LA GRANDE, Ore. - Under the lights of Community Stadium, the Rocky Mountain Battlin' Bears edged out a win against the Eastern Oregon Mountaineers with a final score of 13-7. EOU held the Rocky scoreless in the second half, coming just six points shy of the comeback victory.
The Battlin' Bears displayed their offensive capabilities in the opening quarter. Luke Holcomb connected with Joseph Dwyer for a 9-yard touchdown, concluding a 10-play, 84-yard drive that took just over four and a half minutes. Later in the same quarter, kicker Austin Drake extended their lead with a 19-yard field goal. The second quarter saw Rocky tack on another field goal from Drake, this time from 24 yards out, leading to a halftime score of 13-0.
Eastern Oregon struggled to find its footing offensively for much of the game but made a valiant effort in the final quarter.
Tanner Sweek breathed life into the Mountaineers' offense with a 6-yard touchdown run, shrinking Rocky Mountain's lead to just six points. Unfortunately for Eastern Oregon, this late rally wasn't enough to clinch a victory.
Despite allowing 409 yards of total offense, Eastern Oregon's defense forced four total turnovers and registered crucial stops to give the team opportunities.
Jason Grant was a standout, with a staggering 15 total tackles and an interception. The Mountaineers also managed to sack Holcomb six times for a loss of 22 yards, with
Tyler Exline and
Sam Cadenas contributing two sacks each.
Rocky Mountain's QB, Luke Holcomb, had a notable day, completing 29 of 42 attempts for 279 yards with a single touchdown and two interceptions.
Quincy Glasper of Eastern Oregon went 18-for-37 with 160 yards passing. The rushing game for Rocky Mountain was spearheaded by Zaire Wilcox, who accumulated 132 yards on 24 carries.
While the Mountaineers showed resilience in the second half, their early-game struggles ultimately paved the way for Rocky Mountain's victory. With this win, Rocky Mountain advances to a 3-1 record, while Eastern Oregon continues to seek its first win of the season. Eastern Oregon will get another chance this upcoming Saturday, when they face Arizona Christian University at Community Stadium.
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