Eagles Surge Past Owensville In Semifinals

Sullivan Eagles football continued their powerhouse season on Friday. Head Coach Eddie Haar and the boys have won seven games in a row after a Dutchmen defeat. The wind was a factor that Sullivan had to play against, but the Eagles fought through for the victory. Sullivan hasn’t lost a game since September against St. Clair. The Eagles look to face the Bulldogs on Friday at St. Clair for the district championship. Sullivan was victorious against Owensville, 36-7.

In the first quarter, Sullivan received the kick and Aidan Cain had a great return. Owensville showed great defense in the beginning to sit Sullivan down on their first possession. Owensville’s quarterback, Blake Elliot, made a good quarterback sneak to pick up the third down, but Sullivan stopped the Dutchmen. The Dutchmen were collapsed by the Sullivan defense during their first possession as well. Franky Erxleben took a handoff on the next Sullivan possession and gave Sullivan some positive yards to bring them to a second and seven. Gabe Dace picked up the first down with a beautiful sneak and picked up sixteen yards. Owensville’s defense held the line and Gabe was forced to throw in a strong wind to bring Sullivan to a third down. Dayton Skaggs took the handoff and Sullivan was stopped before getting another first down. Colton Brendel, Jordan Rice and Erxleben made a big stop on the quarterback in the back with a little less than four minutes left. Sullivan’s defense was extraordinary during the Dutchmen’s possession and forced Owensville to punt again. Jeremiah Rodriguez made a good five yard gain to start Sullivan’s scoring drive. Dominic Ransom took a pitch and drove Sullivan to another first down. The first quarter came to an end with Sullivan still having possession of the football.

In the second quarter, Sullivan started with a third down. Gabe Dace avoided a blitz and ran the ball in for another Eagles first down. Jonathon Martin picked up some positive yards on a rush before Gavin Dace picked up more rushing yards and Sullivan was at third down and two. After a play action pass, Gabe Dace tried to pass to Kayden Bryan but Sullivan was at fourth down so went for it. Rodriguez picked up the first down on the next run to give Sullivan a fresh set of downs. Martin took a great pitch and ran the ball for 38 yards to score Sullivan’s first touchdown with 9:23 to go in the first half. The two point conversion failed but Sullivan had the early lead, 6-0. Owensville’s Elliot had another successful sneak that gave Owensville their first first down of the night. Owensville fumbled the ball and the loose ball was recovered by Sullivan’s Sam Summers with a little under eight minutes to play. Owensville’s defense woke up when Sullivan was at a third and fifteen, but Sullivan passed to Erxleben who ran it to the endzone. The touchdown was brought back after a holding was called on Summers in the back, but Sullivan still picked up the first down. Owensville stopped Sullivan again on the play after and Sullivan was at a second and fourteen. The Dutchmen had a face mask penalty called against them and their defense was fired up. They brought Sullivan to third down with twelve to go. Owensville had a huge blitz to Gabe Dace, and Sullivan was forced to punt with a little over four minutes left. Owensville’s Zaiden Gates picked up a first down after a two yard run. The Eagles then stopped Owensville on the next play and the Dutchmen only picked up two yards. Owensville took a timeout with a little over a minute and a half left.  The first down was picked up after a successful pass to Owensville’s Bryce Payne. Brendel brought Owensville to a loss of three and Owensville was a third down and thirteen, but Payne caught the next pass and the Dutchmen took another timeout. Owensville was at a fourth down and three after the break with 37 seconds on the clock. The Dutchmen punted the ball away after Sullivan stopped them. Owensville took their final timeout with 32 seconds left after Sullivan got the ball. Sullivan called a timeout after Gabe Dace made another perfect sneak for positive yards. Dace picked up a huge run on a scramble and Coach Haar called a timeout with ten seconds left. Gabe Dace threw a beautiful low pass to Summers and Sullivan added to their lead after the 31 yards reception. Sullivan called for a timeout and went for a two point conversion. The pass was completed to Summers for the two point conversion and Sullivan led Owensville, 14-0, with three seconds left on the clock.

In the third quarter, Sullivan kept up the domination and added to their lead. Owensville received the kickoff to start the second half. Sullivan’s defense took control right away and Owensville brought in Conner Fisher as a quarterback after Elliot was hurt. Fisher threw in an incomplete pass after Sullivan blitzed and Owensville was at fourth down and punted the ball away. After a play and a penalty, Sullivan was at second and three. Rodriguez rushed the ball for ten yards and picked up the first down. Rodriguez powered through to pick up another five yards on the next carry. Rodriguez picked up the first down with a gain of seven yards. He gets hit and just powers through for the extra yards. Gabe Dace found Brendel open as the tight end on the left in the endzone at 5:43 on the clock. Dace then ran the ball in for a two point conversion and Sullivan was up, 22-0. The Eagles’ defense stopped the Dutchmen from getting a touchdown. Sullivan drove the ball into the endzone again when Erxleben ran it in from twenty yards out. Erxleben ran right over Owensville’s Payne in the back field. Sullivan went for the two point conversion and came up short, but Sullivan still took the lead, 28-0 with 3:22 left to go. The Dutchmen tried to pick up the pace with Elliot back in as quarterback, but Martin almost picked the ball off for a third down. Elliot threw another incomplete pass and Owensville punted the ball away. Ransom picked up the first down for Sullivan to give them the motivation. Cain got his first carry of the night and picked up three. Dayton Skaggs picked up another yard, and Sullivan was at a third. Skaggs powered through and picked up the first down.

In the fourth quarter, the game still went in the Eagles favor. Gabe Dace tried to pass the ball, but couldn’t find Summers open and was sacked. This was the second time Owensville picked up the sack. Owensville started their next possession with great field position. Elliot kept throwing into the wind, but would come up short for a third down and eight. Elliot threw a successful pass to Garret Crosby for a 25 yard completion. Owensville then fumbled the ball on the next snap, but Elliot recovered the loose ball. Elliot threw an interception and Martin caught and ran it in for the touchdown. The officials then reversed the call and instead Elliot threw for an incomplete pass after the refs called roughing the passer against Sullivan. The Dutchmen threw their first touchdown on the next play after Crosby came down with the ball in the endzone for a 13 yard pass with 8:51 left. The kick was good, but Sullivan still led, 28-7. Sullivan gained possession and tried to run the clock as much as possible. Ransom picked up some positive yards and Erxleben picked up the first down on the next play. Erxleben ran the ball for a 65 yard rush. Erxleben had a stellar season and continued the domination with that run and got him at over 100 yards in the game. The Eagles had been running plenty of time off the clock and Erxleben took the ball in for the touchdown from two yards back. Gabe Dace ran the ball for the two point conversion after the kick was faked, Sullivan was up 36-7 with 3:39 left in the game. The next kick was muffed when the wind took the ball over Owensville’s shoulder. Sullivan’s defense finished off the Dutchmen and Owensville couldn’t come up with another score.

Sullivan finished with 362 rushing yards. Erxleben led with 128 yards. He was followed by quarterback Gabe Dace with 67. Martin followed with 47 and Rodriguez claimed 39. Ransom followed with 34 and Skaggs had 27.

The Eagles had 80 yards receiving with Summers leading the pack with 31. Brendel followed with 26, and Erxleben finished with 21.