The Southern Door Eagles started the 2023 WIAA playoffs on a positive note Friday night in Brussels, running over the visiting Tomahawk Hatchets on the way to a 48-7 victory. 

 

The Eagles' defense started the game strong, intercepting a pass by Tomahawk's QB Caleb Dickens on the game's third play. Zach Lynch would take the ball in from 6 yards out, giving the Eagles a nearly 7-0 lead.  The defense came out too strong again on the second drive, forcing a three and out that was capped by a mishandled snap on the punt, which set the Eagle offense up first and goal from inside the 5.  Lynch would again take the ball across the goal line, putting the Eagles up 13-0 through the first.

 

In the second quarter, Zach Lynch would add his third rushing touchdown, this time from 16 yards out, before Drew Daoust would find James Fish III in the corner of the endzone in the final 1:30 of the half to put the Eagles up 28-0 at halftime.  The third quarter would be more of the same as Daoust would outrun the Hatchet defense for an 80-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the half, and Gage Geisel would run one in from the 4, which put moved the score to 41-0.  

 

Teams would trade touchdowns in the closing minutes of the game.  Tomahawk's Brett Marheine would return a Lauden Berg fumble for a touchdown, and Southern Door's Grant Webber would finalize the score when he took the ball in from the 16-yard line, sending the Southern Door Eagles into the second level of the playoffs.

 

The Eagles will host the Wrightstown Tigers on Friday, October 27th, in Brussels on U102.1 starting at 6:45 p.m. with the pregame and kick off at 7 p.m.