By: Carter Williams
After a nine hour bus ride, the Eaton Reds football team came up one point short in the final minutes to Bayfield in the State Quarterfinals 15-14. Two controversial calls proved to be the difference between Eaton advancing to the State Semi-finals and riding home in silence.
The team left Eaton on Friday morning and arrived in Alamosa at about 5 p.m. to practice at the Adams State facility. After the pregame practice, they spent the night Pagosa Springs then drove the 45 minutes to Bayfield the next morning to take on the Wolverines.
The Reds defense shut down Bayfield, and a long touchdown run from Austin Ekeler (13) gave Eaton a 7-0 lead in the second quarter. A 28 yard field goal by Sean Earley (13) looked to be good for Eaton in the middle of the second quarter, but was called wide right by the refs. Although the Reds defense continued to dominate Bayfield, an interception returned 8 yards for a touchdown gave Bayfield life going into the half. Eaton led 7-6 going into the locker room.
The third quarter was a stalemate until Ekeler broke his second touchdown of the day, this one 48 yards, and Eaton took a 14-6 lead. Bayfield drove down the field in the fourth but the drive was ended by a fumble caused by Eaton’s Ryan McIntire (12). The Reds offense, however, could not make anything of the drive, going 3-and-out. Bayfield drove down and scored on a long run, but came up short on the two-point conversion, which made the score 14-12 Eaton. The Reds again could not sustain a drive and punted after just one first down. With less than four minutes remaining in the game, Bayfield drove down the field and kicked the game winning 32 yard field goal with 34 seconds remaining.
The Reds got the ball back on the 22 yard line. A pass to Darin Foss (12) moved the ball up to the Bayfield 45 yard line, but a questionable unsportsman-like conduct penalty set the Reds back 15 yards, which snuffed the drive, and sent the Reds packing in their State bound trip. Olearnick’s next pass was deflected and hit the turf as time expired.