St. Norbert Gets Edge Over Eureka, 20-7
DE PERE, Wis. – The Eureka football team's 2022 season came to an end with a 20-7 loss at St. Norbert on Saturday.
It was the lowest-scoring game the Red Devils played in all season, and the fewest points the EC defense allowed since Week 5.
However, St. Norbert's defense also had a standout day, holding Eureka to 142 yards of total offense.
On the other side of the ball, the Green Knights scored on their first possession of the game, using a 42-yard pass from quarterback Richie Gilles to Parker Lawrence to set up a one-yard touchdown run by John Trinh.
The Red Devils responded by driving to the 10-yard line, but after EC quarterback Lukas Tinkham (Abingdon, Ill./Abingdon-Avon) was sacked for a loss of nine yards, kicker Steven Bartkus' (Seneca, Ill./Seneca) 36-yard attempt went right.
The Green Knights produced another big play on the next drive – a 65-yard touchdown pass from Gilles – to Lawrence to make it 13-0 with 2:17 left in the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter, the Eureka defense came up big and helped set up the Red Devils' lone score of the day. Senior safety Jack Arnett (Princeville, Ill./Princeville) stripped Cameron Krueger to force a fumble, which was recovered by Austin Hopkins (Arcola, Ill./Arcola) at the St. Norbert 43.
The Red Devils then went 43 yards in seven plays to get on the board with a one-yard touchdown run by senior Peyton Doughty (Cincinnati, Ohio/Newton). The play before that was a 26-yard run by fullback Ben Bernabei (Peru, Ill./St. Bede Academy).
Eureka stopped the home team the next three drives before halftime, but the team wasn't able to put any more points on the board.
The trend continued in the second half until Gilles connected with Lawrence on a 43-yard touchdown pass with 10:32 left in the fourth quarter.
St. Norbert's Joe Jung picked off Tinkham on Eureka's last drive and the Green Knights ran out the clock from there.
Bernabei tallied 62 rushing yards on 20 attempts. Eureka wide receiver Sebastian Hill (Pekin, Ill./Pekin) hauled in five passes for 87 yards.
Defensively, the Red Devils were led by their seniors.
Senior defensive end Alexander Brittain (Eureka, Ill./Eureka) posted a team-high six total tackles with five solos, 1 1/2 for loss, one pass breakup and 1/2 sack.
Senior linebacker and the team's leading tackler, Brendan Durr (Washington, Ill./Washington) notched five total tackles with four solos and 1/2 sack.
Arnett, another senior, added four total tackles, along with the forced fumble. Fellow seniors Ben Wright (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington) and Donovan Hathaway (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria) each had four tackles as well. Wright also had a pass breakup and Hathaway had a tackle for loss. Another senior, Nehemiah Butler (Elmwood, Ill./Elmwood) had two tackles for loss and one sack.
It was the final game in maroon and gold for EC's 11 seniors who were honored on Senior Night at McKinzie Field two weeks ago:
Arnett, Brittain, Butler, Doughty, Durr, Wright, Hathaway, Gabe Newlin (Covington, Ind./Covington), Garrett Wayne (Clinton, Ill./Clinton), Bryson Smith (Cisco, Ill./Monticello) and Pierce Bradford (Decatur, Ill./Argenta/Oreana).
Eureka completed the 2022 campaign with a 2-8 record and a 2-6 mark in NACC play.
Though the Red Devils dropped their last five games, three of the five were decided by 14 points or less. The team was just a couple of plays or breaks away from having very different results.