Eureka flattens Florence

Williams scores two TDs in 21-14 Class B playoff win

By DILLON TABISH/The Daily Inter Lake

EUREKA - Eureka running back Dalton Williams scored the first and final touchdowns of Saturday's Class B playoff game as the Lions defeated Florence 21-14.

William scored the deciding touchdown on a 1-yard run with 5:37 left in the game.

Williams finished with 125 yards on 27 carries, and caught two passes for 50 yards and had a pair of touchdowns.

"I just knew I needed to punch it in," Williams said afterwards. "I knew if we scored our defense would step up and hold them."

And the Lions did just that after Eureka cornerback Colin Gillard intercepted the ball with just under a minute to play. Eureka followed by kneeling the ball on offense.

After the game, Eureka coach Ed Newell said his team adjusted at halftime and came out in the second half playing like it normally does.

"Our kids have stepped up all season and they did it again today," said Newell, who won his first home playoff game in nine years. "We're not the biggest kids out there, but we play with a ton of heart."

The Lions (7-1) keep home-field advantage next Saturday against Conrad (6-3) at 1 p.m.

"I just told them afterwards this is one step in our journey, stay the course," Newell said.

Lions' junior Chad Price came up with 116 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown. Gillard played his first playoff game as quarterback and finished with 50 yards passing and a touchdown.

"There is not one kid on this team that's more important than the other. They're all vital and it showed today," Newell said.

For Florence, quarterback Spencer Burns completed eight passes for 144 yards and threw two touchdowns, and receiver Craig Ashworth had three catches for 40 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Florence coach Terry Maki said his team played one of its best games all season, but it just wasn't enough against the surging Lions.

"I'm very pleased with the team's effort today," Maki said. "I thought we threw the ball pretty well, our kicking game was improved … The defense really played tough, especially in that first half."

In the first half, it was a defensive face-off. After Price broke away for a 25-yard run on the second play of the game, the Falcons' defense regrouped and contained the fleet-footed junior and his running partner Williams until the second quarter.

Eureka turned the ball over on downs twice. But the Lions matched Florence's efforts. On a first down play for the Falcons, Eureka linebacker Ben Dechart burst through the line and sacked Burns for an 8-yard loss. Florence eventually went four-and-out and was forced to punt on two straight drives.

The tug-of-war came to an end in the final minute of the first half after Dechart and Paul Flannery both sacked Burns on third down and forced Florence to punt. The Lions started on their own 40-yard line and put a fast 10-play drive together that ended with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Gillard to Williams with 21 seconds left.

Near the end of the third quarter with the game tied at 7-7, Dechart intercepted a Florence pass on the Falcons' 20-yard line. Eureka capitalized quickly. On second down, Price took the ball and zipped towards the sideline, cut back and then out-sprinted two defenders from 14 yards out into the end zone, giving Eureka the lead, 14-7.

Dechart led the defense with 19 tackles and two sacks, plus the interception, to continue a dominating senior season.

Florence 0 0 7 7 - 14

Eureka 0 7 7 7 - 21

2nd Quarter

E - Dalton WIlliams 27-yard pass from Colin Gillard (Chad Price kick), :13

3rd Quarter

F - Craig Ashworth 24-yard pass from Spencer Burns (Corbin Newbarry kick), 7:18

E - Chad Price 14 yard run (Price kick), :28

4th Quarter

F - Ashworth 3-yard pass from Burns (Newbarry kick), 8:14

E - Williams 1-yard run (Price kick), 5:37

Team Stats

Flor Eur

First downs 7 9

Passing yards 144 50

Rushing yards 71 244

Fumbles 0-0 0-0

Penalties 5-35 4-30

Individual Statistics

Rushing - Florence, Trevar Johnson 7-37, Burns 13-8, Josh Ziegler 6-14; Eureka, Williams 27-125, Price 22-116

Passing (com/att/yds/tds/int) - Florence, Burns 8-15-144-2-2; Eureka, Gillard 2-6-50-1-0

Receiving - Florence, Tyler Lind 3-80, Ashworth 3-40, Johnson 1-16, Max Burns 1-8; Eureka, Williams 2-50

Newell added that the effort of a few players just showcased the importance of the entire team, which has now won six straight games.