PEA RIDGE -- There will be a moment tonight in War Memorial Stadium when the most quiet Pea Ridge player will make the most noise.
Blackhawks senior running back Zaine Holley has piled up big rushing totals all season (1,483 yards, 19 touchdowns on 267 carries), but he gets fired up the most during short yardage situations.
Class 4A Championship
Pea Ridge vs. Warren
War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock
KICKOFF 7 p.m.
RECORDS Pea Ridge 13-1; Warren 14-0
ON THE AIR Live streaming at nfhsnetwork.com
BETWEEN THE LINES In last Friday’s 4A semifinals, Pea Ridge defeated Shiloh Christian 30-24 while Warren upended Prairie Grove 48-28. … Pea Ridge is making its first title game appearance. Warren is making its fifth since 2002 and last won the state championship in 2014. … Pea Ridge has averaged 369 yards per game behind running backs Zaine Holley and Drew Winn, who have combined for nearly 2,800 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns. Holley averages 5.6 yards per carry while Winn averages 12.2 yards per carry. … Jakota Sainsbury has completed 111 of 187 passes for 1,940 yards and 17 touchdowns. … Sainbury’s top target is Hayden Holtgrewe, who has 66 receptions for 1,059 yards and 9 touchdowns. Holtgrewe also is a dangerous kick/punt returner. … Robby Pickthall leads a Blackhawks’ defense that has allowed 18 points per game with 101 tackles, including 12 tackles for loss. Seth Trammell has a team-high eight sacks and Winn has eight of his team’s 20 interceptions. … Warren quarterback Hayden Lassiter is a dual-threat and also starts on defense. He’s completed 162 of 276 passes for 3,097 yards and 37 touchdowns. He’s also rushed for more than 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns. … Dennis Daniels has rushed for more than 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns. … The Lumberjacks repeatedly beat Prairie Grove through the air last week with sophomores Treylon Burkes and Keemontrae McKnight. Burks grabbed eight receptions for 202 yards and four touchdowns. McKnight had six receptions for 143 yards and two touchdowns.
PLAYERS TO WATCH Warren, QB/LB Hayden Lassiter (Sr., 6-0, 175), RB Dennis Daniels (Sr., 5-11, 190), WR Treylon Burks (So., 6-3, 205), WR Keemontrae McKnight (So., 5-8, 170), CB D’Shawn Jackson (Sr., 5-6, 140), LB Byron Pearson (Sr., 5-6, 165). Pea Ridge, QB Jakota Sainsbury (Jr., 5-11, 180), RB/CB Drew Winn (Jr, 5-11, 170), RB Zaine Holley (Sr., 5-8, 180), WR/RET Hayden Holtgrewe (Jr., 6-1, 160), DL Seth Trammell (Sr., 5-8, 210), LB Robby Pickthall (Jr., 6-0, 196), FS Jacob Torres (Sr., 5-5, 150).
HOOTEN’S RANKINGS Warren is No. 1 in Class 4A; Pea Ridge in No. 2.
HOOTEN’S LINE Warren by 10
OUR TAKE Warren 35, Pea Ridge 30
"If it's a third-and-two or a fourth-and-two and we just need those extra yards, he'll definitely pump up the O-line," said Pea Ridge senior right guard Tanner Flippo. "Sometimes, he'll crack a joke if we're up (on the scoreboard), but he usually just says, 'We need two yards. Just give me two yards. I know ya'll can give me two yards.'"
More of a leader by example, it's those moments when Holley becomes much more vocal. It's those moments when all of his voluntary 5:30 a.m. workouts, and extra reps after practice pay off. Teammates say they're inspired by Holley's no-nonsense approach.
"I've never seen him skip reps, even when we're outside of school," said junior quarterback Jakota Sainsbury.
They'll need everything Holley has to give as the Blackhawks (13-1) take on Warren (14-0) at 7 p.m. in the Class 4A state championship game in Little Rock. It is Pea Ridge's first state title game appearance.
Holley said he doesn't have any hobbies, other than working out. The gym rat has turned a storage area in his home into his own personal gym with dumbbells and curl bars. Usually, he'll turn up rap tunes from Wu-Tang Clan or A Tribe Called Quest or "whatever gets me motivated and pumped."
"It's not much, but it works for me," Holley said.
It's transformed Holley into the strongest pound-for-pound player on the Blackhawks' roster. At only 5-foot-8, 180-pounds, he bench presses 255 pounds, power cleans 235 and squats 405. For those three lifts, it's the third highest total on the team behind linemen Beau German and Kamden Boyd.
It's also why he averages 105.6 yards per game, has nine games with 100-plus rushing yards and has seven multi-touchdown games. Last season, he rushed for 1,652 yards and 26 touchdowns.
Because of his straight-ahead, and downhill running style, Pea Ridge junior linebacker Robby Pickthall won't miss trying to tackle Holley during practices.
"He's so tough to bring down," Pickthall said. "When he wants to lay the boom, he can really lay the boom. And when you have him one-on-one in the open field, he's going to truck you."
In addition to his running ability, Holley blocks with a full head of steam. He has multiple pancake blocks this season while plowing open running lanes for junior speedster Drew Winn, who has 1,307 yards and 21 touchdowns on 107 carries (12.2 yards per run).
"I know there's going to be an open hole when he's leading the way," Winn said. "There's a few times where they're to the outside and he'll move the guy out of the way. Whoever is there, he'll create an open space to run. He can definitely lay some hits on people."
All of it adds up to the type of player -- and person -- first-year coach Stephen Neal wishes he could clone. He said Holley's among the most "upstanding young men" he's ever coached.
"If you were to walk by him in the hallway, you wouldn't know that that was who he was," Neal said. "Not just because of his size, but because of his temperament and the way he carries himself. He's very quiet, very humble, yet one of the most competitive and hard working kids that I've ever been around."
Holley has rushed for more than 100 yards in all four of Pea Ridge's playoff games, but none were more important than his performance in a 53-28 upset win over powerhouse Nashville in the second round. That night, he rushed a season-high 33 times for 148 yards and two touchdowns while staving off a shoulder injury.
Of course, Holley was trucking just as hard on run No. 33 as he did on run No. 1.
"I told him after the game that he's a true warrior," Neal said. "I don't think Zaine has a breaking point."
Holley's not sure from where his warrior mentality is derived, but is certain about what drives him and his teammates.
"Just the end result for all of us as a team," Holley said. "From the beginning of the year where we started out OK when we were kind of getting a feel for each other and now we're at the point where we are now. It's the hard work and time you put into it.
"The end result for all of us; that's been the major drive for all of us."
Sports on 12/09/2016