Eureka shuts out Iowa Wesleyan for school’s 300th football victory

MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa – Freshman running back LeAnthony Reasnover (Momence, Ill./Momence) rushed for 145 yards and three touchdowns, lifting Eureka to a 35-0 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference victory over Iowa Wesleyan, Saturday afternoon at MapleLeaf Stadium in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. The win captures the school's 300th football victory and moves Coach Barth into a tie for 3rd place on the EC all-time wins list.

Eureka used a dominant ground game, rushing 49 times in the contest for 340 yards, while attempting just 19 passes. FreshmanPaul Rhodes (Pana, Ill./Pana) added 59 yards on six attempts. Reasnover scored a pair of touchdowns from 37-yards out and added a 1-yard dive for the touchdown hat trick.

Sophomore Colton Johnson (Lewistown, Ill./Lewistown [Olivet Nazarene]) completed five of 14 passes in his first career start and rushed five times for 42 yards. Sophomore Dontai Johnson (Chicago, Ill./Argo) also logged time at quarterback, completing 2-of-5 passes, tossing his first collegiate touchdown, and adding 55 yards on the ground on four carries.

Junior wide receiver Kolton Merritt (Eureka, Ill./Eureka) had one snag for a touchdown, the first of his career.

Defensively, the Red Devils surrendered just 125 yards of total offense, including 30 yards on the ground, the lowest total this season, while allowing just four first downs. Junior cornerback Ricky Martinez (Yorba Linda, Calif./JSerra Catholic) intercepted a pass at the 50-yard line and took it the distance for a defensive score. The defensive unit tallied 11 tackles for loss and six sacks.

Eureka (3-4, 2-4 UMAC) will return to McKinzie Field next weekend for a 12 p.m. UMAC contest against Crown College. Prior to kickoff Eureka will honor 14 seniors that will be playing in their final home game.