Football Falls to Concordia Chicago on Homecoming

EUREKA, Ill. – The Eureka football team dropped a thriller against Concordia Chicago on Saturday afternoon, losing by a final score of 31-27.

The Cougars started the scoring on the first drive of the game, marching down the field for a 9-play, 65-yard touchdown drive. On the Red Devils' first offensive play, Macari Moss (Nassau, Bahamas/Sunrise Christian) rushed for 65 yards, setting Eureka up at the 9-yard line. The Red Devils rewarded Moss by giving him the next three carries, which he capitalized on by reaching the end zone.

Concordia Chicago quickly answered on their second drive, thanks to a big kick return that set them up at the Eureka 42-yard line. The Red Devils responded when Jayden Crowder (Springfield, Ill./Lanphier) found open ground for a 36-yard touchdown rush. However, Eureka missed the ensuing extra point, allowing the Cougars to retain their lead at 14-13.

On the next possession, Eureka's defense finally came up with a stop, forcing a turnover on downs to give the offense the ball back just before the end of the first quarter. Unfortunately, the Red Devils couldn't capitalize on the turnover and had to punt the ball back to the Cougars. Concordia Chicago and Eureka exchanged punts on the next two possessions, ultimately giving the Cougars the ball back. Their offense came alive on this possession, connecting for a 40-yard touchdown pass to extend their lead to 21-13. Eureka's following possession resulted in an interception deep in their territory, setting the Cougars up with excellent field position, which they capitalized on with another touchdown to go up 28-13.

The Red Devils cut into the deficit on their next possession when Kaeden Frazier (Clarkston, Wash./Clarkston) connected with Kimoni Davis (Spokane, Wash./Central Valley) for a 15-yard touchdown pass. Eureka followed this with a successful 2-point conversion, reducing the lead to 28-21 just before halftime.

Eureka received the second-half kickoff but could not add to their score after being forced to punt. Concordia Chicago took advantage, setting up a field goal to give themselves a two-score advantage. The next two drives resulted in punts, giving the Red Devils the ball back just before the end of the third quarter. Eureka set up Alhassane Sow (Moline, Ill./Moline) for a 46-yard field goal attempt, but the kick was blocked by the Cougars.

Eureka's defense delivered another crucial stop, forcing Concordia Chicago to punt with just over 10 minutes left to play. The Red Devils quickly put more points on the board when Frazier found Nathanael Vroman (Hilliard, Fla./Hilliard) for a 40-yard touchdown. However, the subsequent 2-point conversion attempt failed, leaving the Cougars with a 31-27 advantage.

The Eureka defense made a crucial stop on the next possession, giving the offense the ball back with just over 4 minutes left to play. The Red Devils managed one first down but ultimately turned the ball over on downs, effectively ending the game.

The Cougars produced 308 yards of total offense, while the Red Devils recorded 305. Frazier threw for 155 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Moss led the Red Devils on the ground with 88 rushing yards and a touchdown. Vroman was the biggest threat through the air, making 5 receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown. On defense, Derrick Payton Jr. (West Seattle, Wash./O'dea) was dominant for Eureka, recording 6 tackles and 2 sacks. Brandon Inaccus (Lake Worth, Fla./Santaluces) and Derrion Rogers (Elmore City, Okla./Midwest City) also recorded 6 tackles, while Hansen Johnson (Laplace, La./East St. John) added 3 tackles and 2 pass breakups.

UP NEXT

The Red Devils have a short week to rest before playing Lakeland at home on Friday, Oct. 11, at 6:00 p.m.