FORT SMITH, Arkansas - Since dropping its 6A-West Conference opener, Shiloh Christian has turned it up to another level offensively.
The Saints have posted back-to-back impressive offensive displays, with the latest coming in a key conference contest Friday at Fort Smith Southside.
Shiloh Christian rolled up nearly 450 yards of total offense as the Saints pulled away in the second half for a 52-24 win against the Mavericks at Jim Rowland Stadium.
"It was a great team win (Friday) despite the slow start at the beginning of the game," said senior receiver Chandler Kemp, who had the Saints' first touchdown on a catch off a tipped pass on fourth down. "We knew Southside wasn't going to be an easy game going into it. We knew we were going to have to execute the plays and we did."
Shiloh improved to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the conference. Since losing to defending 6A champion Greenwood in the 6A-West opener, the Saints put up 55 points last week in a home win against Mountain Home before scoring half-a-hundred again on Friday.
"We learned (after Greenwood) that we need to speed up the tempo," Kemp said. "We were being a little lazy and not giving full effort, which is not acceptable. We learned to have trust in each other and trust that we were going to execute the play and do our job.
"We learned that even when a play doesn't go our way that we need to put that straight to the past and look forward to the next play."
Kemp - who is committed to play baseball at the University of Central Arkansas - helped get Shiloh going in the opening quarter by catching a pass on fourth down that was tipped by a Southside defender. But the ball went right to Kemp in the end zone for the game's first TD.
"Knowing it was fourth down, we needed something big to happen and get the ball in the end zone," Kemp said. "After I ran my route, I noticed there was open space behind me and I took it.
"Cole (Creighton) threw a good ball just getting it over the defender, allowing me to catch it. I was very excited and pumped to make a big play on fourth down."
Southside (4-2, 1-2), which was coming off a wild 49-44 win last week at home against Lake Hamilton, took a 10-8 lead in the second quarter before the Saints scored two touchdowns inside the final three minutes of the first half to take a 23-10 lead.
Shiloh then built a 21-point lead twice in the third quarter. Southside was able to get within 14 points (38-24) late in the third, but Shiloh put the game away with a pair of fourth-quarter TDs.
Creighton finished the game completing 18-of-30 passes for 305 yards and four TDs as Shiloh finished with 447 yards of total offense. Zane Sluyter, another senior receiver, caught seven passes for 183 yards.
The Saints also got a lift from tailback Max Eldridge, who rushed for 91 yards and scored three touchdowns.
Follow The Sporting News correspondent Buck Ringgold (@Bucks_Ballpark) for all of the live updates and scoring from Fort Smith.
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SHILOH CHRISTIAN 52, FS SOUTHSIDE 24 FINAL
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POSTGAME
- And that's the ballgame, as Shiloh Christian's offense proves to be too much for Southside and the Saints win a huge 6A-West contest.
FOURTH QUARTER
- TOUCHDOWN SHILOH CHRISTIAN. Saints force a punt and quickly strike again as Cole Creighton finds a wide open Zane Sluyter from 42 yards out. Saints on their way to a huge conference win. (Shiloh Christian, 52-24 | 6:52, 4th)
- TOUCHDOWN SHILOH CHRISTIAN. Max Eldridge with a hat trick, as he has his third TD on the night, from 2 yards out. Saints back up by 21. (Shiloh Christian, 45-24 | 10:05, 4th)
THIRD QUARTER
- Shiloh back inside the Southside 30 as the third quarter comes to an end.
- TOUCHDOWN SOUTHSIDE. Mavericks not going away as they respond on the next series. On a fourth-down play from the Shiloh 10, QB Wilson Key - taking over for an injured Blake Forsgren - finds Sebastian Luht in the back of the end zone. (Shiloh Christian, 38-24 | 1:31, 3rd)
- TOUCHDOWN SHILOH CHRISTIAN. Saints respond after a long kickoff return, which leads to a 20-yard TD pass from Cole Creighton to Cohen Beach. (Shiloh Christian, 38-17 | 6:44, 3rd)
- TOUCHDOWN SOUTHSIDE. A short run from Colton Viengthong gets the Mavericks within two scores. (Shiloh Christian, 31-17 | 7:26, 3rd)
- Southside keeping a drive alive thanks to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on a third-down play and a roughing the passer penalty on fourth down.
