PRAIRIE GROVE — Thirty-five was the lucky number for Prairie Grove’s Jon Halbert on Friday night.
Halbert contributed on both sides of the ball, catching two 35-yard touchdown passes and returning an interception 35 yards for a touchdown to lead the Tigers to a 48-0 win over Berryville on homecoming night at Tiger Stadium.
Gamebreaker
PRAIRIE GROVE 48, BERRYVILLE 0
Why The Tigers Won
The defense allowed zero points, while the offense was able to score points in every quarter of the game.
Why The Bobcats Lost
They were unable to stop the Tigers’ running game, giving up 265 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
“He has been a playmaker every week,” Prairie Grove coach Danny Abshier said. “He just seems to get better and better. I am really proud of Jon's effort.”
Halbert was just one part of an overall dominating performance by the Tigers. Prairie Grove senior quarterback Cooper Winters threw for 81 yards, including two throws to Halbert for touchdowns, and also added 20 yards rushing and a touchdown. Winters also made plays on the defensive side of the ball as he intercepted Bobcats quarterback Garrett Stone on Berryville's opening drive.
“Our defense really did well,” Abshier said. “They drove it on us farther than we would of liked, but then things started to turn around, we got the ball back and drove it right down the field.”
Prairie Grove (6-0, 4-0 4A-1 Conference) spread the wealth around as 10 different Tigers ran the ball, accumulating 265 yards on the ground. Logan Bartholomew ran for 62 yards, breaking off a 50-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Sophomore Eli Lopez also got in on the action as he busted outside and outran every Bobcat defender on his way to a 61-yard touchdown.
Berryville worked its running game to try and keep the Tigers offense on the sideline, but they couldn't find a hole in the Prairie Grove defense. Bobcat running back Deonte Payton led Berryville with 65 yards rushing on 16 carries, but was unable to find the end zone. The Tigers forced two interceptions and three sacks, pitching a shutout for the third time this season.
The Tigers have outscored their opponents 238-29.
“We haven't even exploited Cooper's arm,” Abshier said. “He is a much better thrower than we have shown. But when you can run the ball as good as we do, we don't really have to.”