PRAIRIE GROVE -- After scoring touchdowns on its first two possessions, Pea Ridge managed the rest of the game well enough to stay undefeated and spoil Prairie Grove's homecoming Friday.
The Blackhawks (7-0, 4-0 4A-1 Conference) took advantage of three fumbles, turning one into a touchdown, to defeat the Tigers 28-20 at Tiger Stadium.
HOW THEY SCORED
Pea Ridge 28, Prairie Grove 20
Pea Ridge^7^7^7^7^—^28
Prairie Grove^0^0^8^12^—^20
First quarter
PR — Brumley 2 run (Jake Edwards kick), 7:59
Second quarter
PR — Brumley 4 run (Jake Edwards kick), 10:57
Third quarter
PG — Lopez 6 run (Bobby Catt run), 7:47
PR — Easterling 3 fumble return (Jake Edwards kick), 1:20
Fourth quarter
PG — Soehner 5 pass from Ryan Marrell (pass failed), 9:01
PR — Ivy 9 run (Jake Edwards kick), 2:25
PG — Marrell 1 run (pass failed), 0:26
Pea Ridge, which led 14-0 at halftime after a pair of long drives to start the game, was leading 14-8 late in the third quarter when Seth Blumley boomed a 54-yard punt.
Elliot Chamberlain attempted to field the ball on the run toward his goal line and lost possession. Garrett Easterling grabbed the ball on a bounce at the 3 and carried it in for the touchdown with one minute, 20 seconds left in the third quarter.
It was the third lost fumble among five overall by the Tigers (3-3, 2-2).
"That's breaks we haven't gotten against these guys in past years," Pea Ridge Coach Tony Travis said." It's very tough to beat those guys and they showed it by coming back time after time after time.
"It's never easy to beat Prairie Grove here."
Prairie Grove, which saw a 16-game conference winning streak snapped last week, pulled within 21-14 with nine minutes remaining on a five-yard pass from Ryan Marrell to Dylan Soehner.
Prairie Grove turned the ball over on downs at its 21 with 4:23 remaining, setting up a nine-yard touchdown run by Shane Ivey with 2:25 left to push the margin to 28-14.
Marrell's one-yard run with 26 seconds left set the final margin, sealed when the Blackhawks recovered an onside kick.
"You can't take anything away from Pea Ridge but we helped them a lot," Prairie Grove Coach Danny Abshier said. "We shot ourselves in the foot more than once."
Pea Ridge scored on its opening possession, staying mostly on the ground on a 66-yard drive off the opening kickoff. Brumley snuck the final two yards for a 7-0 lead with 7:59 left in the first quarter.
Prairie Grove was forced to punt on its first possession after a motion penalty on fourth-and-inches near midfield. Brumley capped the Blackhawks' 69-yard drive with a four-yard run with 10:57 left in the first half.
The Tigers turned the ball over on their next three possessions, once on downs and twice on fumbles.
"They are huge mistakes and we've got to quit doing them," Abshier said. "If we can iron those things out we're going to be a good football team."
EXTRA POINTS
• The turnovers marred an otherwise strong offensive effort by the Tigers, who finished with 322 yards. Marrell completed 18-of-23 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown for Prairie Grove.
• Jonathan Small stayed busy for the Blackhawks' defense, recording 14 tackles, including 12 unassisted. He had 2 1/2 tackles for losses among the seven plays for negative yardage for Prairie Grove.
• Landry Laird was selected homecoming queen.
UP NEXT: Prairie Grove is on the road to face Gentry. Pea Ridge returns home against Berryville.
Sports on 10/18/2014