Eagles upset Panthers, cinch first district win

Rusk travelled to the north end of the county on Friday night to face off against the Bullard Panthers. Rusk would jump out in the lead during the first quarter and hang onto it the entire game, upsetting Bullard’s hopes of winning their homecoming.

Despite Bullard recovering a Rusk fumble early in the first quarter, the Panthers weren’t able to get any traction and turned possession of the ball back over to Rusk just two minutes later.

A long pass by Jaylon Hall to Sean Rogers left Rusk with the ball on their own 38-yard line. That play gave the Eagles the momentum they needed to make it into the end zone with Jaden Rushing completing a 62-yard touchdown. Hall followed up with a successful two-point conversion, putting the Eagles at 8 points.

The Panthers’ offense struggled against the Eagle’s defense, suffering a tackle for a loss before losing possession once again on downs. The ball went to Rusk and changed hands again with Bullard gaining possession with four minutes left to play in the first quarter. Bullard was able to move the ball downfield and got on the scoreboard with a 5-yard rushing touchdown. A failed two-point conversion left the score 8-6, Eagles lead.

The Eagles came back with a vengeance with Rushing making his away across the plane with a 70-yard kick return and securing a second touchdown for the Eagles. A completed pass from Hall to Rogers solidified a successful two-point conversion, giving the Eagles a 10 point lead over the Panthers going into the second quarter.

The action began quick in the second quarter with Rusk recovering a Bullard fumble on their own 26-yard line. A long pass from Hall to Isiah Ward moved the ball to the Bullard 1-yard line and the gained the first down. Second down left the Eagles on the Bullard 3-yard line and set them up for their third touchdown of the night. Hall rushed for both the touchdown and the following two-point conversion, moving the Eagles up to 24 points.

With less than two minutes left in the first half, the Panthers completed a 8-yard pass, claiming their second touchdown of the night. A completed two-point conversion brought the Panthers up to 14 points, once again giving the Eagles a lead of just 10 points.

A long run by Rogers left the Eagles with the second down and possession of the ball on the Bullard 18-yard line. The Eagles were able to move the ball two more yards, but a fumble left Bullard in possession on their own 25-yard line.

Bullard made an attempt to move the ball into the end zone, but the game clock ran out before they were able to score, leaving the Eagles in the lead 24-14 at halftime.

The third quarter was a defensive showdown. Despite each team making efforts to cross the plane, neither was able to complete a touchdown.

Rusk had control of the ball at the beginning of the fourth quarter and took full advantage of it. After moving the ball from their own 20-yard line to Bullard’s 9-yard line, the Eagles completed a 9-yard pass for a touchdown. A successful, rushed two-point conversion brought the Eagle’s score up to 32 points.
With eight minutes left to play in the final quarter, Rusk’s Joseph McGowan intercepted a Bullard pass, giving the Eagles control on their own 25-yard line. The ball would continue to change possession on downs, leaving Rusk with their first win of the season and a 1-0 district record.

The Eagles play host to the Brownsboro Bears this Friday with game play beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Swink Field. The Bears are 1-7 overall and 0-2 in district.