Eagles Lose District Matchup to Bulldogs

by John Unrein

Grain Valley’s football season came to an end with a 27-20 loss to the Grandview Bulldogs in a week ten district playoff matchup. Turnovers by the Eagles, fade passes for touchdowns by Grandview’s offense, and a Bulldog rushing attack led by senior Roderick Smith were contributing factors to the defeat.

“Coming into the game we knew they were a good ball club. They are big, physical, and fast. We knew this would a challenge. We know that we are a good football team as well. They capitalized on mistakes and we didn’t,” Head Coach David Allie said.

Grain Valley managed to briefly take the lead on a 29-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Cole Keller to wide receiver Gavin Oyler with 5:01 left in the second quarter. This put the Eagles up 7 -6 and would be their only lead of the game.

Other scoring efforts by Grain Valley included a Keller touchdown run off of option keep with 7:53 to go in the third quarter. This would bring the Eagles within a touchdown at 14-21.

The last scoring strike by Grain Valley would come 3:54 left in third quarter. Running back Trent Flake would connect with Keller on a trick play touchdown pass good for 40 yards. The Eagles moved within one point of tying the game at 20-21.

Grandview tried to put the game away on a fade pass good for a touchdown from quarterback Eli Beard. The 38-yard completion with 1:36 left in the 4 th quarter made the score 20-27 in favor of the Bulldogs.

The Eagles tried to mount one last furious drive to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. They got all the way to the Grandview 28-yard line before the Eagles final pass of the game fell incomplete near the end zone as time expired.

The Eagles defense was not without fight. They forced five Grandview punts, two turnovers on downs, and an interception by defensive back William Lanear. The unit was put in difficult circumstances by how much they were on the field due to turnovers.

“You got to love this group of kids. Great group of seniors that have a sound legacy in being a part of the positive turnaround this program has seen. I wish they could’ve kept going. This whole team embraced the idea of Winning the Day and that failure provides opportunities for growth. This group wanted to be known for heart, physicality, and family. It doesn’t get any better than what they displayed tonight. Our kids came back in the second half and did all they could to try and seize the momentum” Allie said.

The Eagles end the season with a 5-5 record after their first trip through the Suburban Conference. They will be returning several key contributors on both offense and defense next year.

Grain Valley put up 269 points for themselves on the season while allowing 227 points against.

Editors Note:

It was a joy to cover the Eagles football team this fall. A big thank you to the student-athletes on the team who chose to compete and represent their school. Furthermore, the same goes to Coach Allie, his staff, and their significant others who choose to give back to high school students despite the demands and long hours of the season. Our community is made better through these efforts.

Quarterback Cole Keller with the touchdown. Photo credit: John Overstreet

Head Coach David Allie prepares the team for the second half. Photo credit: John Overstreet