The Eufaula Ironheads (04) left everything on the field Friday night but came up just short in a nail-biting 28-27 loss to the Muldrow Bulldogs (4-0) at Aubrey J. Henshaw Stadium.

The night started rough for the Ironheads as Muldrow jumped out to a commanding 21-7 lead in the first quarter. A Peter Lee long touchdown run was called back by a penalty by Asher Box. But Eufaula didn’t flinch. The Ironheads clawed back with a balanced offensive attack—169 rushing yards and 145 through the air—to keep the game within striking distance. By halftime, Eufaula had settled in, trailing just 21-14.

The receiver corp for the Ironheads had a solid night as Zayvion Price, Logan Plant and Luke Hodgins each made some great receptions to move the chains.

Muldrow’s defense bent but didn’t break in the third quarter, forcing punts while tacking on a touchdown of their own to extend the lead to 28-14. But the Ironheads refused to go quietly. In the fourth quarter, quarterback connections and a relentless ground game powered Eufaula to two more touchdowns, cutting the deficit to a single point.

Eufaula running back Peter Lee finished with 175 yards on 26 carries for three touchdowns. Quarterback Koltyn Lane went 9-of-22 for 145-yards and a touchdown.

The Ironhead offensive line led by Trevor Dodd and Simeon Hill did a great job of blocking and moving Muldrow’s defensive line.

Defensively, Eufaula kept pressure on the Bulldogs all night, snagging two interceptions and forcing a fumble to swing momentum back their way. Price, Cash French and Clayton Plunkett and the secondary set the tone with lockdown coverage; while the front line contained Muldrow’s rushing attack enough to give the Ironheads a chance late. It was a game with big hits as Luke Hodgins, Jax Hickman, Fischer McAllister, Brandon Bratton, Michael Smith and others played with tremendous effort.

Bulldog running back Deshawn Wilson ran for 163 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown. Eufaula kept T Collins in check with just 23-yards allowed on 14 attempts. Teaguen Collins finished the game at quarterback going 4-of-12 for 91 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Special teams proved to be a factor as well. Eufaula averaged just 32 yards per punt, while Muldrow gained crucial field position with a 39.3-yard average and strong returns including a punt return for a touchdown. Penalties also loomed large, with the Ironheads flagged seven times for 35-yards compared to 11 penalties for 115 yards for the Bulldogs.

With the Ironheads defense playing the Bulldogs found themselves inside their own five-yardline. One play later Blayden Neill made a tackle in the end zone for what should have been a safety as one official said it was and another said no-safety. However, video clearly showed the stop was made in the end zone. It was another tough break for Eufaula.

In the end, the comeback fell just short as Muldrow escaped with the narrowest of victories, 28-27.

The Ironheads, though, showed tremendous fight and balance, 294 total yards of offense, and will look to build on that resilience as district play continues.

“I’m proud of this team. They played hard and never gave up. We limited penalties and we gave ourselves a chance on both sides of the football. These guys gave great effort and to hold Collins to just 26-yards rushing is a win. We’re going to carry this momentum into next week as we get ready to host Locust Grove,” Eufaula head coach Larry Newton said.

Team Statistics First Downs • Eufaula: 15 – By rushing: 7 – By passing: 7 – By penalty: 1

• Muldrow: 10 – By rushing: 6 – By passing: 2 – By penalty: 2 Rushing

• Eufaula: 37 attempts, 169 net yards

• Muldrow: 31 attempts, 186 net yards Passing

• Eufaula: 9 completions / 23 attempts, 1 intercepted, 145 net yards, 1 TD

• Muldrow: 4 completions / 12 attempts, 2 intercepted, 91 net yards Total Offense

• Eufaula: 294 net yards • Muldrow: 277 net yards Punts

• Eufaula: 7 punts, 32.0 avg.

• Muldrow: 4 punts, 39.3 avg.

Return Yards

• Eufaula: 16 punt returns, 41 kick returns, 2 interception returns

• Muldrow: 19 punt returns, 83 kick returns, 1 interception return Fumbles

• Eufaula: 2 fumbles, 1 lost • Muldrow: 1 fumble, 1 lost Penalties

• Eufaula: 7 penalties, 35 yards lost

• Muldrow: 11 penalties, 115 yards lost