Eagles' defense does job
In a game that featured three running backs going over the 100-yard plateau and Jordan Roberts putting on his usual prolific passing display of around 300 yards passing and 5 touchdowns, Saturday's Aurora Christian game against Private School League rival Walther Lutheran came down to one last defensive stand.
The Eagles were up to the challenge as Matt Morse, utilizing his wide receiver skills, was able to get his feet down and pick off a pass to preserve a 39-33 victory.
"They had a drive going that could have won the game, and we just gave it everything we had and to get that turnover was big," said Morse, who was big all game with 8 receptions for 140 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The Eagles (7-0, 4-0) took control of the game in the second quarter on big plays from Morse and David Zielke. Zielke turned a 10-yard reception into a 68-yard TD with one nifty spin move and on the Eagles next drive, Morse took a similar pass, broke two tackles and went for a 62 yard TD that gave Aurora Christian an 18-7 lead.
Roberts hit Morse with a perfect strike for an 18-yard TD just before the half that gave the Eagles a fairly sturdy 25-7 lead.
But the Broncos (5-2, 3-2) have some playmakers on their side of the ball as well. Logan Davis ran in an 11 -yard TD on Walther Lutheran's opening drive of the second half and, after an Aurora Christian fumble, Brandon Sims made a remarkable leaping grab over two Eagles defenders at the goal line to cut the lead to 25-20 with 5:47 left in the third quarter.
That's when the Eagles found the running game they have been looking for all year. Lewis Gaddis ran the ball 6 times for 53 yards on the ensuing drive that ended with a Roberts 10-yard TD throw to Luis Solorio. Gaddis would finish with 221 yards on 31 carries in the game, including one TD.
"Gaddis is an awesome running back," Roberts said. "It's awesome giving him the ball because he has one of the biggest hearts on this team. He's a pounder.
"The line came out here and did a great job, and Gaddis was running hard every single play."
"Gaddis really stepped up and this is obviously one of our biggest games of the year for him to have a game like this, on a hot day like this, shows it all," Morse said. "He's just a man. He takes some big hits and just pops right back up, he's never tired, I have so much respect for him."
Gaddis gave credit to the offensive line.
"They were cleaning guys up," Gaddis said. "Anybody that got through there would always be someone picking him up. It was great."
On the following kickoff the Broncos had trouble with the Eagles' pooch kick and Eagle junior Dylan Smith recovered at the Walther Lutheran 31-yard line. Morse and Roberts made the Broncos pay as they hooked up for a 4-yard TD just a minute later.
But again the lead was not safe as Sims scored on a 12-yard run to cut the lead to 39-26 and then another Eagles fumble gave the ball back to the Broncos. Sims made a circus catch on a third-and-10 situation to keep the drive alive and then went over the top for a TD from the 1-yard line to cut the lead to 39-33 with four minutes left in the game.
Aurora Christian appeared to be safely running out the clock when the third lost fumble of the half gave the Broncos one last shot, that fortunately for the Eagles, Morse was there to snuff out.
"The PSL title was on the line for this game," Morse said. "Coming out here and beating Walther Lutheran and Chicago Christian two of the last three weeks is a big momentum boost for the team and hopefully we can carry it forward into the playoffs."
"We are going to have to learn to play two halves," Aurora Christian defensive coordinator Dave Beebe. "I think we put it on cruise control and we lose that fire and we don't finish games. We are 7-0, we're still perfect, but come the play off drive, we better play two halves or we'll be in trouble."