EAGLES NIPPED BY LITTLE RIVER, LOSE BY 2

WITTE HAS BREAKOUT GAME!!

By Staff

LITTLE RIVER – In a game filled with explosive offensive plays totaling almost 850 yards in total offense, the Canton/Galva High football team fell on the short end of 82 total points put on the scoreboard in a 42-40 road loss at Little River on Friday.

Despite gaining a 26-18 advantage by the end of the first quarter, both teams had trouble stopping the other as five of the seven first quarter scores came on plays covering 40 yards or better.

Leyton Witte began the game with two huge scores in the first quarter, one on a 54-yard pass play and the second on a 61-yard run. Add in two other 40-plus runs for scores and the Eagles took their early eight-point lead.

The Redskins bounced back with a couple of long offensive drives that ended on a pair of shot scoring jaunts to give the home team an eight-point, 34-26 advantage over Canton/Galva heading into halftime.

Witte came out and continued to dominate the Eagle rushing attack by scoring from nine and forty-nine yards out, giving the Eagles a six-point, 40-32 lead heading into the final quarter.

Unfortunately for the Canton/Galva faithful, Little River had one more solid offensive drive in them which they finished off with a 13-yard scoring run to tie the game and then converted on their two-point conversion to get the final, two-point, 42-40 win.

Discussing how even the game was played, both the Redskins and Eagles had but one turnover, both being a fumble lost while they also shared in a high number of mistakes with 22 penalties flagged for a combined minus-252 yards. Canton/Galva was penalized a total of seven times for 88 yards.

Of the 395 yards of offense the Eagles had, Witte accounted for 208 of it with a pass catch covering 54 yards to go with his 12 totes of the football covering another 154 yards. Jaden Ediger ran for 83 yards as well.

On defense, Witte and Lane McMannis combined for 17 total tackles.

Next on the schedule for the Eagles will be their 2023 home debut on Friday, September 8 when they play host to Goessel. Goessel will also bring a 0-1 mark to the game after losing Friday, 20-22, to Bennington.

CANTON/GALVA EAGLS at LITTLE RIVER REDSKINS

(All Stats come from what is available on Hudl.com)

SCORING: Little River > 18-16-0-8 = 42; EAGLES > 26-0-14-0 = 40.

1st Quarter:

EAGLES = Leyton Witte on a 54-yard pass play (Witte Ran for 2-Point Conversion) 0-8

Little River = Scored on a 65-yard run (2-Point Conversion Failed) 6-8

EAGLES = Jaden Ediger on a 47-yard run (2-Point Conversion Failed) 6-14

Little River = Scored on a 25-yard run (2-Point Conversion Failed) 12-14

EAGLES = Leyton Witte on a 61-yard run (2-Point Conversion Failed) 12-20

Little River = Scored on a 7-yard run (2-Point Conversion Failed) 18-20

EAGLES = Scored on a 40-yard run (2-Point Conversion Failed) 18-26

2nd Quarter:

Little River = Scored on a 1-yard run (Ran for 2-Point Conversion) 26-26

Little River = Scored on a 5-yard run (Ran for 2-Point Conversion) 34-26

3rd Quarter:

EAGLES = Leyton Witte on a 9-yard run (2-Point Conversion Failed) 34-32

EAGLES = Leyton Witte on a 49-yard run (Lane McMannis ran for 2-Point Conversion) 34-40

4th Quarter:

Little River = Scored on a 13-yard run (Ran for 2-Point Conversion) 42-40

TEAM STATS:

Little River EAGLES

1st Downs 16 14

Plays/Yards 68/454 50/395

Passing Yards 127 71

Rushing Yards 327 324

3rd Downs Made/Atts 3/11 3/7

Turnovers 1 1

Fumbles Lost 1 1

Interceptions Thrown 0 0

Penalties/Yards 15/164 7/88

EAGLES INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS:

Passing > Jaden Ediger = 3/6 for 10; Others = 2/4 for 61, 1 td. Team Totals = 5/10 for 71, 1 td.

Rushing > Leyton Witte = 12 for 154, 3 tds; Jaden Ediger = 7 for 83, 1 td; Lane McMannis = 7 for 22; Others = 8 for 65, 1 td. Team Totals = 34 for 324, 5 tds.

Receiving > Leyton Witte = 1 for 54, 1 td; Others = 4 for 17.

Defense (Tackles/Solo/Assist/Sacks/TFL) > Leyton Witte = 10/8/2/0/1; Lane McMannis = 7/5/2/0/1; Jaxon Chrislip = 4/1/3/0/0; Jaden Ediger = 2/2/0/0/0; Gannon Evans = 1/1/0/0/0; Others = 25/18/7/0/2.

(Staff covering events for the MAC AREA SPORTS NEW can be reached by email at macks.people.places@gmail.com )