BOONEVILLE -- Pea Ridge found itself down by more than two touchdowns after the first quarter, but still found a way to win its second game in the span of five days.
Blackhawks running back Drew Winn led the way again Friday to help take a 29-19 victory against Booneville at Bearcat Stadium. Pea Ridge opened the season on Monday with a 50-30 win against Hamburg in Conway.
Pea Ridge 29, Booneville 19
Pea Ridge^0^14^8^7^—^29
Booneville^19^0^0^0^—^19
First quarter
Boone — Ray 6 run (kick failed), 6:53
Boone — Ray 1 run (rush failed), 3:27
Boone — Ray 42 run (Dobbs kick), :36
Second quarter
Pea — Sainsbury 1 run (Holtgrewe pass from Sainsbury), 2:47
Pea — Winn 2 run (run failed), :52
Third quarter
Pea — Winn 22 fumble return (Holtgrewe pass from Sainsbury), :36
Fourth quarter
Pea — Winn 47 run (Wooldrige kick), 2:01
Winn rushed for 166 yards with 3 touchdowns while carrying the ball 24 times against the Bearcats. Winn also finished with 170 yards and 4 touchdowns against Hamburg.
"This gave us a great challenge," Pea Ridge coach Stephen Neal said. "We were able to overcome against a great program. We challenged our kids if we want to be where we need to be, we have to play the best. Not late in the season but early."
Booneville (0-1) couldn't have asked for a better first quarter, taking a 19-0 lead early in the game, scoring on its first three possessions of the game.
Pea Ridge (2-0) was able to bounce back after that by no allowing a point on Booneville's next nine possession of the game.
"I was worried because we still are a little young," Booneville coach Scott Hyatt said. "But they came out ready to play. We just made some mistakes you can't make and still win football games. That's part of growing up."
The Blackhawks were able to get back into the game behind a strong effort from Winn, who scored the last three touchdowns of the game.
Pea Ridge was able to take the lead for the first time in the game when Winn picked up a fumble on fourth-and-11 and ran it in for a 22-yard score. That gave the Blackhawks a 22-19 lead after a two-point conversion.
"There were some kids on our sidelines after he scored on that play that just said 'that's just Drew being Drew,'" Neal said. "That's just what he does. He makes plays regardless of how he gets the ball in his hands."
Winn helped close out the game with a 47-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 29-19 with just 2:01 left in the fourth quarter for Pea Ridge.
"If we get the ball to him by a fumble or a hand off, good things happen," Neal said. "He is a heck of a player. We needed him to play as well as he did tonight."
Booneville was led by running back Carson Ray, who finished with 17 carries for 83 yards and 3 touchdowns.
"We are going to get there," Hyatt said. "We aren't there just yet. I think by midseason we are going to be a pretty good football team if we can stay healthy. Pea Ridge is a great football and responded to the challenge."
It was a much different story after the initial first quarter as Pea Ridge's defense settled down even allowed less than 40 yards of offense after the break.
"Booneville could not have asked for a better first quarter but created those opportunities," Neal said. "They made us make mistakes. This is the first time for me coaching here. It's a tough place to play."
Pea Ridge scored twice with less than three minutes to play in the first half to cut Booneville's lead to 19-14 at the break.
The Blackhawks, who will be off next week, forced their first defensive stop of the night then took advantage to get back into the game making the Booneville lead 19-8 with 2:47 left before the half.
Pea Ridge quarterback Jakota Sainsbury capped a 55-yard scoring drive with a 1-yard run then connected with Hayden Holtgrewe on the two-point conversion.
Sports on 09/02/2017