When it came down to doing what it took to win, though, the numbers bore out why Canyon had the biggest ones in the end.
Trailing by 12 points in the third quarter, the Eagles hit the on switch with their running game against previously unbeaten Palo Duro. Canyon scored on two drives exclusively running the ball to rally for a 26-23 victory over the Dons in a compelling early season matchup.
It was an especially gratifying win for the Eagles (2-1), considering that Palo Duro (2-1) hadn’t given up any points in the second half of a game since the season opener against Tascosa, when the Dons gave up a long scoring run on the first play after the second half kickoff. With two straight wins after a season opening 45-44 loss at Perryton, Canyon made a statement.
“It’s a special game because it’s our third game and we’ve been trying to improve,” Canyon coach Todd Winfrey said. “Everybody’s going to be bringing up that Perryton game that first week and we’ve already filed that away and said we had to improve to Andrews (a 32-16 win) and we had to had to improve this week and we did.”
In between, though, Canyon kept pace with a 22-yard field goal by Aiden Lewis. That was set up on a fake punt, when Noah Sanchez hit Isaiah Amaya for a 22-yard gain to keep the drive alive.
Prior to that, the Eagles twice went for it fourth down in PD territory in the first half, but were stopped on downs.
“We do believe in trusting each other, and it goes back to us playing a good football team and we had to fire some bullets to beat them,” Winfrey said. “I’m just so proud of our grit and not wanting to give up. We had some adversity.”
On the final play of the third quarter, the Eagles seized back the momentum in a major fashion. Quarterback Boston Bell scored on a 46-yard run to cut the lead to 23-19 and set up an eventful fourth quarter.
It was the biggest play of the night by Bell, a second-year starter who avoided any major mistakes.
“Boston just kept persevering,” Winfrey said. “The thing I love about Boston is he’s grown up. Boston made a couple of plays tonight I didn’t like, but your quarterback’s got to be the guy you chew the most and love the most. He takes it and responds.”
Canyon forced a punt to start the final quarter, and Colt Cruth got a drive going by breaking off a 44-yard run. If it wasn’t obvious the momentum of the game had shifted, it was after that.
“The offensive line is the hardest working unit on the team and there are always holes,” said Cruth, who had his third straight 100-yard game to start the season with 124 yards on 25 carries. “Our run game is unstoppable. That first play was nervewracking after (the Dons) had that touchdown run but after that, once we got the lead we were going to run it the whole time. That was our game plan going in to run, run, run.”
Canyon’s reputation as a running team was certainly well-earned, as they piled up 279 yards rushing against the Dons.
The Eagles didn’t stop rushing the rest of the way. Tripp Wright concluded the drive with a 4-yard scoring run to give Canyon a 26-23 lead with 8:10 left in the game.
Palo Duro again had to punt the ball away, but the Dons came up with a stop and got the ball back at their own 35-yard line with over two minutes left in regulation. After a first down, though, the Eagles snuffed out any hopes when Wright intercepted Reese with 1:39 left to seal the win.
“It was a great feeling of accomplishment, but it was just good to get a team win and come in here and defend our home,” Wright said. “Our job was just to set up for the curl. I turned around and saw the ball coming and knew I couldn’t drop it. I’ve never had a feeling like that before so it’s definitely a good first.”
Palo Duro managed only nine first downs and 210 yards of total offense.
“We didn’t finish when we were up in the fourth quarter,” Palo Duro coach Eric Mims said. “Every time we had an opportunity to win the game down the stretch we didn’t make the plays when we needed to in all three phases of the game. The inconsistencies have shown up all year, we just didn’t overcome it tonight.”
AÂ pair of punts proved to be an equalizer as the game was tied 8-8 at halftime.
The Eagles scored on their first possession, concluding a drive which took place entirely on the ground, as Joel Moore scored on a 10-yard run. Bell scored on a two-point conversion to make it 8-0.
Palo Duro never got much going offensively in the first half, but the Dons got a big break in the second quarter when Reese’s punt was downed only inches short of the Canyon goal line. The Dons then forced a three-and-out which turned out far better than they could have imagined.
Sanchez hit a punt which seemed to get caught in the wind and went straight up, then hit the ground and took a wicked backspin which the Eagles had to down at their own 1-yard line for a net of negative five yards.
Palo Duro’s Darien Lewis carried it on the next play to get the Dons on the board. Reese then ran in for a two-point conversion to tie it.