PRAIRIE GROVE — Prairie Grove’s defense fought to catch its breath.
With the clock ticking down to just over two minutes left in this Class 4A state playoff game, the Tigers’ perfect season hung in the balance.
Pottsville led 28-26 with 2:38 left and faced a fourthand-3 situation at the Prairie Grove 43. A first down would likely seal the victory for the Apaches, but Prairie Grove’s Jared Murphy grabbed Pottsville quarterback Michael Perry behind the line of scrimmage and stripped the ball.
Linebacker Dalton Faulk recovered the fumble at the Apaches’ 34, and five plays later, Prairie Grove’s Weston Bartholomew crashed in from the 2 for his third touchdown of the game as the Tigers defeated Pottsville 34-28 in front of a packed stadium.
The Tigers (11-0) rallied from a 28-12 deficit in the third quarter to secure the victory. Up to that point, the Tigers hadn’t completed a pass and did not have a first down in the third quarter.
“It certainly looked like they were going to take it to us, but we stood up and got the job done,” Prairie Grove Coach Danny Abshier said. “We had to quit thinking about how far down we were. You just have to push that aside and keep coming,”
Pottsville Coach Bryan Rust said he did not consider punting on the key fourth-down play after Prairie Grove partially blocked the previous Apaches punt.
“The last two drives we hadn’t stopped them,” Rust said. “There was still a lot of time left. We thought the only way we could seal it up and win the game was by getting that first down.
“We decided it was the best thing, to try to go for it.”
Pottsville (10-2) came out of a 7-6 halftime lead and torched the Tigers like no team had done this season. The Apaches scored three third-quarter touchdowns, unleashing a passing game led by Perry, who was 5 of 5 for 65 yards with 2 short touchdown passes to Corey McKown, and running back Corey Campbell, who had 11 carries for 123 yards.
Prairie Grove cut into the lead when it drove 70 yards, capped by Cooper Winters’ 36-yard touchdown pass to Colby Elkins in the back of the end zone with 11:46 left in the game.
That play seemed to swing momentum back to the Tigers, who scored again with just under five minutes left on Bartholomew’s short touchdown run. The Tigers’ try for two points to tie the score failed, leaving them trailing 28-26.
Prairie Grove tried an onside kick, but Pottsville recovered at midfield and was poised to put away the game until the Tigers’ defense came through with its big fourthdown stop.
Bartholomew finished with 18 carries and 127 yards for the Tigers, who will host Nashville next week. Murphy had 12 tackles for the Tigers.
BOONEVILLE 41, NEWPORT 20
BOONEVILLE - Cody Harrell ran for two touchdowns and passed for anotherscore to lead Booneville (8-3) to a Class 4A playoff victory over Newport (7-4).
Harrell finished with 108 yards rushing.
Bryson May ran 55 yards for Booneville’s first touchdown, and Harrell ran for the two-point conversion.
Harrell followed with a 1-yard touchdown run and a 49-yard pass to Brandon Carter for a touchdown, all in the first quarter.
May got his second touchdown of the game on a 1-yard run in the second quarter.
Jacob Jones scored on a 25-yard run in the third quarter for Booneville. Harrell added a 3-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter.
OZARK 33, MENA 12
OZARK - Ozark (10-2) used two touchdown runs by Bubba Elder and a pair of field goals by Tripp White to defeat Mena (6-6) in the Class 4A playoffs.
Elder scored on an 18-yard run in the first quarter and a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter.
White kicked field goals of 34 and 32 yards and four extra points.
Ozark’s first score came on a 52-yard run by Toby Richard, and quarterback Jonathan McKenzie had a 2-yard touchdown run.
HIGHLAND 34, PINE BLUFF DOLLARWAY 24
HARDY - Michael Copeland returned a fumble 47 yards for a touchdown and intercepted three passes as Highland stopped Pine Bluff Dollarway in the Class 4A playoffs.
Jordan Brewer rushed 10 times for 106 yards for Highland.
Copeland’s fumble return for a touchdown came in a three-touchdown second quarter. Avery Johnson ran 12 yards for a score with 1:20 left in the half. Johnson then caught a Hail Mary pass of 55 yards from Sterling Stowers for a touchdown with no time left in the half.
Stowers also had an 8-yard touchdown run for the game’s first score in the first quarter.
Dionne Stewart caught a 63-yard touchdown pass from Stowers in the third quarter. Ethan Hoppe kicked his fourth extra point.
Sports, Pages 24 on 11/17/2012