Eaton Eagles Bedeviled by Brookville

 The Brookville Blue Devils went against the Eaton Eagles in a SWBL Buckeye division clash of 1 loss teams. The winner would have a chance of garnering a share of the division title, while the loser would drop down in the standings.  Also with the state playoffs looming, the winner would move up a notch or two which is important as the top 8 teams in each district open the playoffs at home. So there was a lot at stake in this game.

The game was held on Senior night as it was the last home game for the Brookville squad.  And on this night it was fitting that Brookville senior Keegan Mehr rose to the occasion.  He would account for over 200 all purpose yards, he passed for 1 touchdown and ran for 2 more.  He contributed in a huge way as Brookville would surge ahead for a 37-17 victory.

Eaton scored first as they utilized a balanced run/pass offense to move the ball down the field. It was like a West Coast style offense as they used quick, short passes along with the occasional run to keep the defense honest.  A sack by Jake Lenser put Eaton into long yardage and they had to settle for a field goal on their 1st possession - a 45 yard effort by Jon Hewitt.

But Brookville responded hastily.  On their 1st play from scrimmage Brookville looked to pass. Mehr could not find anyone open and scrambled out of the pocket.  He weaved through the rushers and then hit the afterburners to race 78 yards for a Blue Devil score.  This gave Brookville a 7-3 lead and they would hold onto that lead the rest of the game.

Eaton did drive the ball into Brookville territory, but they were unable to score in the 2nd quarter.  After the Brookville defense stopped Eaton on 4th and 2, the Brookville offense went to work with 5:28 left before halftime. They methodically made their way down the field and with seconds left on the clock Mehr connected with Preston Orr for a 10 yard touchdown pass.  This put Brookville up 15-3 at the break.

Brookville recieved the ball to start the 2nd half.  Using a ground and pound style offense they chewed up a lot of clock as they made their way down the field.  Jake Lenser punched the ball in from 4 yards out to put Brookville up 23-3. Brookville had scored on both of their last 2 possessions.  Now Eaton was staring at a tall hill to climb to get back into the game. They needed at least 3 scores to catch up.

To their credit, Eaton got one of those scores late in the 3rd quarter.  A pass interference penalty on a 4th down play gave them a fresh set of downs.  Braden Deem caught a long pass and was brought down on the 2 yard line where Cordis Berard dove across the line for a touchdown, this made it 23-10.  At the end of 3 quarters, Eaton was trying to get 4th quarter rally going. 

But the Brookville offense was running on 8 cylinders.  They marched the ball down the field and Jake Lenser again made it a 3 score game by plunging in from 5 yards out.  Now Eaton had to air the ball out and score quickly to have a chance.  The Brookville defense was up to the challenge. Walt Adams and Cole Crabtree both had 4th quarter picks that ended Eaton drives.

Eaton did find the endzone one last time.  Preston Orr caught a Chris Adkins pass late in the 4th quarter. Eaton went for the onsides kick and after fighting the wind that kept blowing the ball off the tee, it was finally launched. Devan Rader did recover the ball for Eaton, but Brookville's Cole Crabtree's interception put the game away for good. 

Both teams have tough games on their schedule for next week.   Both Waynesville and Valley View are undefeated in the SWBL Buckeye division.  Brookville travels to Valley View and Eaton will host Waynesville.   

Game pics at Media Fire