Shiloh Christian, Prairie Grove to battle it out for 5A-West supremacy

By Steve Andrews | Photo by Sadie Rucker

When asked this week how he planned to slow down the Shiloh Christian offense on Friday night, Prairie Grove head coach Danny Abshier just chuckled and responded somewhat rhetorically. 

“I don’t know, you tell me the answer to that because I’m not sure,” he said. “They are awfully good and you’ve just got to do your best, and that’s all you can ask for. If it’s good enough, it’s good enough. If it’s not, it’s not.”

Although there was likely a bit of coach-speak in his response, the longest tenured head coach in the state of Arkansas has been racking his brain for ways to go toe-to-toe with arguably the best team in Class 5A. The Saints have averaged 55 points per game during their current 7-game win streak, since a season-opening loss to Little Rock Christian.

“They have a different kind of game, no doubt,” Abshier said. “They can score points and they can score them fast. We’ve learned this from playing them a lot. But what you’ve got to do is take care of the ball and you’ve got to drive and score when you get it, or you’re putting yourself at risk.

“I’ve played them a lot, and it’s always ‘What can we do to drive the ball? What can we do to score?’ And that’s a tall order.”

Shiloh (7-1, 5-0) had its hands full at home last week with Farmington, tied at 30-30 early in the fourth quarter, before the Saints exploded with three straight touchdowns to win it going away, 51-30.

But Prairie Grove (7-1, 5-0) has been no slouch this season either. The Tigers have put up over 42 points per game, with their lone loss coming in Week 3 at the hands of powerhouse Tulsa Metro Christian, currently ranked No. 1 in Oklahoma’s Class 3A.

“They always play well -- they’re physical and they’ve got some backs that are as fast as any backs we will see all season long,” Shiloh head coach Jeff Conaway said of the Tigers. “We know that our hands are full because it’s difficult to go to Prairie Grove and win a football game. So, we’ve got to make sure that we are prepared for a physical football game.”

Shiloh holds a 5-4 record over Prairie Grove in their last nine meetings, including the Saints’ current four-game win streak against the Tigers.

Prairie Grove still runs the old-school Wing T offense, relying heavily on two running backs who have chewed up yardage and touchdowns this season. The Tigers ran for nearly 400 yards in a win over Alma last week, as senior Ethan Miller finished with 205 yards and 4 touchdowns on just 13 carries. Junior Coner Whetsell ran the ball 18 times for 192 yards and 2 touchdowns.

“We’ve just got to line up correctly and tackle them,” Conaway said. “Our eyes can not fool us, so we’ve got to use great eye discipline this week. They are going to do some things on offense that force our players to be in the right spots. If we can do that and get those ball-carriers on the ground, I think we will have success. If not, they will run for as many yards as they want.”

Miller is one of the fastest players in the state, running an 11.41-second 110 meters at last spring’s state track meet. Consequently, Shiloh quarterback Eli Wisdom ran a 11.46-second 100 meters in the same meet.

“And Whetsell is not far behind him as far as speed goes,” Abshier said. “Ethan has also been able to learn some things to help him out, as far as how to run the ball, be patient and let it set up just a little bit better. But we really rely on our offensive line to make stuff happen. It’s the biggest line we’ve ever had, although it’s not as big as some of the guys Shiloh has over there.”

With the run-option Wing T, both backs are always options in the backfield together, with an additional option to throw the ball.

“That option is supposed to be the idea with the Wing T,” Abshier added. “But Shiloh does an excellent job of defending that. It’s like they have all bases covered. They seem to know where the ball is going before you even snap it. They’ve played us enough to know what we do.”

Abshier praised Saints’ defensive coordinator Jacob Gill for thoroughly scouting the opposition and getting his players in the right spots to make plays.

“They do an excellent job of scouting you out and their defensive coordinator has done one terrific job of doing what he does,” Abshier said. “They can really get into your head.”

Shiloh will counter on offense with Wisdom, a three-year starter and all-state quarterback, who has the speed and arm to cause opposing defenses problems. Wisdom has passed for 2,090 yards and 20 touchdowns so far this season. He has also rushed for 695 and 10 TDs. He ran for 221 yards and 4 TDs against Farmington, including the final three scores of the game.

“I don’t think you slow him down,” Abshier said. “No one has yet. He is fast, fast, fast. And he’s got moves, leaving people just sitting there.

“Honestly, the only thing you can do is your best. So, let’s worry about that. Don’t play the opponent, play the game. And that’s what we stress.”

Conaway knows this is the meat of his schedule, playing the top-tier teams in the 5A-West. But he also thinks it’s the perfect primer before the playoffs begin next month.

“I love being in this conference, because I think it’s really going to prepare us for the playoffs,” he said. “We’re taking it one week at a time and this is certainly a big game for us. We are embracing the opportunity.

“I believe great teams begin to rise up this time of the year. I think most teams fail to get better in the second half of the season, but I think great teams find a way to get better, day after day, week after week, and create momentum for themselves.”