HIGH SCHOOL

3-and-out formula working

Prairie Grove defenders Jacob Kahl (bottom) and Dalton Faulk (16) bring down Crossett running back Dominic Williams during last Friday’s game in Prairie Grove. The Tigers’ defense has allowed only 2.7 points per game this season.
Prairie Grove defenders Jacob Kahl (bottom) and Dalton Faulk (16) bring down Crossett running back Dominic Williams during last Friday’s game in Prairie Grove. The Tigers’ defense has allowed only 2.7 points per game this season.

— Prairie Grove doesn’t have a name for its stifling defensive unit, defensive coordinator Craig Laird said.

But Laird said a couple of players, including senior cornerback Jon Halbert, have recently been wearing a T-shirt that captures what Prairie Grove is all about this fall.

It simply reads: “Three and out.”

“I kind of joked and said that needs to be our motto,” Laird said. “I’ve thought over the course of the season trying to come up with some great nickname or some great motto. Bud Foster has the ‘Lunch Pail Defense’ at Virginia Tech. But I haven’t ever come up with one that’s original on my own, so we’re kind of, ‘Don’t let them score.’ ”

That applies, too.

Prairie Grove (10-0, 7-0 1-4A) enters the second round of the Class 4A playoffs tonight at home against Pottsville with five consecutive shutouts and seven overall this fall.

An eighth opponent, Lincoln, scored on a safety, but couldn’t against Prairie Grove’s defense.

Prairie Grove’s defense hasn’t allowed a score since Sept. 28, when Farmington completed a pass for two points with 7:33 remaining in the third quarter.

It isn’t quite the stuff - yet - of Carlisle 1993 (12 shutouts in 14 games), but 25 consecutive scoreless quarters and only 27 total points allowed are a good start.

“We’re doing the things it takes to keep people from scoring,” Tigers Coach Danny Abshier said. “Our second-teamers are holding people out pretty good, too.”

A year after allowing 229 points and posting just one shutout in 12 games, the Tigers are yielding just 151.4 total yards per game - 85.9 rushing and 65.5 passing - and have 22 interceptions, 22 sacks and 11 recovered fumbles.

Cornerback Jon Halbert, one of seven senior starters, is among the state’s leaders in interceptions with 10.

“Jon has just got great instincts,” Laird said. “He makes plays with his back to the ball. He’s a sure tackler. He’s saved several touchdowns just on the kickoff team this year.”

Halbert has flourished in a new 3-3 base scheme.

The Tigers previously ran a 4-4, but Laird said personnel dictated the change.

“We haven’t got a lot of great big, huge defensive linemen,” Laird said. “But we’ve got a lot of little guys with a little quickness and love to hit.”

It’s a defense built on agility and aggression.

Laird said only two starters weigh more than 200 pounds, but nine run the 40-yard dash in under 5.0 seconds.

Blitzing is a big part of Prairie Grove’s approach, Laird said.

“I like being aggressive,” Laird said. “I don’t like to sit back and let an offense dictate to me.”

Prairie Grove opened postseason with a 52-0 victory over Crossett, the No. 5 seed from the tradition rich 8-4A.

Senior tailback Dominic Williams, who entered with well over 1,000 yards rushing this season, was limited to around 70, Eagles Coach Mark Kelley said.

“The defense is good,” Kelley said. “They just physically whipped us up front. Dominic was having to break two or three tackles just to get back to the line of scrimmage.”

Keeping Pottsville from scoring will be a much bigger hurdle.

The Apaches (10-1) average 40.7 points and 296 yards rushing yards per game. Junior quarterback Michael Perry has rushed for 1,188 yards and thrown for 879.

“We’ve been scored on before, so it’s not like it will be a first,” Abshier said. “The more I think about it, we’re in the second round of the playoffs and these are better teams throughout the state. We’ve got to think at some point somebody might score. They might, but the goal is to not let them score.”

By the numbers Prairie Grove’s defense by the numbers POINTS P/G ALLOWED 2.7 RUSHING YARDS P/G ALLOWED 85.9 PASSING YARDS P/G ALLOWED 65.5 TOTAL YARDS P/G ALLOWED 151.4 INTERCEPTIONS 22 FUMBLE RECOVERIES 11 SACKS 22

Sports, Pages 19 on 11/16/2012

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