The Eagle Grove Eagles football team returned to action on a short week on Thursday night, as they hosted the Cougars of Manson-Northwest Webster in Class 1A, District 2 matchup on homecoming. The game was moved to Thursday to do the inability to find officials to work a Friday game. The Eagles and Cougars entered with similar 1-4 record, while the Eagles were 0-2 in district play, and the Cougars with 1-1 in the district.
Logan Willard’s crew started out of the gates fast on Thursday night, taking the opening drive 52 yards in 6 plays, and capping it off with a 17-yard Orlando Hernandez touchdown run to put the Eagles up 8-0. Eagle Grove would force a 3-and-out before putting together another 6-play drive for 57 yards, capped by a 25-yard touchdown run by Orlando Hernandez to put the Eagles up 16-0. Manson would finally get on the board early in the 2nd quarter on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Logan Moline to Caydin Anderson to make it 16-6.
Eagle Grove would respond in kind, with Tate Richardson going up top to John Pamperin for a highlight reel catch and run for a 45-yard touchdown to put the Eagles up 24-6. Eagle Grove’s defense would then get in on the act as Cayden Schultz picked off a Logan Moline pass on the ensuing possession, returning it 79 yards for a touchdown to put the Eagles up 30-6. Orlando Hernandez would then cap the first half with a hat trick, scoring on a 48-yard touchdown run to make the halftime score 36-6.
Manson-Northwest Webster would be the first ones to score out of half, waking up a sleepy 3rd quarter as Logan Moline hit tight end Brody Poppen for a 62-yard touchdown pass to make the score 36-14. Eagle Grove would quickly respond on a 6-yard touchdown run by Tate Richardson, set up by a long Orlando Hernandez run, to make the score 42-14. Hernandez would cap off his career-night with a 42-yard touchdown run to make it the final of 48-14. Hernandez finished the game with 14 carries for 237 yards and 4 touchdowns, averaging 16.7 yards per carry.
The Eagles moved to 2-4 and 1-2 in district play with the win, and will look to clinch a playoff berth with a win over Belmond-Klemme next Friday. Manson-Northwest Webster will face South Hamilton in Manson next Friday.