Wartburg Rolls Over Oakdale 47-0

By Terry Futrell

The Wartburg Central Bulldogs rolled over the winless Oakdale Eagles 47-0 on Hollis Eble field Friday evening. Though outmanned in both size and numbers, the Eagles battled throughout the game, making enough big plays to keep the game interesting. While the Bulldogs put up some big numbers on offense, they were plagued by lack of discipline, chalking up 80 yards on seven penalties, with two touchdowns being called back because of penalties.

Wartburg had 17 first downs with a total offense of 411 yards, 195 rushing and 216 passing. Bulldog Jeremiah Davis started at quarterback, completing 5 of 5 passes for 118 yards and one touchdown. Recovering from an ankle injury against Oneida the previous week, Tyler Davis came in at quarterback midway in the second quarter and completed 7 of 12 passes for 98 yards and one touchdown.

Bulldog Saylor Jones caught three passes for 74 yards, Caleb McCarty had four receptions for 84 yards and one touchdown, and Michael Davis caught one pass for 24 yards and one touchdown.

Rushing leaders for Wartburg were Michael Davis with two rushes for 108 yards and one touchdown, and Ethan Stedam with four rushes for 49 yards and one touchdown. Saylor Jones, Chris Flowers, and Isaac Monroe each scored one rushing touchdown.

Defensively, Ethan Stedam led the Bulldogs with six tackles, Perrion Cruz had four tackles, and Colton James and Saylor Jones had three tackles each.

The Oakdale Eagles chalked up only four first downs in the game with a total offense of 129 yards, 15 yards rushing and 114 yards passing. While the Bulldogs totally shut down the run, Eagle quarterback Eloy Vera found some gaping holes in the Wartburg pass defense and completed passes of 38, 44, and 29 yards. Vera completed 6 of 15 passes in the game. Vera was also Oakdale’s leading rusher with 10 yards on 10 carries.

Oakdale’s Austin Swafford caught three passes for 87 yards, and Roy Huskey had a 29-yard reception.

Wartburg’s opening drive set the stage for the entire game. The Eagle kickoff was good for only 10 yards, with the Bulldog drive beginning at midfield. Jeremiah Davis completed an 11-yard pass to Saylor Jones. Jones then rushed for 27 yards, and Davis rushed for five yards. Finally, Jones rushed for seven yards to score. The Bulldogs ran four plays for 50 yards in the drive. Ethan Stedam added the extra point and the Bulldogs led early 7-0.

Oakdale went 3-and-out on their first drive. Eagle Dakotah Miller’s punt split the two deep Wartburg returners and rolled dead at the Bulldog 5-yard line, good for 57 yards. On the first play of the drive, Michael Davis rushed for 61 yards. The drive culminated with a 10-yard pass from Jeremiah Davis to Caleb McCarty for the Bulldogs second touchdown. Both McCarty and Bulldog Owen Vespie grasped the reception in the air, but McCarty was credited with the touchdown, giving the Bulldogs a 13-0 lead.

The Eagles next drive began at their own 25-yard line. After a loss of one yard on the first play, Jeremiah Davis picked off an Eloy Vera pass and returned it to the 19-yard line. Michael Davis took it to the house on the next play for a 19-yard rushing touchdown. Stedam made the extra point and the Bulldogs led 20-0 in the first quarter.

Oakdale’s next drive was their most productive of the game. After rushes of 11 yards and four yards by Vera, Vera connected with Austin Swafford for 38 yards, giving the Eagles a first down at the Wartburg 5-yard line. The drive was halted when Bulldog Caleb McCarty picked off a Vera pass giving the Bulldogs a first down on their own 10-yard line. Jeremiah Davis connected with McCarty for 39 yards. After consecutive penalties for block in the back, Davis connected with Saylor Jones for 32 yards. Stedam then rushed for 23 yards to give the Bulldogs their fourth touchdown of the evening, and Wartburg led 26-0.

Oakdale fumbled the kickoff return and Isaac Monroe picked the ball up at the 20-yard line and ran it in for a touchdown. Stedam added the extra point and the Bulldogs led 33-0 in the second quarter.

Oakdale’s Vera found Austin Swafford open for a 44-yard completion on the Eagles next drive. Driving to the Wartburg 27-yard line, the Eagles could not sustain the drive and turned the ball over to Wartburg on downs. After a 10-yard rush by Chris Flowers and a 9-yard pass from Jeremiah Davis to Flowers, the Bulldogs were hit by a costly holding penalty. Tyler Davis entered at quarterback and completed two passes, but the Bulldogs were forced to punt for the only time in the game.

Oakdale began their drive at their own 26-yard line. Bulldog CJ Walker picked off Vera’s pass and Wartburg once again began to drive from their own 48-yard line. Tyler Davis connected with Saylor Jones for 28 yards, followed by  a 24-yard pass to Michael Davis for a touchdown. Stedam added the extra point to close out the first half with Wartburg leading 40-0.

With the mercy rule in effect, the second half passed quickly. Oakdale’s drive to the Wartburg 44-yard line was highlighted by a 29-yard pass from Vera to Roy Huskey. Huskey snagged the reception in the midst of three Wartburg defenders. After the Eagles turned the ball over on downs, the Bulldogs quickly moved downfield with Stedam and Flowers carrying the load. Flowers ran the ball in for a 7-yard touchdown. Stedam added the extra point to close out the scoring with the Bulldogs claiming a 47-0 victory.

Wartburg faces Midway on John R. Dillon field next Friday, while OAkdale hosts a very tough Coalfield team on Hollis Eble field.

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