The Eagle Grove Eagles football team return to action on Friday night, as they make the trip south and east into Hardin County to take on the South Hardin Tigers in Class 1A, District 3 action at Tiger Field in Eldora. Friday’s meeting is the 3rd all-time meeting between the two programs, as South Hardin has won both previous matchups by scores of 34-8 in 2018 and 67-0 in 2019.
South Hardin enters Friday with a perfect 3-0 record and ranked 4th in 1A in the latest Radio Iowa poll, winning a close battle with West Marshall in Week 1 28-7, before routing Iowa Falls-Alden 37-0 and Hudson by a score of 41-14. The Tigers are led by senior quarterback Peyton Welch, who’s completing 61% of his passes for 655 yards and 8 touchdowns, while rushing for another 122 yards and 2 scores. Welch’s favorite target has been senior receiver Sam Benson, who’s caught 12 passes for 412 yards and 6 touchdowns, averaging a mind-boggling 34.3 yards per reception. Casey Williamson has emerged as reliable #2, catching 10 passes for 144 yards and 3 touchdowns. Sophomore Kameron Adams leads the backfield for the Tigers, rushing for 244 yards and 3 touchdowns in his first season as a starter. South Hardin’s offensive line is chalked full of veteran starters such as Sawyer Kane, Lucas Perry and Preston Dolash.
Defensively, the Tigers are led by a rugged veteran linebacking core that includes seniors Sawyer Kane and Lucas Perry, as Perry leads the Tigers with 16 tackles and 2 TFL, while Kane has 11 tackles, 1 TFL and a fumble recovery. The South Hardin secondary has ben a huge strength to start the year, as sophomore Josh Spindler and junior Casey Williamson each have 2 interceptions, with Spindler adding 6 tackles and Williamson adding 3.5 tackles. Sam Benson leads the secondary with 8.5 tackles. Up front, South Hardin has a talented defensive line, as Manning Pfantz leads the unit with 10.5 tackles, 6 TFL and 2 sacks, while Preston Dolash has 8.5 tackles, 3 TFL and 2 sacks.
Eagle Grove football will look to bounce back after back-to-back losses to close out non-district play. A big key for the Eagles will be keeping the ball out of South Hardin’s hands by putting together long, sustained drives, while keeping their defense rested.
Kickoff is slated for 7 PM on Friday Night at Tiger Field in Eldora.