PEA RIDGE (KFSM)--Pea Ridge has the state's second highest rushing duo, with junior Drew Winn and senior Zaine Holley. The pair has combined for 2,314 yards through 12 games and has rushed for 29 touchdowns.
"Drew is very deceptive speed wise and he has great vision as he's running the football," first year head coach Stephen Neal said.
That style is complemented by Holley's simple mindset. "Get positive yards, keep on going forward always," the senior said.
As Neal explained, "Very very seldom will you ever see Zaine going backwards. He's gonna get hit three four five six times and I can probably count on one hand the number of times he's actually gone backwards. In 25 years, my 25 year coaching career he's probably the hardest runner I've ever seen run the football."
How tough is it to split carries between two guys that have accounted for over 2,500 yards? One play from Pea Ridge's week six win over Gravette exemplifies that.
"Drew and Zaine are both in the backfield at the same time and we were running a play to Zaine, like an outside flow. Drew was the one blocking for him and we got to the sideline and Zaine came up to Coach Tuck and said 'hey coach, you need to switch Drew and I. I can go out and make that block but I know Drew's a lot faster than me and he'll be able to hit the corner'," said Neal. "The next play that they run and did that it was a touchdown, about 35-40 yard touchdown. And Zaine came off to the sideline like it was no big deal."
"When we played Gravette, Zaine was supposed to play running back and he offered for me to be at running back and block for me. And it worked out really well," Winn said.
After upsetting defending 4A state champion Nashville on Friday, Pea Ridge hosts Hamburg in the quarterfinals this week.