MANLY, Ia. — The Eagle Grove Eagles football team returned to the field on Friday Night, as they made the trip to far northern Iowa to take on the Central Springs Panthers in Class 1A, District 3 action at Central Springs High School. The Eagles entered at 2-2, while Central Springs entered at 1-3.
After a Central Springs punt to open the game, both teams traded turnovers on downs before a short Eagle Grove punt set the Panthers up with a short field, as Central Springs scored on a 10-yard touchdown run by Lincoln Levan as the Panthers went ahead 7-0 at the end of the first quarter. Things would unravel in the 2nd quarter for the Eagles, as following another punt, Central Springs scored on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Eddie Pruin to Cole Hagen to put the Panthers up 13-0 after a blocked PAT. Eagle Grove then fumbled on their ensuing possession, as the Panthers then scored on a 3-yard touchdown run by Lincoln Levan as the Panthers lead grew to 20-0. Central Springs would score one more touchdown before the end of the first half on a Truman Hogan 14-yard touchdown run as Eagle Grove trailed 27-0 at the halftime break.
Eagle Grove would come out in the 2nd half and score on a 55-yard touchdown pass from Adrian Whipple to Gavin Pedersen to bring the score to 27-8. The Eagles then forced a Central Springs punt, as Eagle Grove drove a long field and scored with under a minute to go in the 3rd quarter on an 8-yard touchdown run by Trenton Robinson as the Eagles cut the lead to 27-14. After a Central Springs interception, followed by Eagle Grove turning the Panthers over on downs, the Eagles would score with 2:42 to go in the game on a 2-yard touchdown run by Kylar Sisson to make the score 27-22. Eagle Grove would then stuff Central Springs on 4th and short to get one last chance, as the Eagles went down the field and scored on a 1-yard touchdown run from Trenton Robinson with 27 seconds to go to give Eagle Grove an 28-27 lead. Adrian Whipple intercepted a Central Springs pass on the final drive to give the Eagles an improbable 28-27 win.
Adrian Whipple would go 8-for-13 for 140 yards, a touchdown and an interception while rushing for 32 yards and recording the game-ending interception, while Gavin Pedersen had a 55-yard touchdown reception and a 26-yard rush on the final Eagle Grove drive. Arturo Reyna Salazar led the Eagle Grove defense with 7.5 tackles on Friday.
Eagle Grove football returns to action on Friday Night, as they host their rivals in the Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Cowboys for the 115th Battle for Wright County, with kickoff at 7 PM from Gene Hinrichsen Field on 95.7 KQWC or streaming online at kqradio.com.