Eagle Grove Eagles were hosted by Lake Mills Bulldogs on Tuesday night, but the results were far from what the Eagles hoped for.
Returning from an excellent result against the Belmond-Klemme Broncos, and earning their first win of the season, the Eagles travelled to Lake Mills with goals of victory over the fellow conference team. The Bulldogs were prepared for the Eagles, however, as they hosted the 1-3 Eagles with a comfortable 5-0 record before Tuesday night’s game.
The Eagles defense struggled throughout the game itself, as the Bulldogs stacked bucket-after-bucket over the Eagles. The first quarter only saw three points from the Eagles, while the Bulldogs smashed a solid 22 points, ending the first quarter 22-3. As the second quarter arrived, the Eagles were ready for improvement, but the Bulldogs simply wouldn’t allow it. The Bulldogs continued with the same pressure, scoring 22 points yet again before halftime arrived. Meanwhile, the Eagles only managed to land an additional six points in the second quarter. The Eagles tried to soar with the score, but the Bulldogs grabbed a hold on them throughout the entire first half, and so on, as the first half concluded with a 44-9 lead for the Bulldogs.
By the second half, the Bulldogs scored ten less points than they did in the first, but they kept solid as the Eagles continued to struggle. By the end of the third quarter, the Bulldogs scored 12 points while the Eagles were denied with zero points in the entire quarter. The fourth quarter then arrived, which saw slight improvement for the Eagles, as they managed to score seven with the drive and determination for more, though they were outmatched by the Bulldogs. Sealing the game on Tuesday night, the Bulldogs scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to end the match with a 66-16 victory.
SO Drake Canavan scored six points versus the Bulldogs, along with five rebounds. Scoring six points as well was SR Jaden Armstead. JR Tate Richardson contributed five rebounds to the game, while JR Jordan Morris scored three. “Tuesday night we played a very good Lake Mills team,” said Coach Ryan Pedersen. Winning the JV conference meet, JR Jaden Armstead, scored two half-court shots against the Bulldogs. Pedersen applauds Armstead’s dedication to the team as he talks about Armstead, “One highlight from the evening came towards the end of the game. With around a minute left, Jaden Armstead came into the game and hit two, almost, half-court shots. Both crowds erupted after both shots. It's the kind of thing that gives you goosebumps. That has been one of Jaden's trademark shots over the years. He loves to practice those long-range shots in practice, PE, in the mornings, or whenever he can.” Pedersen continued, “Jaden has a great love for our team and is always the person we look to for motivation.” Pedersen finished by reiterating, “As I said, he is a pretty neat young man.”
The learning continues for the Eagles, as they strive for more experience and success in their upcoming matches. Their next matchup is set for Thursday night, December 16, as they will host the undefeated Humboldt Wildcats at 7:45 PM.
