11/11/06: Seniors Finish With Impressive Victory

November 11, 2006

La Grande, Ore. – It was an offensive showcase for the Mountaineers as they racked up 554 total yards on Senior Day at Community Stadium, as Eastern cruised to victory 37-14 over Montana-Western.

After a slow start, Travis Morsheck took a hand-off 50 yards for the first score of the game with 3:03 left in the first quarter. The Mountaineers next possession was an impressive four minute, nine play, 70 yard drive capped off by a nine yard run from Jake Burroughs.

Kahai Sevilla would score for the Bulldogs on their next possession receiving a 22 yard touchdown pass from Travis Blome with 6:22 to play in the second quarter. Eastern would then follow with a six play, 58 yard drive highlighted by a 49 yard screen pass from Burroughs to Cameron Kitner; ending with a 21 yard field goal by Thomas Akers.

Montana-Western used 23 and 30 yard passes to march all the way to the Eastern seven yard line. The Mountaineer defense proved to be too much for the Bulldogs as they held on a fourth and one, and would takeover on downs with 1:37 left in the half. EOU would run out the clock and take the lead and momentum into the locker room up 17-7.

Eastern’s first drive of the second half was a short one using only 57 seconds thanks to senior Jomo Wilson leaving the crowd with a play they will remember for awhile. Wilson caught a Burroughs pass at the ten yard line and would muscle his way between three defenders extending the lead to 24-7 with 11:57 left in the third quarter.

Another three-and-out by the Bulldogs would give the Mountaineers the ball back on the EOU 31 yard line. Burroughs led the possession running for 51 yards on the drive, including a 30 yard scamper to the Western 18 yard line and finishing it off with a nine yard touchdown run. Both teams would trade possessions for the next eight minutes and Eastern took their 31-7 lead into the final quarter.

After the Mountaineer defense forced yet another three-and-out, and a drive that went backwards 12 yards for Western, EOU would begin their drive again in great field position at the Bulldog 38 yard line. A big 25 yard Burroughs to Scott Schober completion put the Mountaineers on the Western 12 yard line. Burroughs then impressively avoided the sack and rolled out to find Senior Ryan Quarles in the corner of the end zone giving Eastern a decisive 37-7 lead.

On receiving the touchdown catch Quarles said, “I was not surprised, that was a play I thought we could score on. It was a hitch-and-go, a corner by me, and Jake found me.” When asked what his plans are now that his senior season is complete, “I want to graduate and keep playing football. I’m not sure if it will ever be out of my system.”

James Williams recovered a Blome fumble on Western’s third snap of the fourth quarter, silencing any attempt at a late rally. Both teams would go back-and-forth scoreless until the Bulldogs crossed the goal line with 3:07 left in the game with a touchdown completion from Keali’l Perbera to Keahua Bowman. This would complete the scoring making the final total Eastern Oregon 37, Montana-Western 14.

Coach Ian Shields said that the seniors talked before the game to the team and said what it meant to them to be a Mountie and what their years have been like here at Eastern.

“This was the first group of seniors in a while that went have had three winning seasons. I know the win meant a lot to them and I’m proud of the guys.”

When asked if this was one of the best offensive performances he had been a part of, Shields responded, “It was very good. I have been a part of many special ones. If you weren’t around in the late 90’s in this area this is what people expected and I think it’s great that these guys got that feeling.”

Jake Burroughs finished with phenomenal numbers throwing for 197 yards on just 8 for 12 passing and running for another 123 yards on 17 carries. “Jake’s future is bright. We now have time to go into the off-season and fix some things, not there are many things to fix if you saw today. He’s a special talent and makes good decisions, I’m just proud the way he performed today.” Shields said of his true freshman quarterback.

Eastern finished the season with a 6-5 winning record, 5-5 in Frontier Conference play. On a look back at the season Shields concluded with, “I think finishing with three straight victories, to have a winning season when no one thought we could for various reasons, we silenced all that.”