09/24/2022
BY JACK BULLOCK
ELDORADO - For high school football players, winning your homecoming game is special. Doing it against your longtime rival is 'priceless'.

Head coach Joe Clark is happy his squad isn't 'Price-less' on the field.

Eldorado senior quarterback Parker Price led the Eagles to a 22-13 victory over Hamilton County on a sun filled Saturday afternoon.

Price, a 6-2, 170 multi-sport standout, ran the ball 13-times for 130-yards and a touchdown while also connecting on 3-of-6 passing attempts for another 59-yards with a TD pass to senior teammate Josh Owens that accumulated most of the yardage on one play.

“It's a memory for the kids. All the things surrounding homecoming that are awesome and we encourage the kids to take part in it. We stress the most important part of our week is the football game and we got it done today against a tough Hamilton County team,” said Coach Clark.

Despite giving up a couple of fourth quarter touchdowns, the Eagles improved to 2-3 on the season in the Black Diamond Conference while still having playoff hopes as they need three more wins to become postseason eligible.

Hamilton County and first year mentor Rhet Vaughn saw their BDC mark slip to 2-3 as well.

Three untimely turnovers on fumbles, including one in the final moments of the game, sealed the Foxes' second consecutive defeat as they, like Eldorado, need three wins in their final four games of the regular season campaign to reach the playoffs.

“They're (turnovers) momentum killers and we have had some costly turnovers this year,” said Coach Vaughn. “Today we're marching down the field and then we turn it over. We have to be able to capitalize on their mistakes and eliminate ours.”

Hamilton County senior quarterback Braden Flannigan nearly matched Price in passing, hitting on 4-of-6 attempts for 43-yards and a touchdown pass.

The Foxes were able to move the ball for most of the first three quarters but couldn't finish drives, which kept them off of the scoreboard until the fourth.

Senior fullback Wyatt Richards carried the ball 11-times for 93-yards and he was also the top receiver as he caught three of Flannigan's throws for 39-yards, including a TD catch and run.

The top rusher for Hamilton County is junior tailback Zach Wheeler.

Wheeler scored the Foxes' second touchdown and finished his day with 89-yards on 10-attempts.

The Foxes' first six possessions produced in order; two fumbles, a turnover on downs, a punt, and two more failed fourth down conversion attempts.

Four of the six drives were stopped in Eldorado territory.

After stopping Eldorado on the Eagles opening drive and getting the ball at their own 37, Hamilton County picked up a first down and reached the Eldorado 41.

Senior running back Hunter Rhodes carried on three of the gains but he fumbled on the fourth attempt and defender Ashton Robinson covered the ball for the hosts.

The one saving grace for Hamilton County was that the Eagles didn't fare much better in the first three quarters of play.

The Eagles first play of their second possession resulted in a pass from Price that was intercepted by Rhodes at the Hamilton County 43.

Coach Vaughn's club took just two plays to cough up the ball again, this time a Richards' fumble, which was recovered by Eldorado sophomore Oliver Burtis.

(CONTINUED)

Facing fourth-and-two on the Hamilton County 35, Price went to the air for a deep pass down the left sideline into the endzone intended for Owens.

However a big play by senior defensive back Isaac Middendorf kept Eldorado off the scoreboard as the two players battled for the ball that ended up on the ground and incomplete (see photo).

On a second-and-eight from their own 49, Parker went to the air again and this time Owens made a catch inbounds near the Hamilton County 40-yard line.

Owens then made a big move to break a tackle and the senior found himself heading to the goal line.

The completion resulted in a 51-yard TD pass.

A two-point run by Robinson on the PAT put the score at 8-0 hosts with 2:24 left in the half.

“We've got some skilled kids but sometimes we struggle keeping the ball clean (turnovers) but overall I thought we controlled the line of scrimmage,” said Coach Clark. “We had a good plan on both sides of the ball and the kids made some plays. It was a great high school football game today.”

An Eldorado 'on-side kick' was recovered by an Eagles' player but the ball didn't travel the 10-yards it needed.

Nevertheless, the Eagles held the Foxes in check, forcing another turnover on downs as the half ended with Eldorado up.

Without being able to move the ball with the first possession of the second half, Hamilton County punted back to Eldorado.

The Eagles then moved into Foxes' territory but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and later a bad snap for a 12-yard loss pushed the ball back to a fourth-and-31 from their own 43.

Hamilton County's first scoring drive ensued next.

Following an Eldorado punt to the Foxes' 22, the guest drove 78-yards in eight-plays.

Richards carried the ball on four of the gains and caught a pair of passes from Flannigan.

The second one was a 34-yard TD catch and run that saw the senior back break a tackle before heading down the right sideline and into the endzone.

Although the two-point attempt failed, the Foxes were on the board down 8-6 with 11:22 remaining in the fourth quarter.

After seeing both teams struggle offensively in the first three quarters, the fans in attendance got some offense to view in the final stanza.

It took Eldorado just :58 of game time; and two-plays to get their second touchdown.

(CONTINUED)
Starting their drive at their own 41, the Eagles responded with a short gain by Robinson and then a quarterback keeper to the right that turned into a race in which Price outran the Hamilton County defense for a 58-yard scoring sprint for a touchdown.

A two-point conversion run by sophomore Jake Phelps made it 16-6 with 10:24 remaining.

Hamilton County senior Brier Eck returned the kickoff 26-yards to their own 44.

On the first play of the drive, a handoff from Flannigan to Wheeler didn't look like it was going to gain much.

But the sophomore broke a tackle to get free down the right sideline.

He then sidestepped Price, who was trying to make a tackle, before he sprinted into the endzone for a 56-yard score.

Junior placekicker Eli Hanson added the PAT and the Foxes were down just 16-13 with 10:03 left.

In a matter of 1:19 of play, 21-points were scored.

Eldorado and Coach Clark needed a drive to eat up some clock and, perhaps, add to its lead.

They did both of those things on the next possession to put the game out of reach.

The Eagles used 15-plays, all rushing attempts, and two costly Hamilton County penalties to move the ball to the Foxes' one-yard line.

Twenty-eight of the 78-yards on the drive were from Robinson; all on the ground.

After reaching the Hamilton County 20, Robinson rushed seven-consecutive times, scoring on the seventh run from one-yard out.

Even though the two-point PAT failed, the Eagles were now up two-scores at 22-13.

More importantly Eldorado had ate up 8:22 of clock with the TD occurring with 1:41 left.

The Foxes had a last chance to get into scoring position after a Middendorf kickoff return to their own 34.

Wheeler took another handoff but, as he was breaking into daylight, he was hit which forced a fumble.

Eldorado fell on top of it at the Hamilton County 44 with 1:24 left.

Price took a knee in 'victory formation' three times to run out the clock on the Eldorado Homecoming triumph.