Tigers Rally To Win

Prairie Grove Advances

Cooper Winters, Prairie Grove quarterback, throws Friday during the Class 4A playoff game against Nashville at Tiger Stadium in Prairie Grove.
Cooper Winters, Prairie Grove quarterback, throws Friday during the Class 4A playoff game against Nashville at Tiger Stadium in Prairie Grove.

— Colby Elkins didn’t hesitate when he saw an onside kick bouncing his way late in the fourth quarter against Nashville.

Elkins grabbed the ball out of the air and ran about 50 yards for the touchdown as Prairie Grove defeated Nashville 41-34 Friday in a third-round playoff game at Tiger Stadium. Elkins’ return capped a fast-paced and high-scoring fourth quarter that found the Tigers trailing 28-14 after three.

Gamebreaker

PRAIRIE GROVE 41, NASHVILLE 34

WHY PRAIRIE GROVE WON

Prairie Grove again refused to give up after entering a game while trailing in the fourth quarter. The Tigers scored four times in the final period, capped by Colby Elkins’ return of an on-side kick from about 50 yards.

WHY NASHVILLE LOST

Nashville couldn’t contain quarterback Cooper Winters, who extended plays with his ability to scramble and found open receivers downfield.

Prairie Grove’s victory was reminiscent of last week, when the Tigers rallied from a two-touchdown deficit to defeat Pottsville 34-28. The Tigers (12-0) will now advance to the Class 4A state semifinals at Stuttgart on Friday.

“Once again, it’s a character deal,” Prairie Grove coach Danny Absher said of the Tigers’ second consecutive comeback victory. “The don’t want to die.”

Quarterback Cooper Winters threw four touchdowns passes for Prairie Grove, which scored 27 points in the fourth quarter to complete its comeback. Two of the touchdown passes were to Jon Halbert, who scored on plays of 46 and 34 yards.

Elkins scored on a 3-yard run with 1:45 left, but Nashville came right back on a 31-yard touchdown catch by Donyell King to pull the Scrappers to within 35-34 with 1:18 to play. Nashville went for two points and the lead but failed after a fumbled snap near the Prairie Grove line.

That’s when the Scrappers tried to get the ball back with an on-side kick, but Elkins returned it for the touchdown to put Prairie Grove ahead 41-34.

“I went to get the ball, it bounced, and I just took off with it,” Elkins said. “That’s what happened.”

The defeat ended the season for Nashville (10-3), which advanced to the third round after beating Central Arkansas Christian 49-13 last week.

“We didn’t play very well and they made the plays,” Nashville coach Billy Dawson said. ‘That’s the bottom line.”

Nashville took a 13-7 lead in the third quarter when LaVonte Thomas went high over Halbert and caught 9-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Joel Hendry. Prairie Grove took the lead again after Winters scrambled around and found Halbert for a 46-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter. Landon Allen then added the extra point to put the Tigers ahead 14-13.

The lead didn’t last long after Gaines scored on a 13-yard catch and a 62-yard run to put the Scrappers ahead 28-14 with 2:10 left in the third quarter. Hendry avoided a heavy rush and flipped a short pass to Gaines, who went straight ahead for the touchdown. Gaines then ran around and through the Prairie Grove defense on a 62-yard run to put Nashville ahead by two touchdowns heading into the fourth quarter.

Nashville scored first before Prairie Grove tied the game 7-7 at halftime on a 40-yard touchdown pass from Winters to Dalton Faulk. Faulk, a starting linebacker, broke open near the sideline and scored with 3:49 left in the second quarter.

Nashville scored first when Hendry emerged from a crowd at the line of scrimmage and ran 13 yards for a touchdown. Jakaree Gaines had a 22-yard run during the series and Nashville benefited from a pass interference penalty that gave the Scrappers a first down at the Tigers’ 33.

Nashville had another scoring opportunity in the second quarter, but Elkins ended the threat with an interception at the Tigers’ 12-yard line. Prairie Grove moved into Nashville territory on its opening series after a 20-yard run by J.D. Speed and a 21-yard run by Weston Bartholomew. But the drive ended without points when Allen just missed on a 40-yard field goal attempt.

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