Tough Calls, Tough Breaks, Tough Night

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EUPORA — Missed scoring opportunities and costly special-teams mistakes hurt Water Valley as Eupora defeated the Blue Devils 22-8 Friday night.

Water Valley trailed only 6-0 at halftime after twice moving deep into Eupora territory without scoring, leaving the Blue Devils within striking distance despite the missed opportunities. But Eupora began to take control in the second half, when a pair of special-teams miscues helped keep the Water Valley offense off the field and allowed the Eagles to build a 22-0 lead.

“We get that one score definitely in the first half, it’s a tie ballgame,” Water Valley coach Clint Faust said. “Maybe even we’re up if we get our two-point conversion or extra point, depending on what we’re going to do there. And it’s a brand-new ballgame.”

The teams battled through a scoreless first quarter, with the Blue Devil defense twice forcing Eupora to punt.

Water Valley mounted the more serious scoring threat, moving from midfield to the Eupora 19. Tre Adams carried for three yards to the 16, but was stopped for a loss on the next play. After a third-down pass fell incomplete in the end zone, Eupora intercepted quarterback Derion Gale at the 1-yard line on fourth down.

The Blue Devil defense answered by forcing another punt, but penalties helped derail Water Valley’s next possession.

Eupora finally broke the scoreless tie late in the second quarter. The Eagles put together a long drive, converting a fourth-and-three before scoring on a 2-yard quarterback keeper with 3:32 remaining in the half. Water Valley stopped the two-point attempt to keep the deficit at 6-0.

The Blue Devils threatened again before halftime. A completion to Shaddai Freeman and a 15-yard Eupora penalty helped move Water Valley into Eagles territory, but penalties against both teams interrupted the drive. Water Valley eventually received an untimed down to end the half but was unable to score.

Faust said those missed opportunities could have changed the complexion of the game.

“Execution,” Faust said. “We get that one score definitely in the first half, it’s a tie ballgame.”

Despite some frustration with the officiating, Faust said the Blue Devils couldn’t blame the loss on the calls.

“We can’t make excuses for the referees,” he said.

Eupora began to take control after halftime.

A facemask penalty on the second-half kickoff gave the Eagles the ball near midfield, and Eupora drove for its second touchdown. The Eagles scored from the 1 and added the two-point conversion for a 14-0 lead with 5:54 remaining in the third quarter.

Water Valley then muffed the ensuing kickoff, and Eupora recovered at the Blue Devil 37. The Water Valley defense prevented the mistake from becoming points with an interception, but the Blue Devils went three-and-out on their next possession.

Those were Water Valley’s only three offensive plays of the third quarter.

The Blue Devil defense later forced another Eupora punt, but Water Valley muffed the return, giving the Eagles the football back after another defensive stand.

“It’s a hard-hitting game. It’s a gritty game,” Faust said. “It’s just a few things. Those two punts back-to-back, that was just bad luck, man. Special teams, if you’re not disciplined on special teams, heartbreakers, man.”

Eupora capitalized on the second special-teams mistake, putting together a long drive that stretched into the fourth quarter. The Eagles methodically moved downfield on the ground before scoring from the 1 and adding another two-point conversion for a 22-0 lead.

The Eagles rushed for 282 yards while throwing for only 38. Eupora quarterback P. Perkins accounted for nearly half of the rushing total, carrying 22 times for 148 yards and two touchdowns.

Water Valley’s defense kept the Eagles from adding another score later in the fourth quarter. Eupora drove inside the 5 and appeared to score, but the touchdown was erased by an illegal block. The Blue Devils eventually stopped the Eagles at the 1 on fourth down.

That gave Water Valley the football with just over a minute remaining and 99 yards between the Blue Devils and the end zone.

The Blue Devils responded with their best offensive possession of the night.

Gale connected with Kylan Armstrong for 32 yards on the first play. A pass interference penalty moved Water Valley farther downfield before Gale hit Freeman for 35 yards to the Eupora 17.

With three seconds remaining, Gale connected with Armstrong for a 17-yard touchdown as time expired, completing the 99-yard drive. Demarea Johnson scored on the two-point conversion for the 22-8 final.

Gale finished 9-of-19 passing for 158 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Freeman had a big night receiving, catching six passes for 101 yards.

The final drive was also an encouraging sign for an offense that has been trying to regain its rhythm. Faust said Gale missing an earlier game had affected the chemistry between the quarterback and his receivers.

“I think that game out kind of messed us up as far as chemistry with him and our receivers,” Faust said. “Hopefully after this game, it will come back and get that chemistry. We’ve got some good receivers.”

Water Valley fell to 2-2 with the loss, but the Blue Devils have yet to begin district play and still have an opportunity to defend last year’s district championship.

“Everything’s still in front of us,” Faust said. “We still got district play coming up and got a chance to repeat as district champs. That’s still in the future.”

“We just got to have some more guys show up at practice and show us that they want to be in it,” Faust said. “Like I told the guys a while ago, we were in that game for three and a half quarters, but we didn’t act like it. We didn’t play like it.”

Water Valley returns home Friday to face unbeaten Nanih Waiya.