SPRINGDALE -- Pea Ridge quarterback Tate Busey lay in agony just short of the goal-line. The Blackhawks' last chance to tie the game fell three feet short, and Shiloh Christian solidified its 4A conference title with a 28-26 win on the frigid November night.
The Saints (10-0, 7-0 4A-1) remained undefeated and claimed the 4A-1 Conference title.
"I felt like both teams were throwing big, slugging punches," Shiloh Christian coach Jeff Conaway said. "We would throw one and they would counter, but I'm so proud of our team because we had chances to let it get away, and we didn't."
The normally dynamic offense of Shiloh Christian was halted to start the game, with the Blackhawk defense flying all over the field, and the Pea Ridge crowd making its presence heard in the visitors' bleachers.
Shiloh converted on a fourth down, and on the next play, punched it in from five yards out to take the first lead of the game.
The Saints' offense started to roll after that, notching another touchdown and a 14-point lead. But where many of Shiloh's opponents this year would fail to recover, Pea Ridge showed no signs of succumbing to the No. 1 seed in 4A.
Busey caught fire at the end of the second quarter, throwing two 35-plus-yard touchdowns, one to Luis Reyes and the other to Brayden Ralph, exposing the Saints' defense and bringing the Blackhawk crowd backing into the game.
The scoreboard read 14-14 at halftime, and there were 24 minutes left that would determine the conference champion.
The cold could not contain the electricity in Champions Stadium when the second half started, as the house was rockin' and the players on both sides elevated their intensity.
Following a Pea Ridge punt, the Saints once again converted on a fourth down with a touchdown pass to Truitt Tollett from quarterback Eli Reece.
But the Blackhawks, again, would not go away. On a third-down play from 16 yards out, Busey found Hunter Rains for his third passing touchdown of the game.
On the point-after attempt, Pea Ridge appeared to set up for a two-point conversion attempt. Blackhawk coach Stephen Neal called a timeout to reevaluate and decided to kick the extra point instead, but the snap flew over the head of the holder and Pea Ridge stayed behind 21-20.
After a score by Shiloh, Pea Ridge went back to work and made it back to the red zone with around five minutes left. A few errant passes by Busey led to a fourth down, and the conversion attempt on the next play fell incomplete as Shiloh fans started to sense the end.
As was the case all game, the Blackhawks kept their intensity. A jet sweep by Tollett ended in a strip by Pea Ridge defender Logan Stewart, and Pea Ridge had another shot to tie the game down 28-20.
On a third-and-18 play with under two minutes to go, a miracle heave by Busey kept the chains moving. A few plays later, Busey called his own number for the score, and the Blackhawks were within two.
Pea Ridge tried to run the same play on the conversion attempt, but Shiloh managed to stop Busey a yard short, and the Saints celebrated on the sideline as Busey clinched his helmet.
"I felt like our defensive line filled every gap," Conaway said. "I thought our linebackers did a great job of reading it, and we found a way to keep him across that white line."
Busey leaped to his feet after a few minutes, but a failed onside kick attempt sealed the fate for the visitors as they came up just short.
"It was a very physical, very fast game," Conaway said. "I'm very proud of our guys. They found a way to win the game. It was a good battle, I think the fans got what they paid for, and I'm proud to come out on top."
The win for Shiloh clinched the No. 1 seed in the 4A playoffs starting next week.
"We want to regroup," Conaway said. "We're excited to be 10-0 and excited to be conference champs for two years in-a-row. We want to play fast, physical and focused football next week, and we're excited to be in week 11 of the football season."
Pea Ridge 26, Shiloh Christian 28
Pea Ridge 0 14 6 6 — 26
Shiloh Christian 0 14 7 7 — 28
Second Quarter
SC - Wiedemann 5 run (Carter kick), 11:08
SC - Wiedemann 17 run (Carter kick), 5:09
PR - Reyes 48 pass from Busey (Kick failed), 3:03
PR - Ralph 36 pass from Busey (Beard run), 1:02
Third Quarter
SC - Tollett 33 pass from Reece (Carter kick), 8:18
PR - Rains 16 pass from Busey (Kick failed), 4:02
Fourth Quarter
SC - Cason 3 pass from Reece (Carter kick), 10:17
PR - Busey 5 run (Run failed), 1:54
Four Downs
• Shiloh Christian running back Cam Wiedemann scored two touchdowns.
• The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for Pea Ridge.
• The Saints converted three of four fourth downs at crucial points in the game.
• Shiloh Christian will face Heber Springs at home in the first round of the playoffs next week.
Sports on 11/09/2019