Red Devils Hungry to Replicate Winning Feeling at Benedictine
EUREKA – For the first time this season, the Eureka football team is headed into its next game coming off a thrilling victory.
It's a good feeling that the Red Devils are hungry to replicate.
Their first chance to do it comes Saturday at 1 p.m., when Eureka takes on Benedictine in a road matchup in the second week of Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play.
Last weekend, Eureka edged Rockford 58-57 in overtime in the team's NACC opener, making some history and setting a new tone for the 2021 season along the way.
With 115 points between the two teams, the win was the highest-scoring game in Eureka's program history since the team's 69-63 loss to Crown on Nov. 7, 2009. It also marked the team's second overtime win in three tries under Barth.
The game's finale went down in dramatic fashion. Eureka's Donovan Hathaway blocked Rockford's go-ahead extra point with 35 seconds left in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime. The Red Devils then got the ball and scored first in overtime to make it 58-51.
The Regents answered when it was their turn, but when it came time to kick the extra point to send it to overtime, they went for two. However, the home team failed to convert the two-point conversion and its chance to win it slipped away.
The margin separating the teams couldn't have been any slimmer, but the Red Devils ended up on top.
"It's always good to get a win and start off conference season strong," EC coach Kurt Barth said. "We knew it was going to be a tough game. Both teams were going to fight until the end – and they did that, and then some.
"I think we've improved tremendously in our three weeks. I think playing against tougher non-conference opponents helped us, and I think that Rockford is a very much improved team with a very strong offensive unit. I think that helped us in preparation as well."
One of the most obvious highlights of the game was the team's running game. After averaging less than 40 rushing yards in the first two weeks, the Red Devils amassed 173 rushing yards in Week 3. Freshman Lamont Hill Jr.'s five-touchdown, 137-yard performance was the standout, but Barth says it was a group effort that also involved offensive lineman Jake Benninger's return from injury and the whole line beginning to gel as a unit.
"That has been a priority for us," Barth said. "I think getting Jake back and getting Lamont a little more comfortable and really getting that whole offensive front a little bit more confidence and a little more continuity, really helped establish the run."
Wide receiver Pierce Bradford had another strong showing, notching 120 receiving yards and three touchdowns on four receptions. He's currently second in the NACC and third in NCAA Division III in receiving touchdowns with six. He is second in the NACC with 122 receiving yards per game and ninth in the nation in total receiving yards with 366.
Quarterback Nathan Garard is third in the NACC in passing touchdowns with nine and fifth in passing yards per game with 222.7.
On the other side of the ball, Barth knows that people's eyes are going to be drawn to the 57 points and 692 yards of total offense the Red Devil defense conceded, but he says the team was more effective in the game than it was on paper.
"We were able to get a couple of stops early on fourth down," he said. "We got a couple of stops on third downs, especially earlier in the game, which helped us stay in our comfort zone offensively.
"They (Rockford) ran 94 plays, and I think they averaged maybe seven yards a play. We'd like to see that go down a little bit, but at the same time, when you're out there a lot, there's going to be some points scored."
Freshmen Eric Martinez and Deondre Guyton were two young players who provided huge boost to the team's defensive effort. The pair took advantage of their time on the field, making several plays and getting extra pressure on the quarterback.
The big plays on special teams – two blocked punts and two blocked extra point attempts – made the obvious difference last Saturday, but the little things on defense played a role in the win, too.
Benedictine enters this week's contest with a 2-1 record, coming off a 31-20 victory over Concordia Wisconsin to open NACC play. The Eagles had to come from behind in the second half, but they tallied 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to seal a nine-point win.
The Red Devils have come up short against the Eagles the last two years.
In 2019, Benedictine held off the maroon and gold for a 17-14 win in the pouring rain. Last spring, the Red Devils held a 21-10 lead at halftime, but the Eagles came back with 14 in the third quarter, and after exchanging scores in the fourth, they sealed it with a 27-yard touchdown pass that made it 38-28 with less than three minutes remaining.
Offensively, Benedictine quarterback Tyler Jarnagin is second in the NACC in passing yards with just under 300 yards per game. He's also second on the team in rushing yards with 98 on 22 carries. Benedictine's top rusher is Gregory Hoard, who has tallied 147 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries.
Under head coach and former defensive coordinator Jim Schroeder, Benedictine has generally been known for its defense. This fall, the Eagles have held opponents under 30 points per game and less than 100 rushing yards per game.
"They're aggressive, especially with their front defensively," Barth said. "They're a very disciplined, very well-coached team. They're going to make you play mistake-free to stay in the game to beat them."
Lamont Hill Jr's Big Day
When Lamont Hill Jr. scored what ended up being the game-winning touchdown in overtime, he joined an exclusive club.
He became only the fourth player in program history to rush for five touchdowns in a single game. The freshman from East Moline had no idea what he'd achieved until much later.
"I was, like, 'wow,'" Hill said. "It's almost like a dream come true. I knew I was going to go to college, but it (having that success) was just fast. I still don't really know how to feel about it."
After recording eight carries for 28 yards in the first two weeks, Hill racked up 136 rushing yards on 30 carries.
"The O-line was really good," he said. "I give it all to them. I just did what I was supposed to do, really."
"Lamont did a very nice job of being patient and seeing holes open up and started to get north and south a little bit faster than he had in previous weeks," Barth said. "Him getting a little bit more comfortable with our system, our offensive line getting a little more consistent with their play, and getting comfortable with their group up there, that made a big difference."
Hill is the first freshman to score five rushing touchdowns for Eureka in the Division III era, and his 136 rushing yards were the most by a freshman since Le'Anthony Reasnover's 145 in 2015. Even so, Hill saw plenty of room for improvement.
"I didn't like the yards I had that game," he said. "It didn't match up with the touchdowns I had. I want to make more big plays."
