Miller and Eastern deliver week one instant classic
By: Charlie Ihlenfeld
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BEAVER, Ohio (WOUB) — The Miller Falcons and the Beaver Eastern Eagles provided an instant classic in their week one matchup. The Eagles narrowly survived a double overtime thriller on their home field, 34-33 after cruising 43-15 in last year’s matchup. Beaver Eastern extended their regular season winning streak to 13 games, and the Eagles have not lost a regular-season game since October 7, 2022. From the start, the teams were trading blow and counter-blow.
On Miller’s first drive of the night, Beaver Eastern stole the momentum from the Falcons. When Miller went back for their first pass of the night, Benjamin Bower picked it off and returned it to the endzone, putting the Eagles ahead 7-0. The Falcons roared back on their next possession as Zander Bice shook loose for a 30-yard touchdown run, and Miller evened the score at seven. The frantic pace of the first quarter continued, and it was Bower on the other side of the ball. After quarterback Eric Manley Jr. drove Eastern to the goalline, Bower punched it in on an 11-yard carry. Beaver Eastern reclaimed the lead 14-7 at the end of the first quarter.
Noah LeMaster entered to give Zander Bice a breather, and he did a lot more for Miller. On his second carry of the night, LeMaster got into the open field for a 31-yard touchdown run, but the Falcons missed the extra point. Beaver Eastern kept their lead 14-13. The rest of the quarter was filled with missed opportunities. The Eagles found themselves inside the five-yard line of the Falcons, but a strip-sack halted the threat dead in its track. Miller nearly scored on the very next play as Zander Bice found open space and went 50 yards down the field. The Falcons got into the red zone, but penalties forced an impossible 3rd and 70, ending their threat. Heading into the locker room, Beaver Eastern held a narrow lead over Miller.
The defenses held sway in the early minutes of the second half, but it was the Falcons that struck first. Approximately eight minutes into the third quarter, Logan Doughty tucked it and broke off a 36-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion. Miller took their first lead of the night, 21-14. As zeroes appeared on the third quarter clock, another Beaver Eastern running back made his mark. Jack Montgomery shook off three tackles for a 61-yard touchdown run to even the game again at 21.
The fourth quarter was filled with drama. First, it was the Falcons. Miller’s passing game came alive as Logan Doughty first hit Bryce Dorsey for 20 yards, and then, later in the drive, he hit Nick Thompson on fourth down for 17 yards to extend the possession. On the doorstep of the endzone, the Eagles stopped a Doughty rush two yards short, ending their best threat in the quarter. On the final possession of the night, Eric Manley Jr. came alive for Beaver Eastern hitting three passes for 20 yards, but the Eagles ran out of time. On the five-yard line of the Falcons, the clock hit triple zeroes, and it was time for overtime.
It was Beaver Eastern that got the ball first, and Brewer Tomlinson pounded his way straight through the defense to take the lead. A failed two-point conversion put Miller in the driver’s seat for their possession. The Falcons got the first part of the equation right, as Bice scored his second touchdown of the night, but they could not convert the extra point. The game went to double overtime. Miller got the ball first, and Bice found his way into the endzone for the third time, but the Falcons failed to convert on their two-point attempt. That opened the door for Beaver Eastern, and Jack Montgomery punched it in from seven yards out. An extra point sealed an unforgettable game for both teams.
Next week, Beaver Eastern faces Huntington on the road. Miller returns home to take on Frontier. The Eagles face Huntington for the fourth time in school history, and the Huntsmen lead the all-time series 2-1. In their most recent matchup, Beaver Eastern emerged victorious 31-14. The Falcons have the fifth matchup all-time with Frontier leading the series 3-1. Like Beaver Eastern, Miller has the most recent victory, winning 44-12 last year.