More photos. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
EADS — The dynamic of a 6-man football game tends to allow for the scoreboard to read more like a basketball final. But that wasn’t the case Saturday as Eads, behind a suffocating defense, topped Arickaree/Woodlin 34-12 to win the 6-man state football championship.
After allowing a 56-yard touchdown run on the first play of the game, the Eads (11-1 overall) defense only allowed six points the rest of the way, none of them coming in the second half.
“It feels pretty good,” Eads coach Dustin Upland said. “My assistant coaches, as far as defensively, they had (Arickaree/Woodlin) pegged. They should take the credit for that.”
But early in the game, it didn’t look like credit or praise would be given for defense effort. On the first play from scrimmage, Indians running back Wyatt Kolman broke for a long touchdown run to put his team up 6-0 early.
The Eagles tied the game on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Caden Parker to Dylan Dixon, but another Kolman touchdown gave the lead back to Arickaree/Woodlin at 12-6.
A 49-yard touchdown run by Fred Turner tied the game up once again and as time ticked away in the first half, the Indians drove down looking to regain the lead.
After a pass interference penalty put the Indians on the two-yard line, three straight runs were stuffed by the Eads defense, which was becoming a common theme for the day.
More photos. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
“They played really good defense,” Indians coach David Saffer said. “They have athletes and the have speed. They stack the line to get things to the outside and try to make us use our speed.”
Things started clicking for the Eagles in the second half as Parker again found Dixon through the air. The connection was good for a 60-yard touchdown pass, giving Eads the lead for good.
“We’re more of a second half team,” Dixon said. “We condition a lot, so we’re ready for that.”
This win is especially sweet for Dixon and his teammates. They made to the 6-man title game last year only to lose 44-26 to the Indians.
“We’ve been waiting a long time,” he said. “We’ve been waiting for this revenge.”
Reagan Lane got in on the fun with an eight-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 26-12. A desperate Indians team fumbled the ball away on the next drive and Rustin Jensen was able to recover for the Eagles, giving them the ball a feeling that a state title was imminent.
One more touchdown pass from Parker to Dixon made it 34-12 and the Eagles were celebrating their first football championship since 2007.
Dixon, who was sporting a cast due a broken hand that he suffered two weeks ago, felt an extra surge of motivation for both a rematch of last year’s title game and having to play more as a receiver than at running back, his natural position.
“The cast gave me a lot more motivation,” he said. “I played a position I never played before in my life. I was ready to try it out.”
He did more than try. Thanks to his ability to adapt, he was able to come up big for the Eagles on both sides of the ball. That, and the work of his teammates, paved the way for the Eagles to hoist championship gold.