Eagles Football Falls 14-12 To Northwest In Season Opener

The Northwest Lions (1-0) upset Sullivan (0-1) by a score of 14-12 on Thursday, Aug. 29. The Eagles hoped to kick off their season with a bang at home. 

This game marked the third consecutive time the Eagles and Lions have clashed. Sullivan crushed Northwest in the past two matchups.

The Eagles made two trips to the endzone in the first half but failed to convert their point-after attempts. Northwest rallied to fourteen points in the final two quarters, and Sullivan could not catch up. 

Eagles quarterback Robert York II threw for 98 yards, completing 6 of his 12 attempts.

Seth Valley was his main target, catching five of his passes for 93 yards and averaging 18.60 per grab.

Cameron York made a five-yard reception. 

R. York led the Eagles in rushing with 81 yards. He gained an average of 7.36 yards for his 11 carries.

Chase Blue racked up 75 yards on his 15 rushes.

Mark Jennings picked up 27 yards on his three carries, and Oliver recorded 19 on his two. 

Sullivan received the ball first against Northwest. R. York opened up the drive with a 48-yard strike to Valley. Despite the Eagles’ early success, the Lions forced a fumble at the goal line to take possession.

Northwest also struggled to move the chains. Sullivan linebacker Grant Halmick squashed a quarterback scramble on third down.

The Lions punted from their six-yard line to Eagles returner Borton at midfield. He squeezed right through the defenders, dodging them from right to left to the endzone. Sullivan could not grab the extra point, taking a six-score lead in the middle of the first quarter. 

The Eagles’ defense continued to dial up stops. Mitchell Garner shut down Northwest’s run game and made crucial tackles, while Benny Cornejo and Paton Jones contributed with assists. Jennings helped lock down receivers in the secondary, with York and Halmick breaking up passes.

The Eagles were still trying to find their footing on offense. With sacks, a near interception, and a fumble, Sullivan struggled to march down the gridiron.

Jennings helped give the Eagles some momentum with a nine-yard run that would kick off their second scoring drive. R. York followed that play with a quarterback sneak, stiff-arming his way through the Lions. Blue also helped gain more yardage with his carries. On his final rush, Blue crossed a single hash mark and powered through the defensive line for a touchdown. The Eagles failed a two-point conversion afterward, going into halftime with a 12-0 lead.

Subscribe and see the e-Edition for a recap of the second half