Football Falls Short in Lincoln Bowl

GALESBURG, Ill. – The Eureka football team fell to Knox on Saturday in a low-scoring Lincoln Bowl. 

For nearly the entire first half, both teams were held scoreless. With 3 minutes remaining, however, senior running back Angel Garcia (Elgin, Ill./Larkin) found the end zone on a 1-yard rush to finally get the scoring started. The ensuing extra point was blocked by the Prairie Fire, so the game entered the halftime break with the Red Devils leading 6-0. 

The second half began much like the first, with stellar defensive performances by both sides. Sophomore defensive back Hansen Johnson (Laplace, La./East St. John) played a crucial role in the Red Devils' impressive defensive effort, recording 7 total tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 interception. Freshman defensive back Daniel Parhams (Columbus, Ga./Hardaway) also made significant contributions for the Red Devils on defense, recording 3 total tackles, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 interception. 

With 10:26 left in the 4^th quarter, the Prairie Fire finally broke through with a 28-yard touchdown rush to take a 7-6 lead. About 8 minutes after the score, the Red Devils' biggest play of the day came on a deep pass to senior wide receiver Mondrel Boykins (Tunica, Miss./Rosa Fort) that went for 31 yards. The play set up Eureka at the Knox 46-yard line with a chance to regain the lead late in the game; however, an interception by the Prairie Fire on the following play sealed a Lincoln Bowl victory for Knox. 

On offense, Garcia led the team with 63 rushing yards, while freshman Nathanael Vroman (Hilliard, Fla./Hilliard) led the team with 5 receptions for 38 yards. Senior quarterback Kaeden Frazier (Clarkston, Wash./Clarkston) finished the game 9-for-18 with 94 passing yards and 10 rushing yards. 

Knox finished the game with 277 total yards of offense, compared to 226 for Eureka. However, the Red Devils finished with 15 first downs, while Knox had 14.

UP NEXT

The Red Devils will look to bounce back against Greenville on Saturday, Sep. 14 at 6:00 p.m. in their first home game of the 2024 season.