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Too little, too late

Eisenhower can’t overcome 21-0 halftime deficit

Eisenhower’s defense brings down Seneca running back Zach Moats during Friday’s Region 3 game in Erie. Times Observer photo by Steve Younger

ERIE — The Eisenhower Knights dropped a Region 3 game Friday night on the road to Seneca 27-14.

The game was really a tale of two halves as Seneca built its lead to 21-0 at the half.

The Bobcats started strong. A 55-yard touchdown run by freshman Zach Moats down the sideline to make it 7-0 with the successful point-after kick just two minutes into the game may have shocked the Knights as Seneca proceeded to score on their first three possessions of the game.

Eisenhower would do just the opposite. The Bobcats defense did their part as they forced two turnovers. A fumble and an interception, sandwiched between two punts by the Knights, took care of Eisenhower’s first-half possessions.

After Seneca’s quick touchdown, it would add two touchdown runs by quarterback Ryan Harwood to take a 21-0 lead at the half.

The Knights defense came alive after halftime and held Seneca scoreless in the third quarter.

Eisenhower’s offense began to move the ball behind the power running of junior tailback Logan Penley, who rushed for a hard-fought 81 yards on 15 carries. He got the Knights on the scoreboard with an off-tackle run of 4 yards with 1:32 left in the third quarter. Bryceton Wilkins was good on the first of his two point-after kicks to make the score 21-7.

Seneca would get good field position, and behind runs by Moats and Harwood, it took the Bobcats all of 1:32 to move the ball down to the Knights’ 10-yard line where Moats would burst up the middle for a touchdown. The point-after kick was no good by Cameron Beebe, who connected on 3 of 4 in the game to make the score 27-7 Seneca.

Eisenhower’s defense forced the Bobcats to punt for the first time in the game on fourth-and-17.

The Knights offense, behind runs by Penley and quarterback Caleb Jakubczak, moved the ball down to the Bobcats’ 10-yard line before Jakubczak would find a seam and run in for a touchdown. Wilkins’ kick was good and the score was 27-14 with 6:09 remaining in the game.

The Eisenhower defense stopped the Bobcats on downs and took over on its own 37-yard line with 2:44 remaining in the game.

An interception by Jakubczak would end the Knights’ drive and the Bobcats were able to run the clock out.

Eisenhower is back on the road next Friday for a nonregion game against Franklin.

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