Bye week pays off for Eagles with big playoff win

Published 9:28 am Monday, November 13, 2023

JOSEPH — The bye week provided an extra week of planning and fine-tuning for Joseph football coach Damian Huff and the Eagle squad.

It showed clearly as Joseph dominated both sides of the ball and cruised over Eddyville Charter, 44-6, on Friday, Nov. 10 in 1A 6-man state quarterfinal action in Joseph.

“We knew they were a pass-heavy offense and we put together a solid plan on defense,” said Huff. “Jaxon (Grover) and Dylan (Rogers) just played lights-out in holding their receivers in check.”

Huff made some changes in the Eagles’ offense, spreading the ball around and using the ground game for the victory as Joseph scored four times rushing. Every Joseph touchdown was scored by a different player.

In its quarterfinal win, Joseph punished a solid Eddyville defense, which posted four shutouts during the season and — before Friday night — had not allowed an opponent to score more than 23 points.

Joseph also continued a streak of outstanding defensive performances in the win against Eddyville; in each of its last three games, the Eagles have held opponents to less than 10 points.

The win pushes the Eagles into semifinal play on Saturday, Nov. 18 with a game on artificial turf at Hermiston High School. The fourth-seeded Eagles will take to the field versus Prairie City/Burnt River, the top seed in the playoffs. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Eagle fans have burned in their memory the Panthers and Sept. 8 as the lone blemish on the Eagles’ record this season. Playing in Prairie City, the Panthers defeated the Eagles in an 18-6 defensive struggle.

“All the boys have talked about since that day is having a second chance at Prairie City,” Huff said. “Offensively, we played terrible in that first game. We are a fast team and I think playing on turf will give us an advantage. This team has never played at Hermiston or on turf so I am excited for the chance.”

Prairie City/Burnt River reached the semifinals by pummeling North Lake, 47-0, in the quarterfinals.

Like Joseph, Prairie City/Burnt River also boasts a stingy defense; the Panthers have held opponents to less than 10 points in five of their games this season. And, like Joseph, the Panthers have posted two shutouts this season.

The other 6-man semifinal features Elkton (8-1) against Echo (7-3). That game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18 at Hillsboro Stadium.