By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
The last two weekends have frustrated the Evangel Eagles.
They patiently, resolutely waited and waited and waited on event administrators to get going with the postgame award ceremony in the aftermath of their 42-32 loss Friday night to West Monroe in the feature game of the Stars & Stripes Border Classic at Independence Stadium.
What delayed the presentation was unclear. But after a few minutes, it was finally too much for pastor/head coach Denny Duron and his squad, who quietly trudged down to their end zone while the Rebels and their ecstatic fans celebrated loudly at the other end of the field.
Unlike their 49-7 blasting at the hands of Ruston the previous Saturday in the Bayou Jam at Monroe, the Eagles took Friday night’s outcome down to the closing minutes, and almost to midnight.
And they took it hard.
Duron finally gathered his boys and on brand, delivered a heartfelt talk. Facing a Week 2 homefield showdown against another I-20 East powerhouse, Neville, and following a discouraging fade in the fourth period against West Monroe, the Eagles looked unsteady.
They moved away from the team huddle and prayer with purpose.
“We have no quit. We’re resilient,” said senior linebacker Westin Johnson.
Star quarterback Peyton “Pop” Houston concurred.
“That’s been the last two games, not being able to capitalize on drives, making mental errors that we don’t normally make. Cut down on those things and we’ll be fine.
“This is just the beginning. We have a long road ahead of us and I plan on being in the ‘Dome at the end of the year. I’m going to do whatever it takes to do that, make sure that my teammates feel that, push them to their limits,” said Houston, who led Evangel to the state Select Division I quarterfinals last year.
After a comparatively slow start from both teams, there seemed to be no limits during a frenetic stretch after halftime. Evangel jumped to a 14-0 lead on a 39-yard Houston connection with Seth Collins and a 13-yard scramble by the quarterback, but West Monroe tied it four minutes into the third period. That started the haymakers.
The Eagles and Rebels swapped touchdowns four more times, and trade the lead, over the next five minutes. Two Evangel TDs on flanker screens were followed by a 27-yard quarterback draw by Houston that gave the Eagles their last advantage, 32-27 with 2:53 to go in the quarter.
But West Monroe got a fourth-down stop ending the third, when Houston scrambled too far, a couple of yards past the line of scrimmage, invalidating a 31-yard TD pass. A 60-yard run followed by a 5-yard TD scamper on the first play of the fourth period lifted the Rebels up 35-32.
The Eagles rallied but again couldn’t finish. They moved 50 yards on 10 plays to a fourth-and-one at the Rebels 30, but Houston was stymied for no gain with 6:26 left. Eight snaps later, West Monroe quarterback Brady Guillot raced 45 yards into a 10-point lead with 2:34 remaining.
Evangel got down to the Rebels’ 36, where a dropped TD pass and a holding penalty scuttled its last chance.
Houston finished 25 of 42, throwing for 340 yards and three touchdowns. He ran for 96 yards and two more scores.
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com