by Wayne Lee – Sports Editor
The Eagle Point High School football team took on rival Crater for their homecoming game Sept. 25 in a contest that was worthy of the full moon that shown overhead. It began with the Comets fumbling away the opening kickoff and ended with a game-clinching interception in the end zone on fourth down with 15 seconds left in the game. In the end, the Comets were able to hang on for a 21-14 victory.
After the game-opening fumble recovery, the Eagles took over with a first down on the Crater 37 and seven plays later, quarterback Laiden Johnson hit Skylar Tribur from 18 yards out for a quick 7-0 lead. However, the Comets answered right back. Crater took the kick to their own 47-yard line and went on a nine-play drive that culminated in a nine-yard scoring run to tie the game at 7-7.
On the very next possession, Eagle Point took over on their own 33 and kept the ball on the ground. The Eagles pounded the ball as they ran nine times and passed just twice with one completion for nine yards. The drive took up the last four minutes of the opening period before Johnson carried the ball for the remaining seven yards to put the Eagles ahead 14-7 to open the second period.
After the kick return and a facemask penalty against Eagle Point, Crater’s next possession began on their own 47, but it just went downhill from there. After a personal foul penalty, the Comets ran for 17 yards for a first down. However, a bad snap lost 12 yards, and Crater was looking at a second and 22. Another fumble on third down set them back even further, and they punted on fourth and 28 (full moon?).
The kick went into the end zone, and Eagle Point began their next drive on their own 20-yard line with 8:11 left in the first half. The Eagles came out looking disorganized, even taking a delay of game penalty just trying to get the right people in the right places before snapping the ball. Eagle Point Coach Erik Johnson called a time out to regroup.
After an incomplete pass, Johnson connected with Skylar Self for 13 yards. Johnson kept the ball on third down for just one yard. The Eagles decided to go for it on fourth and one and once again Johnson ran around the right side for a new set of downs on their own 42. However, the drive ended there as Eagle Point faced a fourth and 15 and punted the ball.
Crater took over on their own 29 with 2:47 left in the first half and kept the ball on the ground. The Comets ran the ball 11 consecutive times, setting themselves up with a first and goal at the Eagles’ three-yard line with 10 seconds on the clock, but the Eagle Point defense dug in and stopped the run for no gain to take a 14-7 lead into the locker room at the intermission.
The second half picked up right where the first half ended. Crater took the kick and drove all the way to the Eagle Point four, but a bad snap and a dead ball foul pushed Crater back to a fourth and goal on the 29-yard line. The Comets once again ran the ball but were stopped at the 14 where the Eagles took over.
Eagle Point ran five plays but gained no yards due to another face mask penalty and punted the ball from the shadow of their own goal post. However, the kick traveled just 15 yards, setting up Crater with a first down on the Eagles’ 25. Once again, the full moon seemed to be in effect as the Comets ran three plays only to lose five yards, but on fourth and 15, Crater threw a 30-yard pass in the corner of the end zone to tie the score at 14-14.
Eagle Point’s next possession began on their own 37 and were able to move the ball to the Crater 24, but a quarterback sack moved the Eagles back to the 33 for a second and 19. Three pass plays later, they turned the ball over on downs, and the Comets took possession on their own 24 with 8:12 remaining in the game.
Crater, with the help of another Eagle Point face mask penalty (their fourth of the game), drove down to the Eagles’ 22-yard line before completing another pass in the end zone to take a 21-14 lead with 4:24 left to play.
Eagle Point began their final drive of the game on their own 23 with 4:19 on the clock and needing a touchdown and PAT to tie the game or a two-point conversion to win it. This time the Comets defense began to falter. Five penalties, including a face mask, helped the Eagles move the ball to Crater 29.
Eagle Point kept the ball on the ground, gaining a first and 10 at the Crater 10 with just 34 seconds left to play. Johnson was able to run the ball to Comets’ three, and the Eagles called time out. However, on third and goal, Johnson threw into double coverage and his pass in the end zone was intercepted. Crater was able to escape with the win with just 15 seconds left to play.
Eagle Point totaled 241 yards of total offense, 184 rushing and 57 passing, racking up 17 first downs. However, 11 penalties for 100 yards and three turnovers proved too much to overcome.
Johnson was 6 of 16 passing with one touchdown and that one interception on the final play of the game. He also led the team in rushing, carrying 17 times for 123 yards with the other Eagles’ touchdown and had one fumble. Eli Hamann also carried 17 times for 64 yards and a fumble. Tribur had a pair of catches for 30 yards and a score while Self added three catches for 27 yards.
Danny Brown led the defense with five tackles, five assists and one forced fumble. Javier Sanchez also had five tackles (one for negative yards) and four assists; Herman Machain had four tackles (one for a loss) and four assists, and Landon Myre added four tackles (one for a loss) and three assists.
It was Crater’s first win of the season while Eagle Point drops to 2-2 and travels to Roseburg this Friday.
