PERRY, Ga. — For the second consecutive week, Eastside has received a playoff recreation by a number of scores. The Eagles went on the highway Friday night time and took down the Perry Panthers 21-10 within the second spherical of the Class AAAA playoffs.
The Eagles clinched a spot within the Candy 16 after a 42-0 rout of Hampton within the opening spherical. This paired them with the Panthers, who defeated St. Pius X of their first spherical recreation.
After taking the lengthy journey south, it solely took one play for Eastside to set the tone.
Barr delivers one other standout efficiency to place Eastside forward
The Panthers received the toss and selected to defer, a alternative that backfired shortly after.
On the opening kickoff, Eastside senior and Georgia Tech commit Jayden Barr took the return all the best way in for an Eagles landing to open the sport.
After the win, head coach Jay Cawthon spoke in regards to the impression the opening kickoff had on Friday night time’s recreation.
“[The kickoff] set the freaking tone,” Cawthon mentioned. “I do not know why you’ll kick it No. 11, however I certain am glad they did.”
Following a fast cease from their protection, the Eagles stored the momentum going.
Eastside capped off a protracted second drive on a five-yard landing from Barr, who took the ball on a direct snap.
Barr’s second rating gave the Eagles a 14-0 benefit.
Later within the second half, Eastside made it a 21-0 lead when quarterback Payton Shaw related with Michael Kenon Jr. on a 38-yard landing reception.
Kenon beat his man by a number of yards to safe the simple seize and rating for Eastside.
The Shaw-Kenon connection was all of the Eagles have been capable of do within the opening half.
Shaw solely threw for 3 passes in the course of the first half, and he related on all of them to Kenon for 55 yards and the landing.
Regardless that the crew didn’t move a ton Friday night time, Kenon was on the receiving finish of virtually each move. After the sport, Kenon spoke about what the offense noticed from the Panthers and what he noticed on his landing play particularly.
“We noticed that they love to offer numerous cushion. So, we took benefit of it actual fast,” Kenon mentioned. “They liked to chunk on brief routes, so we fed the brief routes after which we did a hitch and go.
“He bit on it actual onerous. [He] gave me a free landing and all we needed to do was punch them within the mouth with a run recreation for the remainder of the sport.”
Earlier than the groups went into the locker room for halftime, Perry operating again Ahmad Gordon scored on a one-yard rush.
The scoring alternative was solely potential attributable to a pricey Eastside penalty following a 3rd down cease earlier within the drive. The penalty allowed the drive to proceed, which led to the rating.
Defensive showdown within the second half
After a complete of 28 factors within the first half, the ultimate two quarters featured solely three factors as each defenses took management.
Following back-to-back punts from each groups, Eastside obtained the firs turnover of the sport on a Jameel McMichael interception.
Nevertheless, the turnover led to an empty drive because the Eagles have been held on fourth and brief to show the ball over on downs.
The three factors within the second half got here on the ultimate drive of the third quarter with the Panthers marching.
Eastside finally held Perry to a 24-yard discipline purpose courtesy of Carson Camp.
Camp’s discipline purpose trimmed Eastside’s lead all the way down to 21-10. However, the following drive served to be essential for the Eagles.
Though the drive resulted in a punt, the Eagles took seven minutes off the clock to start the fourth quarter with Perry nonetheless needing two scores. The Eagles continued to run the ball all through the drive with success to chew the clock.
Cawthon credited the opening drive of the ultimate quarter to not solely the crew’s win, however the fashion the crew desires to play with.
“That was the sport plan,” Cawthon mentioned. “We have been gonna play in a phonebooth tonight as a result of we thought we have been fairly bodily up entrance and uh we obtained three good operating backs.”
Issues went from dangerous to worse for the Panthers because the eventual discipline purpose was mishandled on the snap. This led the a kick that was effectively in need of the sector purpose with solely 2:30 left within the recreation.
On Eastside’s closing offensive drive of the sport, it ended up punting it again to Perry with solely 58 seconds left.
The Panthers discovered their approach down into the purple zone, however Eagles’ senior Kalen Stapp picked off Reid Ginn ultimately zone to function the dagger in Eastside’s 21-10 win.
What’s Subsequent
With the win, Eastside strikes to 11-1 because it turns its consideration to the Elite Eight, the place it’s going to go on the highway once more to face the Creekside Seminoles(9-2).
“Hey, so long as we keep targeted, so long as we keep constant, I imagine we are able to make all of it the best way,” Kenon mentioned.
