ELBRIDGE - As the first half of Friday night's tilt between Jordan-Elbridge and Cato-Meridian wound down, what looked like a game that could go either way started to slip away from the Eagles.
Chet Susslin / The Citizen
Cato-Meridian senior Ethan Holt tries to keep his feet moving forward but is brought down by Jordan-Elbridge senior Bryan Murray (68) during Friday night's game. The Blue Devils beat the Eagles 44-26.
Cato-Meridian senior Ethan Holt tries to keep his feet moving forward but is brought down by Jordan-Elbridge senior Bryan Murray (68) during Friday night's game. The Blue Devils beat the Eagles 44-26.
Though Jordan-Elbridge scored on its first possession of the second half, a steady dose of Cato-Meridian's Ethan Holt gave the Blue Devils a 44-26 Class D West win.
“We got beat,” said Eagle coach Mike Smart. “They beat us all over the field.”
Holt ran all over the Eagles for four touchdowns and 291 yards, including a 52-yard scamper that took the luster off of Abe Patrick's 64-yard score on Jordan-Elbridge's first play from scrimmage.
“I just gave it my all,” Holt said. “Coach said to run hard, and the line was blocking and making holes. It just all worked out.”
It wasn't all Holt that powered the Blue Devils past the Eagles. In the first half, when each team scored every possession except for one, Jordan-Elbridge converted on only one of its two-point conversions (neither team attempted an extra point).
“It was difficult at first to block them on defense, but after a while we just kind of caught up to them,” Holt said.
Defensively, Cato-Meridian hit its stride in the second half, and only allowed one sustained drive throughout the game. Three of Jordan-Elbridge's touchdown's came on big plays. Besides Patrick's run, quarterback Zach Frost had a 61-yard toss to Jeff Donofrio and a 46-yard strike to Josh Livingston.
“We needed to step up our game, we didn't come out here prepared,” Holt said. “We're not where we should be, but hopefully during practice we'll step it up.”
The Blue Devils, meanwhile, had one big play (Holt's) but strung together drive after drive to wear the Eagles down all the way until the fourth quarter when quarterback Preston Dennison took a knee (67 yards passing, 62 yards rushing) to end the game.
Cato-Meridian (2-1) hosts Tully on Friday for homecoming.
“We got beat,” said Eagle coach Mike Smart. “They beat us all over the field.”
Holt ran all over the Eagles for four touchdowns and 291 yards, including a 52-yard scamper that took the luster off of Abe Patrick's 64-yard score on Jordan-Elbridge's first play from scrimmage.
“I just gave it my all,” Holt said. “Coach said to run hard, and the line was blocking and making holes. It just all worked out.”
It wasn't all Holt that powered the Blue Devils past the Eagles. In the first half, when each team scored every possession except for one, Jordan-Elbridge converted on only one of its two-point conversions (neither team attempted an extra point).
“It was difficult at first to block them on defense, but after a while we just kind of caught up to them,” Holt said.
Defensively, Cato-Meridian hit its stride in the second half, and only allowed one sustained drive throughout the game. Three of Jordan-Elbridge's touchdown's came on big plays. Besides Patrick's run, quarterback Zach Frost had a 61-yard toss to Jeff Donofrio and a 46-yard strike to Josh Livingston.
“We needed to step up our game, we didn't come out here prepared,” Holt said. “We're not where we should be, but hopefully during practice we'll step it up.”
The Blue Devils, meanwhile, had one big play (Holt's) but strung together drive after drive to wear the Eagles down all the way until the fourth quarter when quarterback Preston Dennison took a knee (67 yards passing, 62 yards rushing) to end the game.
Cato-Meridian (2-1) hosts Tully on Friday for homecoming.
