Houston County’s defense had a good view of Eagle’s Landing Thursday in Freedom Field. Unfortunately, most of it was on the field, as the Golden Eagles’ offense dominated time of possession and pretty much everywhere else, en route to a 27-7 win.
The Bears went three-and-out on their first two drives, gave up an interception on their third and then went three-and-out again on the fourth.
On their fifth possession, Wesley Steiner picked up their third and final first down of the first half on a 20-yard run – they only finished with 19 yards in those first two quarters. That came just inside the two-minute mark but still resulted in yet another punt three plays later.
Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles took the ball on their own 37 to start the game. They then ran four plays before quarterback Cameron Lewis found Bryce Dewberry – those two the force behind Eagle’s Landing’s offense all night – for a 32-yard touchdown. Logan Friddell made the extra point to make it 7-0.
Friddell, after the visitor had run off 10 more plays, missed a 13-yard field goal attempt on their next possession. He connected with one from 14 yards out three possessions later to make it 10-0.
Eagle’s Landing finished the first half with 210 total yards. Houston County was just over 50.
The Bears also went three-and-out on their first two possessions in the third quarter.
The Golden Bears’ fortunes also went pretty much the same way they did in the first. The first time they got the ball they ran 10 plays and went 52 yards for another score. It was the same connection – Lewis-to-Dewberry – that made it happen, this time from 6.
Eagle’s Landing faked the punt on its next possession and then later turned that into a Friddell field goal – from 39 yards out.
It tried it again after stalling on its next possession but came up short. That gave the Bears their best field position of the night but they eventually stalled on a fourth-and-nine.
A Golden Eagle fumble on the next possession, however, gave them the ball back, this time on the 45. Steiner caught a screen pass from Max Rigby, who was back from injury, on the first play from scrimmage. He ran it 31 yards for a first down – tackled on the 14 but the ball being placed on the 7 following a late hit penalty. He took it into the endzone from there.
Jon David Ferraris made the point after to cut it to 20-7 with just over six minutes left to play.
Houston County tried an onside kick but Eagle’s Landing recovered it. Six plays later it turned that into its final score – a 10-yard pass to Justin Roberson.
The loss dropped the Bears to 0-3 while the Golden Eagles evened their record up at 1-1.
MCDONALD’S OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME WESLEY STEINER. PAPA JOHN’S DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME ANTWAN ADAMS.
