EAGLE — It was gut check time for Eagle in the 6A quarterfinals against Madison.
Facing a 13-0 deficit in a half where the Mustangs struggled on both sides of the ball, they needed a spark. That spark came right as the clock expired in the first half.
From Madison’s 26-yard line, quarterback Austin Ramsey connected with Gavin Crawford over the middle, who muscled through multiple defenders and reached the ball over the goal line for a touchdown. The score came after a previous Hail Mary attempt fell incomplete, but a defensive holding penalty extended the half for one untimed down.
“It gave us some momentum going into (the half),” Crawford said. “When we went in the weight room, it was all uplifting. We didn’t want to get zero points at the half. It changed the momentum and it changed us mentally.”
Instead of heading to the locker room with nothing to show for on the field, the Mustangs had life. Eagle held the Bobcats to three points the rest of the way, taking the lead late in the fourth quarter to hold on for a 22-16 win. Crawford’s heroic play provided the jump start the team needed.