Jayden Resor races 40 yards for a touchdown on Brookville’s first possession of the second half.
Submitted photos | Suzanne Chambers
EATON — The Eaton Eagles kept their hopes of an SWBL football title alive Friday by virtue of their impressive 45-24 defeat of the Brookville Blue Devils last at Eaton Athletic Complex Football Field.
The Eagles now have seven wins on the season against one loss while Brookville was eliminated from the SWBL title chase dropping to five wins and three losses. Eaton is 3-1 in the Buckeye Division with a showdown at Waynesville Friday. Brookville drops to 3-2 in the division.
Eaton outgained Brookville by over 100 yards, had 24 more plays, had the ball for almost 12 more minutes, no turnovers, never punted and were an amazing 12 of 14 on third down conversions.
Eagles Quarterback Aaron Rogers ran for 76 yards and a pair of touchdowns, was 14 for 18 passing for another 191 yards and three touchdowns. Connor Bach snared a pair of the passes for scores and Gavin Winnings one TD among his 108 receiving yards. Ethan Gregory scored the other touchdown. Coris Berard ran for 91 yards during the game.
Eaton took the opening kickoff and immediately drove 60 yards in nine plays for a touchdown converting a trio of third downs in the march. The biggest play was a long pass from Rogers to Winnings for 30 yards on third down. The drive ended as Rogers tossed an 11 yard touchdown pass to Connor Bach.
Trailing 7-0 Brookville responded with a five-play, 80-yard drive for a touchdown. The big play was a pass from Bayne Boston to Dane Moore that covered 48 yards and got the ball to the Eagles 19. From the 11 Boston tossed a touchdown pass to D.J. Moore. Brookville’s PAT and field goal kicker was injured during the drive so the Blue Devils were forced to go for two. Jayden Resor ran the conversion into the end zone and Brookville led 8-7.
The Eagles covered 70 yards in seven plays to regain the lead. Two third down conversions took place on the drive. The final play was a pass from Rogers to Winnings covering 40 yards to reach paydirt. Jon Hewitt made the score 14-8 with his accurate boot for the conversion.
Following a Brookville punt, Eaton scored early in the second stanza. It took ten plays to navigate 47 yards and included a pair of third down conversions, including a three-yard touchdown run by Rogers. The point after made the score 21-8 Eagles with 9:04 left in the first half.
The Blue Devils scored in five plays. Moore caught a pass from Boston that covered 36 yards and from the ten Moore ran the ball into the end zone on a sweep. Moore snagged a pass from Boston to make the score 21-16 Eaton.
Eaton would keep the ball for 12 plays, converting one third down. However, a holding penalty forced a third and 17 after a pass was incomplete. Hewitt then crushed a 40-yard field goal that nearly went into Darke County and Eaton led 24-16 at the half.
Brookville scored on the first possession of the second half covering 61 yards in six plays. From the Eaton 40 Jayden Resor went up the middle and outran everyone into the end zone. Braylon Donohoo took the two-point conversion into the end zone and the game was tied at 24 with 8:30 remaining in the third frame.
From this point on Eaton controlled the game. The Eagles went 55 yards in nine plays to take the lead and never looked back. Again, a pair of third downs were converted Ethan Gregory scored on a three-yard plunge to regain the lead for Eaton. It was 31-24 Eaton with 3:25 left in the third quarter.
Brookville was forced to punt and Eaton scored in 11 plays with the touchdown coming with seven minutes left in the final stanza. Connor Bach snagged a ten-yard pass from Rogers to make the score 38-24.
The Blue Devils battled to the end, actually stopping Eaton on a fourth and goal from the one. The ball was stopped about one inch from the goal line. Then an illegal procedure penalty against Brookville resulted in the shortest penalty in history of one-half inch.
The Eagles would stop Brookville and score again on a one-yard sneak by Rogers to complete the scoring at 45-24.
Game Notes show it was the sixth time a Brookville game totaled 69 points, 36th time a Brookville game had a difference of 21 points, 4th time an opponent scored 45 points and the first time ever there was a final score of 45-24 in a Brookville football game. It was also the 800th game in Brookville Football History.
Brookville stats show Jayden Resor had 107 yards rushing in nine tries. DJ Moore amassed 43 in 11 totes. Moore and Resor each had a TD rushing. Moore grabbed two passes for 51 yards and a TD. Dane Moore grabbed a pass for 48 yards. Jordan Meyers had 11 tackles and three assist; Sam Norby six tackles and a pair of assists; Dane Moore six tackles and an assist; and DJ Moore had five tackles.
Brookville will host Valley View Friday night. The game can be heard on the free internet radio website Brookvillesports.com. Go to Brookvillesports.com and simply click on the radio icon. The game will be heard beginning at 6:30 p.m.
