Undefeated Scrappers Win 4A State Championship

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    The Nashville Scrappers celebrate their 2015 4A State Championship title after a 39-20 win over the Prairie Grove Tigers. The Scrappers were able to out score Prairie Grove 20-0 in the second half.
    Nashville quarterback Leonard Snell accepts the Most Valuable Player Award for this stellar performance at the State Championship game. Snell scored all of Nashville’s six touchdowns and broke record for most touchdowns scored by a player in a title game. See page 12 of today’s Nashville News for more pictures from the championship game.
    Nashville quarterback Leonard Snell accepts the
    Most Valuable Player Award for this stellar performance at the
    State Championship game. Snell scored all of Nashville’s six
    touchdowns and broke record for most touchdowns scored by
    a player in a title game. See page 12 of today’s Nashville News
    for more pictures from the championship game.
    Offensive tackle Kirby Adcock embraces his mother, Cindi, after the win Saturday night. Adcock was later awarded the Burlsworth Foundation Award for Outstanding Performance on the football field.
    Offensive tackle Kirby Adcock embraces his mother,
    Cindi, after the win Saturday night. Adcock was later awarded
    the Burlsworth Foundation Award for Outstanding Performance
    on the football field.
    The Nashville Scrappers celebrate their 2015 4A State Championship title after a 39-20 win over the Prairie Grove Tigers. The Scrappers were able to out score Prairie Grove 20-0 in the second half.
    The Nashville Scrappers celebrate their 2015 4A State Championship title after a 39-20 win over the Prairie Grove Tigers. The Scrappers were able to out score Prairie
    Grove 20-0 in the second half.

    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.

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    Austin Bowman, winner of the Yarnell kick-off challenge
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    Coach Brad Chesshir and his daughter, Paisley Grace Chesshir

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