Eagles football loses second straight

For the third consecutive game, the Chadron State Eagles found themselves behind after two quarters, but there’d be no second-half heroics as their comeback fell just short, giving Fort Lewis College a 37-30 victory at home in Durango, Colorado. 

“We gave up 21 points on turnovers,” Long said of the game while speaking to CSC Sports information. “It all goes down as sloppy play in the first half. We made dumb penalties and we weren’t executing. I’m frustrated and disappointed in myself. As a coach I’ll make sure the first half goes better. We have the talent, but our discipline isn’t there. If that doesn’t change, it’s on our coaching staff.”

According CSC Sports Information, it was the first time since at least the 1970s that a team had scored more than one TD from a fumble against the Eagles. 

Unfortunately for the Eagles, in addition to turnover problems, CSC also struggled with discipline, losing 106 yards on 10 penalties. But it was their offensive struggles in the first half that once again left the team having to fight from behind. 

Late in the second quarter, CSC quarterback Dalton Holst, a junior of Gillette, Wyoming, found wide receiver Tevon Wright, senior of Miami, on a 25 yard touchdown to get the Eagles on the board. After a failed two-point conversion, the Eagles trailed 16-6. It was the first time the team has scored in the first half this season. 

Playing from behind, the Eagles scored three unanswered touchdowns beginning with a 27-yard pass from Holst to Wright with 37 seconds remaining in the third quarter to bring the score to 30-20 Skyhawks. 

With just over 10 minutes left in the game Holst took the ball in himself from the 9-yard line and about four minutes later Chadron’s Colton Dolder, freshman of Santa Clarita, California, hit a 35-yard field goal to tie the game 30-30.  

Unfortunately for the Eagles, after being forced to punt on its previous three drives, the Skyhawks drove 75 yards on their next possession and Fort Lewis’ Jake Lowry, junior of Littleton, Colorado punched it in from a yard out to give the team their game-winning score. 

The drive left the Eagles with just 1:36 in the game, but a 45-yard kickoff return by Stevann Brown, senior of Casper, Wyoming, left the Eagles with good field position to make a final push to tie the game. The Eagles’ passing game wasn’t able to get any traction on any of the team’s first or second down attempts, but twice converted on third-and-ten, first with a 26-yard pass to Wright, then a 14-yard throw to Brown to keep the final drive alive. 

The two completed passes left the Eagles on the Fort Lewis 20-yard line, but Holst couldn’t find a receiver on the next three plays and time ran out on their comeback attempt. 

CSC began its comeback early in the third quarter when Holst found receiver Brandon Fullerton, senior of Riverton, Wyoming, for a 40-yard TD to cut the Eagles deficit to 16-13. 

Looking as if the offense had finally found its footing, a pair of turnovers proved costly. 

The first came as the Eagles were backed up to their own seven yard line and Holst lost the ball in the end zone as he was sacked by the Skyhawks’ Blake De La Rosa, junior of Spring Valley, California. Fort Lewis’ Tim Paogofie, senior of Arlington, Texas, recovered the ball for a touchdown. It initially looked as if Holst had lost the ball in the process of throwing it away, but the play was ruled a fumble. 

On the Eagles’ next drive, the Eagles lost the ball as Holst handed it off to Brown. The Skyhawks’ De La Rosa recovered the fumble and took it 40-yards to the end zone to extend Fort Lewis’ lead to 30-13. 

The Eagles’ turnover problems began in the second quarter when Holst lost the ball at CSC’s own 5-yard line and Fort Lewis’ Suli Tukumoeatu, senior of West Valley City, Utah, recovered it and delivered it into the end zone to give Fort Lewis a 10-0 lead. 

CSC’s 441 yards of offense easily out-gained the Skyhawks who had 275. Holst completed 25 of 50 passes for 350 yards and three touchdowns. Wright led the Eagles’ receivers with 139 yards on nine receptions. Brown led the Eagles’ rushers with 105 yards on 25 carries. Brown also averaged 30 yards on five kick returns. 

Saturday, the Eagles return to Chadron for their homecoming matchup with Colorado Mesa. The Mavericks are 1-2 this season.