CLASS 3A : Saints’ QB shines in debut
Posted on Saturday, September 1, 2007
SPRINGDALE — The cast has changed drastically for Shiloh Christian this year, but the results have been no different so far.
With just five starters back from last season, the Saints opened the year the same way they finished the last one, defeating Prestonwood Christian of Plano, Texas, 42-14 in their opener Friday at Champions Stadium.
“We’re just trying to keep it going around here,” said Shiloh Christian Coach Josh Floyd, who led the Saints to the Class 3 A state title last year. “The seniors are trying to earn some respect.”
One of those seniors is new quarterback Blake Roberts, who had a successful debut Friday.
Nearly all of Shiloh Christian’s skill-position players from last year graduated, leaving a brandnew core of athletes that begins with Roberts. He guided the Saints to their 15 th consecutive victory, completing 14 of 27 passes for 231 yards and 3 touchdowns with 1 interception.
Roberts also rushed for 23 yards and 1 touchdown on 7 carries.
“He’s got some things he’s got to get better with, but he did a great job leading the team,” Floyd said. “He made some great throws, and I’m really proud of the way Blake ran the ball.”
Roberts recorded his first touchdown pass when he found a wide-open Matt Gerlt for a 10-yard score with 9: 09 left in the first quarter.
“The first one is a hard one,” Roberts said. “Coming out, I had some first-game jitters, but it was relaxing once I got the first one.”
Just 32 seconds later, the Saints padded their lead when cornerback Nathan Ziegler intercepted a pass by Cody Novak at the Lions’ 28 and bolted into the end zone.
It was the f irst of f ive Prestonwood turnovers, burying the Lions early.
“We’re young,” Prestonwood Coach Mike Hall said. “We shot ourselves in the foot. You can’t give a team like Shiloh those kinds of opportunities.”
The teams exchanged turnovers on back-to-back possessions late in the first quarter, with Shiloh Christian’s Josh Salsbury recovering a fumble by Dale Littleton and Tommy Blair intercepting Roberts, but neither team could capitalize.
The Saints capped a 12-play drive with freshman Zann Jones’ first career touchdown catch, a 26-yard reception from Roberts. Jones caught 4 passes for 57 yards and 2 touchdowns, then added a third score on a 20-yard interception return in the third quarter.
“Zann is obviously a great player,” Roberts said. “I was throwing negative 2-yard passes, and he was doing the rest. It wasn’t anything I did.”
The Lions scored their first touchdown on a 3-yard run by Kourtland Hite early in the second quarter. Shiloh Christian answered with a 7-yard keeper by Roberts and a 10-yard pass to Jones to take a 35-7 halftime lead.
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