In one of the most electrifying games of the season, the Eufaula Ironheads (2-5, 2-2 district) defeated the Stigler Panthers 49–42 on Friday night in a battle that showcased two explosive offenses trading punches until the final whistle.
Back-and-forth first half
Stigler (2-5, 2-2 district) struck first when they connected on a 39-yard touchdown pass, with the extra point good. Eufaula answered quickly on a 21-yard run by quarterback Koltyn Lane to even the score at 7–7 midway through the first quarter.
From there, it was a track meet. Stigler quarterback Morgan Perry found Landon Blizzard for a 14-yard touchdown early in the second, and Eufaula another 4-yard scoring pass to Logan Plant helped the Ironheads build momentum to tie the game 14-14. Plant finished with three receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown as Lane threw to multiple receivers.
Stigler’s passing attack continued to find holes in Eufaula’s defense as they scored again to take a 20-14 lead. Eufaula running back Peter Lee broke loose for a 12-yard touchdown run to extend Eufaula’s lead 21-20.
Lee continued to carry the Eufaula offense as he finished with 233 yards rushing with four touchdowns and 100 yards reception with a touchdown. He also had a 73-yard touchdown reception just before halftime giving the Ironheads a narrow 28–20 advantage.
Explosive second half
The offensive fireworks continued after the break. Stigler’s quarterback connected on a 53-yard touchdown pass to close the gap, 28-28. The Ironheads running game continued with Lee as he ran for a 1-yard touchdown to give Eufaula a 35-28 lead.
Stigler would answer with a 15-yard touchdown pass as the Ironheads’ secondary continued to struggle as the game was tied again with 11:28 remaining in the fourth quarter. Eufaula refused to go quietly, adding two more touchdowns from Lee as he scored on runs of 13 and eight yards. Stigler still moved the ball up field and scored on a 57-yard pass with 1:22 remaining in the game.
Lane had his best game of the season as he went 9 of 16 for 177 yards with a pair of touchdowns. Lane also ran the ball 15 times for 99 yards and a touchdown. The Ironheads’ special teams had a great outing as kicker Gavin Holman had nine kickoffs for 300 yards and was 100% for point after the touchdown.
“This was a huge victory. This team never gave up. They played hard all four quarters. This victory should give us some confidence going forward. I’m very proud of the players and our coaching staff. They did a great job tonight,” Eufaula head coach Larry Newton said.
Stat Leaders
Eufaula’s offense was unstoppable, piling up 548 total yards, including 371 on the ground and 177 through the air. The Ironheads racked up 28 first downs — 19 rushing, seven passing, and two by penalty — while committing only four penalties for 54 yards.
Stigler put up impressive numbers of their own, totaling 525 yards of offense with 477 passing and 53 rushing, but Eufaula’s ground game proved to be the difference.
A Statement Win
The 49–42 victory gives Eufaula a huge confidence boost heading into the final stretch of the season. The Ironheads travel to Idabel next Friday night for another district showdown.