- TOUCHDOWN AND 2-POINT CONVERSION SHILOH CHRISTIAN. Saints quickly take advantage of the Southside miscue, as Max Eldridge punches it in from 8 yards out; then Westin Huckeba runs it in for the two-point conversion. (Shiloh Christian, 31-10 | 10:14, 3rd)
- TAKEAWAY SHILOH CHRISTIAN. Southside forces Shiloh to punt, but the Mavericks fumble on the return and the Saints' Cohen Beach makes the recovery just past midfield.
- Shiloh receives the ball to start the second half.
HALFTIME
- Shiloh Christian with a pair of touchdowns in the final three minutes of the opening half and now have a 13-point lead at the break.
SECOND QUARTER
- TOUCHDOWN SHILOH CHRISTIAN. Saints capitalize on the fumble, and Max Eldridge takes it in from 2 yards out. Saints then kick the PAT. (Shiloh Christian, 23-10 | :28, 2nd)
- TAKEAWAY SHILOH CHRISTIAN. Mac Kimbrow gets a strip sack, and Zach Rowe comes up with the loose ball at the Southside 19 late in the half.
- TOUCHDOWN AND 2-POINT CONVERSION SHILOH CHRISTIAN. Saints grab the lead right back on the next drive as Cole Creighton tosses a 13-yard pass to Cohen Beach. Creighton then finds Chandler Kemp for two more points. (Shiloh Christian, 16-10 | 2:55, 2nd)
- FIELD GOAL SOUTHSIDE. Drive stalls for the Mavs, but Rodrigo Hernandez comes on to kick a 27-yard field goal, putting Southside in front for the first time this evening. (Southside, 10-8 | 5:51, 2nd)
- Pass interference on Shiloh gives Southside a first down at the Shiloh 11 nearing the halfway point of the quarter.
- Southside moving inside the Shiloh 25, seeking to take the lead.
- Shiloh goes for it on fourth down near the Southside 30, but a pass toward the end zone is knocked away, and the Mavericks hold.
- Shiloh completes a third-down pass and is in Southside territory.
- Shiloh has the ball near its 45 as the second quarter gets under way.
FIRST QUARTER
- Southside has to punt late in the first quarter.
- Shiloh advances inside the Southside 30, but turns it over on downs as a fourth-down pass falls incomplete.
- TOUCHDOWN SOUTHSIDE. Mavericks shake off the early miscue and march down the field to get on the board, as on third-and-goal from the 3, QB Blake Forsgren rolls to his right and finds WR Peyton Zimmerman. Southside elects to kick the PAT. (Shiloh Christian, 8-7 | 3:41, 1st)
- TOUCHDOWN AND TWO-POINT CONVERSION SHILOH CHRISTIAN. Saints go for it on fourth-and-goal at the 6. QB Cole Creighton looking for a receiver and fires it. The ball is tipped, but it lands in the hands of Chandler Kemp. Creighton then finds Cohen Beach for two more points. (Shiloh Christian, 8-0 | 6:50, 1st)
TIP DRILL 🚨🏈
— Varsity Vibe | Arkansas (@VarsityVibeAR) October 11, 2025
Shiloh’s Cole Creighton finds Chandler Kemp in the back of the end zone for 6️⃣ pic.twitter.com/w4dcCza3wE
- INTERCEPTION SHILOH CHRISTIAN. Live action resumes, as the Saints' Corbin Miller picks off a pass inside his own 25 and finds open space before being brought down at the Southside 9, where the Saints will be on offense for the first time tonight.
- The cart is out onto the field and they're taking Southside lineman Colby Castling on it. He raises his right arm as he's being carted off.
- We have an injury time out here, as a Southside lineman is down on the ground with what appears to be an issue with one of his legs.
- Southside with a pair of first downs, the latest a long pass from Blake Forsgren to Peyton Zimmerman after a holding penalty, and the Mavericks have the ball near the Shiloh 35.
- Shiloh will kick off to Southside to start the game.
PREGAME
- Shiloh Christian wins the toss and defers to the second half.
- Coming to you from Jim Rowland Stadium in Fort Smith, the Mavericks of Southside High School get set to take on the Saints from Shiloh Christian.
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