Red Devils Overwhelm Iowa Wesleyan, 38-6
EUREKA – Le'Anthony Reasnover (Momence, Ill./Momence H.S.) ran for 159 yards and scored a first-quarter touchdown to become the program's all-time leading scorer, Drew Barth (Minonk, Ill./Fieldcrest H.S.) racked up 221 yards of total offense and a swarming defense combined for 14 tackles for loss, sending the Eureka College football team to a convincing 38-6 non-conference victory over Iowa Wesleyan, Saturday night at McKinzie Field.
Reasnover's 8-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter increased his career scoring total to 378 to break the previous program record of 371 held by current 10th-year head coach Kurt Barth. Reasnover also finished Saturday's victory with 159 rushing yards to finish the night with 4,133 career rushing yards, the Red Devils' first 4,000-yard rusher in program history.
Joe Hughes (Normal, Ill./University H.S./McKendree) added 107 rushing yards thanks to a dazzling 80-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. After going nearly a decade without two 100-yard rushers in the same game, Reasnover and Hughes have accomplished the feat in back-to-back weeks. Eureka's 361 rushing yards Saturday were tied for ninth-most in program history.
Barth finished 12-for-23 for 180 yards and a first-quarter touchdown throw to James Douglas III (Orlando, Ill./Deltona H.S./Cornell). He also ran for 41 yards and scored on a 3-yard rush early in the fourth quarter.
The Eureka defense was spectacular Saturday night, combing for seven sacks and 14 tackles for loss. The Red Devils allowed only 98 yards in the victory, including minus-13 rushing yards. Logan Noel (Westville, Ill./Westville H.S.) led the charge with six tackles and was one of 11 Red Devils to contribute to a tackle for loss. Bryson Smith (Cisco, Ill./Monticello H.S.) had 2.0 of EC's 7.0 sacks and was one of five Red Devils to log at least 2.0 tackles for loss.
The Red Devils led from wire-to-wire Saturday and needed less than three minutes to grab a 6-0 lead when Reasnover capped 6-play, 65-yard drive with an 8-yard score. Barth later made it 13-0 in the final minute of the opening period with a 34-yard strike to Douglas.
The visitors earned their only score of the night with 4:28 left in the first half on DeMarcus Collins's 12-yard throw to Dylan McDonald. Eureka answered before the end of the quarter when Tanner Kuhne (Princeton, Ill./Princeton H.S.) drilled a 40-yard field goal on the final play of the half, EC's first successful field goal try of 40 yards or more since then-freshman Travis Huber made a 43-yard kick versus Crown on Nov. 7, 2009.
Reasnover's record-breaking rush extended Eureka's lead to 22-6 with 5:20 left in the third quarter. Shortly after Kuhne pinned the Tigers deep with a 38-yard punt, Smith dropped Collins in the end zone for a safety and a 24-6 cushion and the rout was on. Barth's 3-yard run early in the fourth quarter pushed the lead to 31-6 and Hughes capped it off with his 80-yard run with 5:01 left.
The Red Devils will play their second of four consecutive home games next Saturday in a 1 p.m. kickoff against Finlandia at McKinzie Field.
NOTABLES: Eureka has won four in a row over Iowa Wesleyan and now leads the all-time series, 15-11-1 … Dom Parks (East Moline, Ill./United Township H.S.) had a team-best 67 receiving yards and Reasnover led all Red Devils with five receptions … Eureka was 4-for-4 on fourth-down conversion tries … Iowa Wesleyan was limited to seven first downs, none of which were earned by a running play … The Tigers were also 2-for-12 on third-down conversions … Eureka held possession for 33:44 and has won the time of possession battle for 23 consecutive games, a stretch in which the Red Devils are 18-5 … Neither team committed a turnover.
