Eureka outlasts Peotone in 29-22 Class 3A thriller

EUREKA – The Eureka Hornets emerged victorious over the Peotone Blue Devils in a nail-biting, 29-22 Class 3A postseason showdown Friday night at McCollum Field, advancing to the second round.

The first-round matchup was truly a back-and-forth battle, with both offenses trading scores throughout. The Hornets struck first, completing a 70-yard drive capped off by an incredible one-handed catch from senior running back Ben Lapp on a pass from senior quarterback Austin Gerber.

Peotone quickly responded, marching 63 yards to equalize with a one-yard rushing touchdown from junior running back Tucker Cain.

A momentum-swinging play occurred just 6 seconds before halftime when Peotone quarterback Ruben Velasco’s back-shoulder fade pass from the 5-yard line was intercepted by senior defensive back Andrew Zimmerman, keeping the game tied 14-14 going into the half.

The trend of trading scores would continue throughout. Neither team was able to pull away, resulting in five lead changes and setting the stage for a thrilling finish.

The Blue Devils received the ball to start the second half and embarked on a lengthy, time-consuming drive, reaching the Hornets’ 6-yard line. However, senior running back Chase Rivera fumbled on a pitch play, and senior linebacker Sam Hoffman recovered the ball for the Hornets.

Eureka capitalized on the turnover with a 94-yard scoring drive, ending with Gerber connecting to freshman wide receiver Andrew VanWaters for a 48-yard touchdown, giving the hosts a 21-14 lead at the end of the third quarter.

As it had throughout the game, Peotone relied heavily on its run game on the ensuing possession. Sophomore running back Nick Cronin capped off the drive with a 15-yard touchdown run. In a bold move, the Blue Devils opted for a 2-point conversion, successfully getting Rivera across the goal line to take a 22-21 lead with just over eight minutes remaining.

Eureka responded with a 63-yard scoring drive that took 6 minutes, culminating in a quarterback sneak by Gerber for a touchdown on fourth down. He then executed a bootleg play to convert the 2-point attempt, extending the Hornets’ lead to 29-22.

With just one timeout remaining, the two-minute drill was on now for Peotone.

On the first play of the possession, Velasco threw his second interception of the night, this time to senior Peyton Wiegland. The third turnover effectively sealed Eureka’s victory.

Hornets coach Jason Bachman had high praise for his defense, as it came away with three critical takeaways when it matter most.

“Our defense has been making plays like that that all year,” Bachman said. “I have a lot of faith in those guys, and they came up big against a good football team tonight.”

Bachman also praised Gerber and the offense for their strong performance, as it accumulated 304 yards from scrimmage. Gerber gave all the credit to his offensive line and receivers, as three of his touchdown passes were to different players.

“Having those guys around me, I just stand back there and let them make plays. I had all the time in the world tonight, and I trust all of our receivers,” he said.

Gerber completed 9-of-12 passes for 211 yards and three touchdowns, while adding 35 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.

Peotone coach Apostolos Tsiamas commended his team’s effort, but noted turnovers ultimately made the difference.

“We turned the ball over too many times,” Tsiamas said. “Our guys fought hard all night, but we came up just short.”

The Hornets improve to 9-1 and advance to the second round. They will travel to face defending state champion Wilmington next week.