Shiloh Christian's defense douses Dover's deep drives

Prairie Grove running back Cole Walker (42) runs past Jonesboro Westside’s Demarius Smith during the first round of the Class 4A state playoffs Friday. The Tigers won their 10th consecutive game and will take on Ashdown next week in the second round. For more photos from the game, visit nwadg.com/photos.
Prairie Grove running back Cole Walker (42) runs past Jonesboro Westside’s Demarius Smith during the first round of the Class 4A state playoffs Friday. The Tigers won their 10th consecutive game and will take on Ashdown next week in the second round. For more photos from the game, visit nwadg.com/photos.

SPRINGDALE -- Shiloh Christian's offense took care of business early, but it was the defense that came to the rescue Friday night.

The Saints denied Dover of three scoring chances inside the 10 -- two of them in the fourth quarter -- as they held on for a 23-8 victory in a first-round Class 4A state playoff game at Champions Stadium.

Shiloh Christian (7-3) advances to a second-round game next week against 7-4A Conference champion Nashville, a 56-13 winner over Crossett.

"The defense played lights out from start to finish," Shiloh Christian Coach Jeff Conaway said. "In the second half, when we couldn't punch it in, we had some goal-line stands. It was a remarkable performance for them, and we're thankful to be moving on."

Shiloh Christian took a 23-0 lead thanks to its defense, which recorded a safety when it tackled Luke Price in the end zone with 9:28 left in the third quarter. The Saints had two more drives deep into Dover territory and came away with nothing, then the Pirates' Price hit Jacob Sharp with a 94-yard touchdown pass and connected with Seth Cheak for the two-point conversion pass.

Dover (8-3) drove inside the Shiloh Christian 10 on its next two possessions but had nothing to show for it. The Saints' defense stopped a diving Price short of the goal line on a fourth-down play with 7:04 remaining, then the Pirates' final possession ended when Price's pass to Cheak on fourth and goal from the 7 fell incomplete with 4:09 left to play.

"We had our chances," Dover Coach Greg Smith said. "We played great defense in the second half, for sure. Offensively, we really never got going. We can't keep going down there and fumbling snaps and keep stubbing our toes that many times inside the red zone."

Broc Berus' 3-yard touchdown run gave Shiloh Christian its first points midway in the first quarter, and Dover missed a chance to tie when the Pirates fumbled on a fourth-down play at the Shiloh 1 with 9:00 left in the second quarter. The Saints responded with a 99-yard drive, which included a 27-yard touchdown pass from Connor Reece to Brennan Fulgham on a fourth-down play, and Reece added on a 3-yard touchdown run with a minute left before halftime.

NASHVILLE 56, CROSSETT 13

NASHVILLE — Darius Hopkins returned two interceptions for touchdowns and ran for three more scores as Nashville defeated Crossett in the opening round of the Class 4A playoffs.

All of Hopkins’ rushing touchdowns came in the first half, when he scored twice on 1-yard runs and once on an 11-yard run. He also returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown with 11:38 left in the first half, and his second interception return for a touchdown covered 75 yards in the third quarter. Nashville quarterback Leonard Snell ran for 165 yards and a touchdown and passed for 124 yards and another score. Snell hit Andrew Hawthorne with a 26-yard scoring pass int he first quarter and had a 14-yard touchdown run later in the quarter.

Trent Harris added a 24-yard run for the Scrappers.

John Welch had a 5-yard touchdown run for Crossett, and Kayion Williams returned a kickoff 80 yards for Crossett’s other touchdown.

Nashville rushed for 335 yards and held Crossett to 33 yards on the ground.

PRAIRIE GROVE 45,

JONESBORO WESTSIDE 14

PRAIRIE GROVE — Prairie Grove jumped out to a 39-0 lead in the first half and rolled past Jonesboro Westside for a first-round victory.

Blake Faulk ran for two touchdowns and Sam Dodd threw for another score for the Tigers (10-1).

Jonesboro Westside, which played without its starting quarterback, was held to 16 yards passing, and the Tigers’ defense intercepted the Warriors’ first three pass attempts and held them to minus-9 yards total offense in the second quarter.

ASHDOWN 26, STUTTGART 25

ASHDOWN — Jaden Hill completed 3 of 5 passes for 36 yards on the game-winning drive and Kirkland Threadgill had a 20-yard run to set up Hill’s 1-yard touchdown with 37 seconds left as Ashdown (8-3) defeated Stuttgart (5-6) in the Class 4A playoffs.

Hill also threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Tajnick Bishop. Brandon Northcross added a 15-yard touchdown run, and Cameron Solomon returned a kickoff 80 yards for another score.

Darius Earvine had an 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown for Stuttgart, and caught a 67-yard touchdown pass from Michael Smith. Smith had a 3-yard scoring run, and Je’rel Dabner scored on a 5-yard run.

Sports on 11/14/2015

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