The Eufaula Ironheads battled hard Friday night but came up short in a tough road matchup against Holland Hall, falling 51-21.
After having lost a blowout in their previous game against Lincoln Christian, Holland Hall was happy to have turned things around on Friday. They simply couldn’t be stopped as they easily beat the Eufaula Ironheads. Holland Hall’s balanced offense proved to be the difference, racking up 11 first downs and over 400 yards of total offense, while Eufaula managed just six first downs and struggled to find rhythm against the Dutch defense.
The Dutch’s offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they’ve scored all season.
The game started off great for Eufaula as senior Peter Lee took the opening kick-off 77 yards to the house to give the Ironheads a 6-0 lead. The Dutchman would strike back with great passing to tie the game 7-6. On the next kick-off, Lee took it to the Dutchman’s 25yard line but the Ironheads’ offense fizzled and turned the ball over on downs without any points.
Eufaula’s offense fought to gain traction, finishing with 123-yards on the ground and limited success through the air. Quarterback efficiency was a challenge for the Ironheads, with just four completions on 11 attempts, one touchdown, and two interceptions for Koltyn Lane.
The Ironhead defense was led by seniors Luke Hodgins and Blayden Neill, who physically punished the running backs and quarterback for Holland Hall. Trevor Dodd had a stout game for Eufaula on the defensive line.
Holland Hall had a senior duo take command as Trey Burleson threw for 286 yards and six touchdowns while completing 80% of his passes, and Kainon Gibson picked up 175 receiving yards and three scores. Gibson really caught the secondary sleeping when he pulled down a catch that went for 75 yards.
Eufaula trailed 45-14 at the halftime break. The Ironheads’ secondary struggled throughout the game as Burleson continued to pick apart the left side of the defense no matter whom the Ironheads put on Gibson.
In the third quarter, Eufaula broke through on a determined drive capped by a short touchdown pass to make it 45-21, but Holland Hall responded in the fourth with another score to seal the game at 51-21.
Holland Hall’s win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-1. The home victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged nearly 40 points per game.
As for Eufaula, their loss dropped their record to 1-5. Holland Hall will challenge rival Checotah at 7 p.m. Thursday, while Eufaula is set to host familiar foe Stigler in a key district matchup at the same time.
