Oakdale Squeaks by Midway 20-19
By Terry Futrell
In a marathon game that lasted more than three hours, the Oakdale Eagles persevered to win a close Region 2-1A contest over the Midway Greenwave Friday night 20-19.
It was a tough, physical, defensive battle from opening kickoff to the final whistle. Both teams fought with a vengeance for the entire game. Thanks to team effort and some key defensive plays, especially by Hunter Boyer [named Morgan County Today’s Player of the Game], the Eagles squeaked by with a 1-point victory on the Greenwave’s home field.
After both teams faltered on their first possession of the game, Midway’s Seth Gordon got behind Oakdale’s secondary and reeled in a pass from quarterback Emmett Hegland, taking it to the house for Midway’s first score. The Eagles fought back and quarterback Elisha Davis ran the ball in for Oakdale’s first score with 31 seconds remaining in the first quarter, tying the score 7-7.
The teams battled toe-to-toe throughout the second quarter with no scoring. Finally, with 29 seconds remaining in the first half, Davis found Eloy Vera in the corner of the end zone for a miraculous catch and an Eagles touchdown. Oakdale took a 14-7 lead into the locker room.
Then began one of the ugliest halves of football ever played. On Oakdale’s first play from scrimmage in the second half, Midway was charged with multiple infractions that resulted in sixty yards in penalties and ejection of Midway’s coach. The striped shirts were equally generous to the Eagles, hitting them with consecutive 15-yard penalties, and then flagged Midway with another. The first four plays of the second half resulted in 105 yards in penalties. And it didn’t get much better for the rest of the game. In total, there were about 300 yards in penalties dished out by the referees, not including those that were offsetting.
Finally, with 4:17 remaining in the third quarter, Midway scored, but missed the conversion, bringing the Greenwave within one point of Oakdale at 13-14. Oakdale was unable to respond, and two minutes later Hegland found receiver Caleb Goodman streaking down the right sideline for Midway’s go-ahead score. The conversion failed and the Greenwave closed out the third quarter leading 19-14.
Two plays in the fourth quarter had a crushing impact on the Greenwave. Boyer intercepted a pass at the goal line intended for Midway’s Gordon, depriving the Greenwave of a touchdown. Later in the fourth quarter, Hegland connected with the streaking Gordon for an apparent touchdown, only to have it nullified by a holding penalty.
The Eagles regained the lead 20-19 when Davis connected with Jacob Hoskins in the end zone with 4:22 remaining for the final score of the game. The Eagle defense held, and Oakdale then ran out the clock to seal the victory over Midway.
Oakdale Coach J.R. Voyles praised the effort of his team, “awesome effort, you got down and you fought back!” Voyles then emphasized to his players that this game was just one step towards achieving higher goals for this season.
The victory brings Oakdale’s record to 2-0. The Eagles face 2A Wartburg next Friday at home in a county rivalry game. The Greenwave fall to 1-1 on the season and face 2A Tellico Plains at home next Friday.