Often, the team that loses the turnover battle loses the game. That was not the case for the Eagles Friday night as they traveled to Marinette and beat the Marines 19-8.
The Eagles' one turnover of the game came on their second offensive play when a mishandled handoff resulted in the Marines having 1st and 10 from their own 44-yard line. The drive ended with a 10-yard rushing touchdown on a reverse to Braxton Polzin, who also caught the 2-point conversion and the early 8-0 lead.
The Eagles would answer that touchdown by marching down the field on the very next drive, capping things off with a 3-yard plunge by Grant Weber. The extra point would be converted. As time would down in the first half, on a drive that included multiple 4th down conversions from Drew Daoust to Lauden Berg, the Eagles would take the lead for good when Daoust found Berg again, leaping in the front corner of the endzone with 15 seconds left. The Maries threatened to score yet in the half by returning the kickoff to midfield, adding a 15-yard late hit penalty. One fifteen-yard rush left .5 seconds on the clock, but the throw into the endzone would be knocked down.
The third quarter was scoreless before the Eagles put the cherry on top of the season's first victory in the fourth quarter when Grant Weber added his second touchdown of the game from 2 yards out. The extra point was missed after multiple retries due to penalties, but it did not matter as the clock ran out on the Marines' next drive.
The Eagles' next game is Friday, when they host Peshtigo. The game can be heard on U102.1 and NEWRadioSportsNetwork.
