Patriots fall to Tongue River Eagles

It was a late night for the Patriots as lightning delayed the start of their game against the Tongue River Eagles on Friday in Upton. After an hour delay, both teams took to the soggy field, each hoping to gain the momentum needed to put their team on the scoreboard first.

It took the teams a few possessions to find their way on the field, but as the first quarter was nearing its end, the Eagles quarterback connected on a 24-yard pass into the endzone, putting them up 6-0 on the Patriots.

The Patriots were down, but not out as their offense began marching down the field in the second quarter. Nearing the goal line, quarterback Keaton Mills found his way into the end zone on a two-yard run, putting six on the board for the Patriots.

Looking to add more points, the Patriots went for a two-point conversion with Ryder Downey crossing the goal line, giving them an 8-6 lead over the Eagles with 3:42 remaining in the half. Unfortunately for the Patriots, Tongue River seized their next offensive opportunity with a long pass down the sideline, putting them in scoring position.

A few plays later, the Eagles were once again in the endzone, upping their score to 13 and taking the lead into the halftime break.

The Patriots switched up their defense in the second half, hoping to control the long passes made by the Eagle offense. While this change slowed the passing, the running game increased and the Eagle offense continued to push their way down the field throughout the second half.

The Eagles found their way into the endzone one more time with a 9-yard pass before the final whistle blew, giving them a 20-8 victory over the US-Patriots.

The Patriots will be on the road this week as they travel to Burns on Friday to take on the Broncs.

Offensive Stats

Rushing: 36 attempts for 116 yards

Eli Gill - 11 carries for 46 yards, long 21 yards

Keaton Mills - 14 carries for 35 yards, long 10 yards

Ryder Downey - 11 carries for 35 yards, long 13 yards

Passing:

K. Mills – 2 completions on 10 attempts, 17 yards, 1 INT

Receiving:

Kaedyn Fletcher – 2 receptions for 17 yards             

Defensive Stats

Individual Leaders (Top 5):

Eli Gill – 22.5 points, 10 assisted tackles, 2 unassisted tackles, .5 tackle for a loss,1 PB, 1 INT

Keaton Mills – 16.5 points, 5 assisted tackle, 2 unassisted tackles, .5 Tackle for loss, 3 PB

Jaedyn Keller – 14.5 points, 7 assisted tackles, 3 unassisted tackles,.5 Tackle for loss

Chase Mills – 11.5 points, 6 assisted tackles,2 unassisted tackles, .5 Tackle for loss

Ben Miller – 10 points, 6 assisted tackles, 2 unassisted tackles

Special Teams Statistics

Kickoffs:

Keaton Mills – 2 kicks for 60 yards, 7 yards returned

Punting:

Keaton Mills – 6 punts for 218 yards, 7 yards returned, long 43 yards                           

Kickoff Return:

Keaton Mills – 2 returns for 46 yards, long 23 yards                           

Kaedyn Fletcher – 1 return for 24 yards, long 24 yards                             

Punt Returns:

Jesse Harmon – 1 return for 2 yards