PEA RIDGE -- Jonathan Small is coming up big for Pea Ridge.
Small is undersized almost every time he lines up at his defensive end position, but the 5-foot-10, 168-pound senior is making big plays for the Blackhawks' defense anyway.
Player Profile
Jonathan Small
School: Pea Ridge
Class: Senior
Positon: Defensive End
Height: 5-10
Weight: 168
Notable: Two-year starter that leads the team in tackles for losses. … Has 23 tackles in three games, including 11 unassisted stops. … Has four quarterback sacks.
5A-West Conference
^Conf.^Overall
Team^W-L^W-L-T^PF^PA
Farmington^0-0^3-0-0^115^55
Maumelle^0-0^2-0-1^54^13
Greenbrier^0-0^2-1-0^126^109
LR Christian^0-0^2-1-0^112^83
Harrison^0-0^1-2-0^112^121
Morrilton^0-0^1-2-0^69^113
Vilonia^0-0^1-2-0^58^83
Clarksville^0-0^0-3-0^28^124
Friday’s Scores
Farmington 42, Van Buren 22
Dardanelle 48, Clarksville 0
Jacksonville at Little Rock Christian
Fountain Lake 6, Maumelle 6
Morrilton 35, Searcy 28
Vilonia 20, Beebe 13
Alma 53, Harrison 16
Benton 52, Greenbrier 32
This Week’s Games
Vilonia at Clarksville
Little Rock Christian at Farmington
Greenbrier at Morrilton
Maumelle at Harrison
All kickoffs 7 p.m.
.
4A-1 Conference
^Conf.^Overall
Team^W-L^W-L-T^PF^PA
Pea Ridge^0-0^3-0-0^104^20
Berryville^0-0^2-1-0^92^83
Gravette^0-0^2-1-0^99^67
Huntsville^0-0^2-1-0^62^68
Prairie Grove^0-0^1-1-0^69^34
Lincoln^0-0^1-2-0^75^98
Shiloh Christian^0-0^1-2-0^53^91
Gentry^0-0^0-3-0^37^108
Friday’s Scores
Berryville 36, Green Forest 34
Greenland 24, Gentry 15
Gravette 41, Jay, Okla. 7
Huntsville 31, Elkins 14
Lincoln 45, Cedarville 22
Pea Ridge 43, Paris 8
Prairie Grove 42, West Fork 0
Tulsa (Okla.) Victory Christian 41, Shiloh Christian 27
This Week’s Games
Berryville at Shiloh Christian
Pea Ridge at Gentry
Gravette at Lincoln
Huntsville at Prairie Grove
All kickoffs 7 p.m.
.
3A-1 Conference
^Conf.^Overall
Team^W-L^W-L-T^PF^PA
Mountain View^0-0^3-0-0^110^80
Greenland^0-0^2-1-0^75^56
West Fork^0-0^2-1-0^72^78
Cedarville^0-0^1-2-0^64^94
Yellville-Summit^0-0^1-2-0^38^70
Marshall^0-0^0-2-1^80^118
Green Forest^0-0^0-3-0^55^98
Elkins^0-0^0-3-0^28^66
Friday’s Scores
Berryville 36, Green Forest 34
Greenland 24, Gentry 15
Huntsville 31, Elkins 14
Prairie Grove 42, West Fork 0
Lincoln 45, Cedarville 22
Marshall 42, Quitman 42
Mountain View 32, Batesville Southside 28
Clinton 42, Yellville-Summit 0
This Week’s Games
Cedarville at Greenland
Yellville-Summit at Elkins
Marshall at Green Forest
Mountain View at West Fork
All kickoffs 7 p.m.
.
2A-4 Conference
^Conf.^Overall
Team^W-L^W-L-T^PF^PA
Hector^2-0^4-0-0^114^30
Mountainburg^2-0^2-1-0^99^72
Western Yell Co.^1-0^1-2-0^51^56
Hackett^1-1^2-1-0^60^38
Decatur^1-1^1-2-0^49^95
FS Union Christian^1-1^1-2-0^53^87
Hartford^0-2^0-3-0^17^100
JC Westside^0-2^0-3-0^22^94
Magazine^0-1^0-3-0^6^93
Friday’s Scores
Mountainburg 55, Decatur 20
Hackett 33, Magazine 0
Hector 42, Hartford 6
Union Christian 29, Johnson County Westside 8
Subiaco Academy 20, Western Yell Co. 18
This Week’s Games
Decatur at Hackett
Western Yell County at Hector
Magazine at Union Christian
Mountainburg at Johnson County Westside
Hartford Open
All kickoffs 7 p.m.
Pea Ridge (3-0) has allowed just 20 points this season, but 14 of that total has come on a pair of kickoff returns by Green Forest and Paris. The only touchdown the Blackhawks' defense has surrendered came in the season opener against Elkins.
Small is helping lead the charge. The two-year defensive starter has 23 tackles, including 11 solo stops, and four sacks the first three games of the season.
"Being as small as I am, I have to use my hands and speed to make plays," Small said. "I'm not really big enough to be on the line, but I get the job done. It wears on me some, but I like it because I can get around the bigger offensive linemen a lot easier. I can get a good second step, start driving and then get separation."
Pea Ridge coach Tony Travis is especially pleased that Small leads the team in tackles for loss, which included two sacks last week against Paris.
"Jonathan is one of the quickest lineman I have coached and he makes up for a lack of size with his takeoff off the football," Travis said. "He is very quick off the football. He is a strong player. He is constantly running to the football. The offensive linemen have to adjust to him because he is so fast.
"He can escape blocks and he is running to the football. He is really a disrupter for us. He had two more sacks Friday night against Paris."
Small is often outweighed by more than 50 pounds by opposing offensive linemen but he gets plenty of rest as he is just a one-way starter.
"Jonathan's quickness, his strength, his technique and his energy level are the four things that override the things most of those tackles have that he is taking on," Travis said. "Jonathan knows what he is good at, and he takes advantage of that."
Travis is obviously pleased with the undefeated start after the Blackhawks missed the postseason last season, but he said the team must continue to improve each week. Pea Ridge opens 4A-1 Conference play at Gentry on Friday night. Gentry defeated Pea Ridge 43-30 last season.
"It's a great start for us, but we just can't be satisfied," Travis said. "We are fixing to play a team in Gentry that has more returning starters than any team in our conference. They beat us soundly over here last year, and I hope our guys remember that. This could be a big step for either us or Gentry as far as being a playoff team this year."
Small said he has seen improvement from the defense the first three weeks but he knows the road to the playoffs will be a tough one.
"I feel like the defense is doing a real good job," Small said. "We are hustling to the football real well. This is really a big game for me because my uncle, Daniel Ramsey, is a coach at Gentry. We need to stay focused and play hard."
Sports on 09/24/2014