SILOAM SPRINGS -- Siloam Springs quarterback Hunter Talley proved he was as good as projected, as he put on a show in helping his Panthers defeat the Blackhawks 53-14 in a road game Friday, Sept. 17.
While the hosts piled up 410 rushing yards, the Blackhawks could not penetrate the Panthers' defensive line to much effect as the Pea Ridge ground game never got established. The Hawks' air assault fared much better as sophomore quarterback Gavin Dixon connected on 16 of 29 passes for 187 yards. Senior Trevor Blair was the top target, grabbing five tosses for 76 yards with fellow senior Will Anderson taking six passes for 42 yards.
After a couple of short gains from senior Joe Adams to start the contest, the Hawks missed the third down pass, forcing a punt. On the very next play, Talley ran up the middle untouched for a gain of 66 yards and the game's first score. The kick was blocked by the Hawk defense, leaving the score at 6-0 with 7:20 left in the first period.
The Hawks fared a little better on their next series, with a 16-yard pass from Dixon to Anderson gaining a first down to the 48-yard line. A 5-yarder to Blair on first down got the Hawks into Panther territory at the 47 but the next rush was stopped cold, with the third down pass falling incomplete. A good punt by Blair pushed the hosts back to their own 10.
A Talley to Lashley pass got the Panthers a first down on the 40, and subsequent offsides call on the Hawks gave them a first down on the 45. The next play saw Talley again sprint up the middle untouched for a 55-yard scoring run. The Hawk defenders stuffed the 2-point attempt after the score, leaving the margin at 12-0 with 5:55 left.
After a short gain by Adams following the kickoff, Dixon flipped a 12-yarder to Bowen Phillips for first down on the Hawk 38. A short gain by Adams moved the ball up field, with a 6-yard pass from Dixon to Anderson giving the Hawks a third and 2 at the Hawk 46. Adams fought through the line on the next play for a first down at the 48. A short gain by Cody Morales was followed by two incomplete passes, forcing a punt to the Panthers' 27.
On the first play of the series, Panther back Jeff Derwin burst through for a 73-yard jaunt to the end zone. The kick was good and Siloam assumed a 19-0 lead with 1:09 left in the first.
The Hawks seemed determined to get back into it with Dixon firing a 28-yard pass to Blair for a first down on the 27. However, a lost yardage rush, a quarterback sack, and a penalty against Pea Ridge derailed the opportunity. A fine punt by Blair on fourth down pinned them back to their own 13. Talley was stopped for no gain on first down, and the second play was met with a ferocious pursuit by the Hawks, which knocked the ball out of the Panthers' grasp. An alert Cade Mann scooped up the loose pigskin, returning it all the way for the Hawks' first score, cutting the lead to 19-6.
The Panthers returned the kickoff to near midfield, and six plays later, they were facing third and 4 from the Hawks' 28. Talley then kept the ball, running it in for his third score. Talley rammed in the 2-point PAT to push the Panthers' lead to 27-6.
The Hawks had a three and out on their next possession, punting to the Panther 3o. The Hawks' Justin Blount sacked Talley on first down for a 6-yard loss. Siloam then marched down the field to the Hawk 13 before a string of penalties pushed the into a fourth and 22 situation on the Hawk 25. Again, the Panthers called Talley's number and he scored again, raising the Panthers' lead to 33-6 with 1:56 left in the half.
With time running out, the Hawks cranked up a fast-moving air attack, starting with a 22-yarder to Blair on the Siloam 42. The next pass went to Jonathan Lyons for first down on the Panther 16. A 10-yard penalty erased a 16-yard score from Dixon to Blair, but a follow up pass to sophomore Austin James, No. 80, netted 21 yards and a first down on the 5. Blair got his touchdown back with a 5-yarder into the end zone. Blair also caught the 2-point conversion from Dixon, to set the score at 33-14 with just 25 seconds left in the half. That proved to be all the time Siloam needed as a good run back on the kickoff got them into Pea Ridge territory at the 42, and on the first play, Talley ran it in for his fifth score. The PAT was stopped, leaving the score 39-14 at the break.
The second half started much like the first, with a Talley to Lashley pass netting 25 yards to the Hawk 39. On the next play, Talley broke loose to scamper the remaining 39 yards and another score. The kick was good and Siloam led 46-14.
The Hawks did not have the ball long. An 8-yard pass to Anderson got things moving but the next play resulted in a Blackhawk fumble on their own 36. The Panthers' Patrick Church ran it in on second down for the game's final score. The kick was again good for a 53-14 lead with 10:20 left in the third.
A 4-yard run by Morales and a 15-yard pass to Blair was all the offense the Hawks could muster the rest of the way as the Ridge boys completed their tough three-game non-conference schedule. The Hawks' three game slate was rated the third toughest in all of 5A this fall.
Next up, Pea Ridge hosts the Alma Airedales.
Last year's game saw the teams knotted up at 7-7, 14-14, and 21-21 before Alma broke on top 28-21 late in the game. However, the Hawks scored twice after falling behind and took their opening 5A West conference debut game 35-28.