Undefeated Scrappers Win 4A State Championship

LUKE REEDER
Sports Writer
NASHVILLE – Under the
lights of War Memorial Stadium,
with more than 7,000
fans filling the air with cheers,
the Nashville Scrappers took
the field in the 2015 4A State
Title game. With the 39-20 victory
Nashville secured their
eighth State Title and capped
off a perfect 15-0 season. But
the game did not come easily
for the Scrappers as they
faced a strong Prairie Grove
team that was able to have a
one point lead at the half and
hold the dynamic quarterback
Leonard Snell to just 24 yards
in the second quarter.
The game began quickly
for the Scrappers in the first
quarter as in less than a minute
into the opening quarter
Snell led Nashville to an early
touchdown on a four yard run.
Prairie Grove got the ball back
and put together an almost
two minute long drive capped
off by a four yard touchdown
pass to their star tight end
Dylan Soehner and the Tigers
opted for the two point conversion
and went up 8-7 with
9:09 left in the first quarter.
Snell went on a roll after the Tiger
touchdown as he was able
to score two more times in the
first quarter with a 35 yard
touchdown run with 7:13 left
in the quarter and a short five
yard rushing touchdown with
1:07 to play in the quarter. All
the while the Scrapper defense
held strong against the Tigers
and allowed just one score
in the first quarter but even
with Snell who had 95 yards
and three touchdowns in the
quarter, Nashville only lead
19-8 because of two missed
point after attempts.
The second quarter was
dominated by Prairie Grove as
they denied any attempt the
Nashville offense attempted.
Snell who had almost 100
yards in the first quarter alone
was held by the Tigers to
only 24 total yards in the second
quarter. The Scrappers
seemed temporarily unable
to get any offensive drives going
during the second quarter
when Prairie Grove controlled
the tempo of the game by
keeping the ball for over nine
minutes in the quarter.
The Tigers were able to
score two touchdowns on
long time consuming drives
and at the same time hold
Snell and the Scrappers to
only three and outs on their
offensive possessions. But
even with the dominant
quarter, Prairie Grove just
held a 20-19 lead at the half
and Scrapper head coach
Mike Volarvich seemed to be
okay with that fact, “Those
people who have followed us
this year know that we are a
second half team.”
In the second half the
Scrappers fired on all cylinders
on both sides of the
ball. The Scrapper defense
was able to come away with
an interception on Prairie
Grove’s first drive of the second
half. After the turnover
Nashville had a short field
to work with and the drive
ended with Snell’s fourth
rushing touchdown of the
game from a seven yard run
that gave Nashville back the
lead with 10:00 left to play in
the quarter. With the 25-20
lead after a failed two point
conversion, Nashville kept
coming at the Tigers and
that was Snell’s plan coming
out of the half, “After we
came out in the second half
I talked to my guys and told
them what we had to do and
said just follow me to the end
zone,” and follow they did.
On Prairie Grove’s next
possession Troy Thomas
was able to get to the Tiger’s
running back and hit him for
a loss that set up another
three and out for Prairie
Grove that gave Nashville
the ball again at the Prairie
Grove 44 yard line.
Less than a minute went
by before Snell found the
end zone again on a 14 yard
touchdown run that was
set up by a long pass to
Andrew Hawthorne on the
play before. But after the officials
ruled the 14 yard run
a touchdown, a replay on
the video board seemed to
show that Snell had fumbled
the ball before reaching the
goal line but even with the
strong protest of the Tiger’s
sideline and stands, the call
was unable to be reversed
and Nashville built their lead
up to 32-20 with 7:03 to play
in the third quarter.
In the final quarter the
Tigers attempted to pounce
back into the game but the
Scrapper defense was too
stiff and forced a turnover
on downs with just over nine
minutes to play in the inside
the Nashville ten yard line.
From their own six yard
line Nashville marched down
the field for almost seven
minutes eating time off the
clock with rushing plays.
The long drive was capped
off with Snell’s sixth and the
final touchdown of the game
on a 34 yard rush that put the
final nail in the coffin. Nashville
secured a 39-20 lead
with 2:23 left in the game.
Snell’s six rushing touchdowns
broke the record for
the most touchdowns in a
state championship game
by a player and Coach Volarvich
knew Snell was the man
before the game even started,
“Snell has been a great
player for us all year. When
you got a good horse you
run him and we go where
he goes. He didn’t really do
anything tonight that he
hasn’t done for us all year.”
Snell ended the night with six
touchdowns and 230 rushing
yards on the night and a new
MVP trophy for his mantle
but Snell stayed humble
about his showing and the
win, “Without the group of
guys I have I couldn’t have
done this and without the
great offensive line I have
it wouldn’t have been possible.
This is a memory and
a great group of guys I will
never forget.”
One of Snell’s great offensive
lineman Kirby Adcock
was also awarded the Brandon
Burlsworth Foundation
award for “Outstanding Performance
on the Football
Field.”
The win caps off a perfect
season for the Nashville
Scrapper football team and
brings the State Title back
to “The Hill” for another year
for the first time since 2007.