Warriors advance as district runner-up
Staff writer
In the third game of district play Thursday, Peabody-Burns High School varsity football team fell to the Olpe Eagles, 14-10.
The team finished district play with a record of 2-1, finishing behind Olpe (6-3, 3-0 district), and played at Solomon Tuesday in the first round of the 2A state playoffs.
Results of that game were not available at press time.
PBHS took the first drive of the game from its own 46-yard line down to the Eagle 15.
Trevor Hamm, Ben Eldridge, and Nathan Bishop all rushed for yardage on the series, while Jacob Simmonds caught a pass.
The drive stalled in the red zone as the Warriors failed to convert of fourth down.
Olpe couldn't sustain a drive once it took over, as the Warriors forced a punt from the Eagle six-yard line.
Defensive play from Will Pratt and sacks by Andrew Loucks and Anthony Jones set up the team at the Eagle 29-yard line.
The Warrior offense went to work with Hamm, Elliott Spechtenhauser, and Bishop gaining yardage on the ground.
An Eagle sack set up a fourth-and-13, and Pratt nailed a 29-yard field goal to give PBHS a 3-0 lead with just less than two minutes left in the first quarter.
Big defensive hits then became the story for the remainder of the half.
Jones, Eldridge, Pratt, Bishop, Adam Benson, Hamm, Spechtenhauser, Nick Abramowich, Sean Corona, and Brandon Pickens all recorded tackles for the Warrior squad.
With just 1:30 to play in the first half, PBHS defender Eldridge grabbed an Eagle pass for an interception and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown.
Pratt kicked the extra point, and the Warriors led 10-0.
The defense withstood a late Olpe surge on the final drive of the half.
The Eagles air attack moved the ball nearly the length of the field, landing on the Warrior seven-yard line.
Four passes were defended by PBHS, and the Warriors led by 10 at the half.
The Eagle passing game was the story of the second half.
With 5:58 left in the third quarter, Olpe scored for the first time. The extra point made the score 10-7.
The Eagles scored again with eight minutes left in the game, and the Warriors trailed for the first time, 14-10.
Seven offensive possessions in the second half led to no points for PBHS, as the team lost by four.
Bishop completed five passes for 21 yards, while Hamm gained 63 yards on 18 carries.
Simmonds had four carries for six yards, and Eldridge had seven on three carries.
Benson led the defense with six tackles, while Pratt and Bishop each recorded 5.5.
Abramowich and Corona chipped in with four, while Eldridge had 3.5., and Hamm two.
Pickens and Jones each recorded 1.5, while Simmonds had one.
