Warriors down Eagles on gridiron
Staff writer
Peabody-Burns High School claimed its third victory of the season Friday, with a 21-9 victory at Canton-Galva.
At 3-0, the Warriors will play Friday at home against 2-1 Sedgwick in their homecoming game.
Both teams struggled to get the offense going in the first quarter, mainly due to multiple penalties.
Defense held the Eagles with stops from Nathan Bishop, Nick Abramowich, Brandon Pickens, Will Pratt, Adam Benson, Trevor Hamm, Sean Corona, Ben Eldridge, and Jacob Simmonds.
The first score of the game went to Canton-Galva on a 28-yard touchdown pass with nine minutes, 21 seconds left in the second period. The Eagles added the extra point and led 7-0.
The Warriors' offense put together a drive on the next series that started at the Eagle 46-yard line. Elliott Spechtenhauser, Hamm, and Bishop combined to earn a first down at the Eagle 38.
A completed pass on third-and-six from Bishop to Benson again moved the chains. On second-and-nine at the Eagle 19, Bishop hit Pickens for a touchdown, and the score was tied at seven with 5:10 left in the first half.
Both teams went to the air on offense for the remainder of the quarter, but the defenses kept the score tied heading into intermission.
After some halftime adjustments, the Warrior offense took the ball at its own 45-yard line and marched down field on the first series of the third quarter.
Eldridge and Hamm had carries on the drive, but it was Spechtenhauser's 26-yard run that set up first-and-10 on the Eagle 22.
Three plays later Hamm scored from 20 yards out, and with 9:15 left in the third, it was PBHS 14, Canton-Galva 7.
Warrior defense from Bishop, Abramowich, Anthony Jones, Corona, Tyler Slater, Eldridge, and Hamm stopped the Eagles on their next possession.
Andrew Loucks stopped an Eagle short on fourth-and-two, as the Warrior offense came back out on the field.
At the Canton-Galva 37, Hamm and Spechtenhauser started the Warrior offense by both carrying the ball.
Bishop called a keeper on third-and-one, and earned a first down on the play. The next run moved the ball to the Eagle 12, and from nine yards out, Bishop burst through the line scoring another Warrior touchdown.
Pratt's kick made the score 21-7 with 2:52 left in the third quarter.
The only other score of the game came on a Canton-Galva safety. A botched snap on a punt went over the head of Pratt and out of the end zone. The two-point play made the score 21-9.
Neither team scored the rest of the game, as Eldridge all but ended the contest with two minutes left by intercepting a pass.
During the next possession, Pratt gained a first down on a fake punt, and the Warriors ran out the clock to earn the victory.
Bishop registered a touchdown through the air and on the ground, while Pickens scored the only receiving touchdown.
Pratt led the defense with 9.5 tackles. Bishop had 8.5, and Eldridge chipped in six.
Other tackles were recorded by Simmons, 5.5; Aramowich, five; Corona, five; Hamm, 4.5; Benson three; Pickens, three; Loucks, two; Slater, two; and Jones, one.
