Football: Johnson adds swagger to Prairie Grove backfield

Prairie Grove junior Anthony Johnson (1) carries the ball Sept. 30 against Gravette at Lion Stadium in Gravette.
Prairie Grove junior Anthony Johnson (1) carries the ball Sept. 30 against Gravette at Lion Stadium in Gravette.

PRAIRIE GROVE -- Hit and don't be hit.

That's the simple approach for Anthony Johnson, a two-way standout for the undefeated Prairie Grove Tigers.

At a glance

Anthony Johnson

SCHOOL Prairie Grove

CLASS Junior

POSITION Running back/linebacker

HEIGHT 5-9

WEIGHT 180

NOTABLE Leads Prairie Grove 883 yards and eight touchdowns on 95 carries. …. Caught his only touchdown pass of the year against Shiloh Christian. … Also starts at linebacker for a team that has outscored its opponents 430-130 this season. … Plays guard on the Prairie Grove basketball team.

ON THE WEB

For more on Anthony Johnson, see the full video at www.nwadg.com and at www.ARPreps.com.

ARPreps.com

For more prep sports, visit www.arpreps.com.

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Johnson is a punishing linebacker for Prairie Grove's defense that's held opponents to 13 points per game. He's also the team's leading rusher with 883 yards and eight touchdowns on 95 carries. That's an average of 9.3 yards per carry for Johnson, a junior who wears jersey No. 1 and calls himself "Jet" Johnson on his Twitter account.

"Anthony runs hard, and he's extra quick," Prairie Grove coach Danny Abshier said. "He likes to have the ball in his hands, but he doesn't have to do it all. He likes to hit at linebacker, but he doesn't like to be hit as a running back. He can juke and make guys miss."

Prairie Grove (10-0) hopes to return to Little Rock after falling 59-20 to Nashville in last year's championship game at War Memorial Stadium. The Tigers have home-field advantage in the playoffs, starting with Friday's game against Central Arkansas Christian (8-3). CAC advanced with a 42-21 victory over Mena last week, while Prairie Grove received a first-round bye by winning the 4A-1 Conference title. The winner will advance to the third round against the Gosnell vs. Ozark winner.

Johnson played in the championship game last year as a backup running back and free safety. He forced a fumble by Leonard Snell, an all state quarterback who now plays at Henderson State.

"That was a highlight for me, something I'll never forget," Johnson said. "Having that whole experience last year in the playoffs is a big help. Last year I was kind of intimidated because I was a sophomore and didn't know what to do at times. But I'm a lot more confident in what I'm doing now."

Prairie Grove is prepared for the playoffs run after winning in a league that produced three winners in the first round. Shiloh Christian, Pea Ridge and Gravette all advanced while Huntsville fell at Gosnell.

Prairie Grove staked its claim as league champions after defeating Gravette, Shiloh Christian and Pea Ridge on consecutive Fridays in October. Johnson was a factor in all three victories, and he caught his only touchdown pass of the year in the 45-15 victory over the Saints.

"Prairie Grove is extremely physical and very well-coached," Pea Ridge coach Stephen Neal said. "That's what the playoffs are all about. You add those factors to their guys with plenty of athleticism, like Anthony Johnson, and you have a tough team that is extremely hard to beat."

Johnson will join the basketball team and play guard this year for the Tigers. But he is confident there's plenty more action left for the football Tigers, who reached the state championship game last year for the first time in school history.

"I think we're going to make another deep run," Johnson said with his usual self-confidence. "We play in one of the best conferences throughout, and we won that. So, I'm expecting a title this year."

Sports on 11/16/2016

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