second half off the same way the ended they first. After running eight plays, the Eagles were forced to punt and the ball sailed over the punter's head giving Prairie Grove the ball at their opponents' 19-yard line.
Once again it wasSoehner who completed the Tigers' run to the end zone with his fifth touchdown of the night. He scored from 20 yards out just two plays after the botched fumble.
On the next possession, Huntsville fumbled again after a 40-yard catch and run and shortly after Dalton Phillips ran one in for Prairie Grove from the 2-yard line.
"The big difference was that they turned the ball over in the first half, and we didn't which hasn't been the case all year," Abshier said.
The two teams traded touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Huntsville scoredon a 5-yard run, but Prairie Grove answered with Phillips' second touchdown of the game.
The Eagles scored the last touchdown of the game as Cody Wages ran it in from 30 yards out. Prairie Grove then got two late interceptions one by Ethan Robinson and one by Charles Stills to seal the 49-30 victory.
The Tigers look to extend their conference record to 2-0 next week when they travel down the road to take on rival Farmington.
Sports, Pages 10 on 09/26/2009