By Ben Shanahan

Special to the Sentinel-Tribune

PEMBERVILLE — It was not just the temperatures that were hot Friday at Freedom Field. Eastwood scorched Elmwood in the Battle of the Woods, 49-6, with the kickoff temperature set at 95 degrees on at Freedom Field.

Despite facing early season injuries, the game went better than planned for Eastwood.

“It is a wonderful first game at home for these guys to come out here in their house and show what they can do. And they did it from the start,” said Eastwood coach Sam Cotterman.

For Elmwood, their young team took a tough loss but coaches plan on using it as a learning experience.

“We are young, and they were more physical in every facet of the game,” said Elmwood coach Greg Bishop. “Their speed gave us tons of fits. They are well coached. We just need to get better and push ourselves every day at practice.”

The first quarter saw the Eastwood defense stand tall, converting three turnovers in a blink of an eye. The first came on the opening kickoff. The Royals returner mishandled the football and it was picked up by Brock Messinger, who would run 25 yards into the end zone to make it 7-0 after the first play of the game.

“It was pretty crazy to go down the field,” Messinger said. “It is especially exciting when the ball bounces into my hands and I take it back to the house to start the game.”

On the Royals’ first official drive from scrimmage, the Eagles’ defense forced another fumble, this one recovered by Eathan Recker after a screen pass from sophomore quarterback Owen Traxler backfired. The Eagles finished what Recker started three plays later when junior quarterback Drew Luidhart completed a 35-yard bomb to sophomore Cam Schumaker to put the Eagles up 14-0.

Elmwood’s second drive did not go any better. On the first play from scrimmage, Eastwood senior Connor Norton picked off a pass and ran the rock all the way back to the five-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Kevin Lewis showed off his speed to the end zone, making it 21-0 with 9:19 left in the first quarter.

From that point on the story would turn to the Eagle offense, which did not punt the rest of the half. The first two touchdowns came on passes from Luidhardt — the first to Dayquan Oliver on a 37-yard completion and Eastwood followed up on the next drive with a Luidhardt to Messinger’s 26-yard touchdown, making it 35-0.

The last two Eagle touchdowns of the first half came from the backfield as Lewis picked up his second of the night with a three-yard run, and then a Brayden Brown made it 49-0 with a two-yard run. Austin Miller went 7-for-7 in conversion kicks for the Eagles.

To start the second half, there was a quarterback change for the Eagles, plus a running clock. Brayden Luidhardt came in to relieve older brother Drew at QB, something Cotterman thought was really special.

“It is very cool. I knew at some point that would happen. I did not know it would be this year, but it is what it is. They both did a great job. Great kids, great competitors. Cool to see them get their shot tonight,” said Cotterman.

Eastwood would got yet another turnover in the second half as Traxler was intercepted by Sawyer Mason in the fourth quarter.

Elmwood got on the board just before time expired as Traxler threw a missile through traffic to Tate Zeigler for a 64-yard touchdown pass to finish the game 49-6.

Eastwood had 22 first downs to Elmwood’s three, the Eagles had 191 rushing yards to the Royals’ 19, and outgained the Royals through the air 169 to 85.

Kevin Lewis led Eastwood’s ground game, rushing for 90 yards on eight carries, Brayden Brown had 54 yards on 10 carries, and Edmund Opfer had 44 yards on 16 carries.

Drew Luidhardt completed 8-of-9 passes for 140 yards and three TDs and Brayden Luidhardt completed 2-of-4 passes for 24 yards.