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RUSSELL -- The Eisenhower Knights used a monster game from senior running back Nolan Gesing, who had two touchdowns and 229 yards rushing, as well as 47 yards receiving and a touchdown, to earn their first win of the season, 21-7 over the visiting Girard Yellow Jackets in Region 3 football Thursday.
Eisenhower (1-6, 1-4) took the opening kickoff and pounded out a 16-play drive that used over eight minutes of clock but came away with no points when Girard (3-4, 2-3) stopped the Knights at the 27-yard line.
Girard would take the ball down to the Knights' 28-yard line where they converted a fourth-and-5 into a 28-yard touchdown pass from Ryan St. Julien to Levi Potter. The point-after kick made it 7-0 with 50 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
The Knights would answer two minutes later when Gesing scored the first of his three touchdowns on a 32-yard run. Chase Card's point-after kick was good to note the score at 7-7.
It was the defenses that took over the rest of the second quarter as both teams gave the ball away on turnovers.
Girard was driving toward the end zone at the end of the second quarter, but Knights senior linebacker Bryceton Coleson forced a Girard fumble to send both teams to the locker room with the score 7-7.
The Knights defense came up big on the opening drive of the second half when they forced a 34-yard Girard field goal attempt which was no good, and the score remained 7-7.
Eisenhower put an 80-yard drive together highlighted by a 28-yard pass from Joe Gigliotti to Nolan Gesing for a touchdown. Card's PAT kick made it 14-7 at the end of the third quarter.
The Knights defense forced a Girard punt on the next series and Eisenhower put together a 13-play, 90-yard drive that burned over eight minutes of the quarter. The key play was a 34-yard run down the sideline by Gesing to give the Knights a first-and-goal from the 10-yard line. Gesing scored his third touchdown of the game from the 2-yard line with 2:46 remaining to give the Knights a 21-7 lead.
A pair of sacks by Gesing and Gigliotti ended Girard's final possession, and the Knights ran out the clock to earn their first win.
"I was proud of the guys tonight, but I have been unbelievably proud of them all season," Eisenhower head coach Jim Penley said. "We have gone through a lot of ups and down this season, but the team has stayed together and tonight we did not let our mistakes define the game."
Many of Gesing’s 228 yards came in tough runs and Penley had nothing but praise for his senior running back.
"I was really proud of Nolan and how hard he ran," Penley said. "We needed the tough yards; he's such a hard runner."
The Knights are back in action Thursday when they travel to Albion to take on the Northwestern Wildcats.