The Eufaula Ironheads (0-2) fell hard to the Tahlequah Sequoyah Indians 69-26 Friday night at Eufaula’s Paul Bell Stadium on homecoming night. It was a meeting between two great friends in Sequoyah’s Chad Hendricks and Eufaula’s Larry Newton. Both coached together at Skiatook. Newton was hired at Eufaula in 2012 and Hendricks was hired at Checotah in 2013.
Eufaula started the game off quick as senior running back Peter Lee took the opening kick 85 yards to the house to give the Ironheads a 6-0 lead as the home crowd erupted in joy.
Sequoyah would answer with a 59-yard touchdown reception to Hudson Hendricks from quarterback Crayton Sapp to take a 7-6 lead. Two plays later Eufaula quarterback Koltyn Lane hit Luke Hodgins down the sideline for a 69-yard gain to the Indian 5-yard line. Lane would score on a quarterback keeper to give the home team a 13-7 lead.
However, the Indians would capitalize on a 31-yard touchdown run by Ridge Blackbear (6’1”, 190 lbs) and a successful two-point conversion made the score 14-13 with 5:24 left in the first quarter.
On the Ironheads’ third possession Lane threw a great pass to his brother Doltyn Lane for a 55-yard gain. On the next play Lee would break loose in the secondary for a 38-yard touchdown. Eufaula’s two-point conversion would fail and the Indian held them making the score 19-14.
Sequoyah would get the football on their 40-yard line to start the drive. On the next play, running back Hudson Hendricks connected with Jacob Duncan for a 60-yard touchdown to make it a 20-19 game.
Eufaula put together a nice drive to start the second quarter with two passes to Logan Plant to the 35-yard line. On a 4th down, Lane threw an interception. Sequoyah then threw a 66yard touchdown to Dayton Jones to extend their lead 27-19 with 10:14 remaining in the half.
Gavinn Holman gave Eufaula great field position after running a kick return to the 50-yard line. But Eufaula committed two false start penalties to make it 1st and 20. Eufaula ended the game with eight penalties for 75 yards. Eufaula’s offense continued to run Lee up the middle but Sequoyah loaded the box and kept Lee contained for the remainder of the game. Lee finished with 22 carries for 87 yards. On the third down, Eli Waterdown intercepted Lane at the Ironheads’ 38-yard line.
Three plays later Blackbear rumbled in for a short yardage touchdown to make it 34-19.
Eufaula began their next possession on the 38-yard line and continued to try to run the football to no gain and was forced to punt. The Indians would score on the next possession after a 44-yard reception to Hendricks to set up a Blackbear touchdown run, 41-19. Sequoyah scored on all six possessions of the first half.
Sequoyah offensive coordinator Chris Risenhoover dissected the Ironheads’ defense for 467 total yards. Sapp ended the game 9/11 for 232 yards and three touchdowns. Sapp would throw another touchdown pass to Hayden Jones to extend the game 48-19.
The Ironheads’ offense was stymied by the Indians’ defensive line as they forced yet another punt. Sequoyah began a time consuming drive with runs by Blackbear to the six-yard line. That set up Sapp’s pass to Alton Jones to make it 5519.
Blackbear would finish the game with 13 carries for 104 yards and three touchdowns. The Indians would score again in the third quarter to make it 62-19.
Eufaula would score again in the fourth quarter as Sequoyah pulled their starters to end the game 62-26. Eufaula finished with 284 yards of total offense with Lane going 10/20 for 202 yards and a pair of interceptions.
The defense made some great plays as Jax Hickman and Blyden Neill made some big hits, Zayvion Price deflected a pass and the defensive line hurried the quarterback in the first half.
Eufaula will travel to Sallisaw next Friday to face the undefeated Black Diamonds.
