Maroa-Forsyth ends Eldorado playoff run

MAROA - In the shadow of countless windmills, Eldorado saw its season come to a crashing close Saturday afternoon. The Eagles fell to Maroa-Forsyth ,48-6, in the second round of the Class 2A state playoffs as the Trojans dominated on both sides of the ball. It's the second straight year the team from Maroa has bumped the Eagles out of the postseason.

Trailing by four touchdowns in the second quarter, things briefly looked up for the Eagles when Joe Mayberry intercepted his first of two passes for the Eldorado defense. The Eagles quickly took advantage of the pick as quarterback Kale Oglesby connected with Jace Jenkins for a 33-yard touchdown pass.

Eldorado then ended the half with another Mayberry interception as time expired, giving its fans a glimmer of hope that the team had momentum going into halftime.

But Maroa-Forsyth would quickly extinguish those hopes by scoring three unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter.

Running back Deondre Gregory did the bulk of the damage for the Trojans with his 271 yards rushing on 17 carries, including four touchdowns. Counting the opening-round game the previous week, Gregory has already totaled nine touchdowns in the postseason.

Max Davenport punched in a one-yard score while Ian Benner contributed two touchdowns through the air. Benner's passes were caught by Aaron Inda (10-yard strike and William Hosea (41-yard strike).

While the Maroa-Forsyth offense was exploding, its defense was stifling, holding EHS to just the one score. That TD was the only double-digit gain of the day for the Eagles. The Trojans shut down star running back Jacob Traxler, along with teammate, Dawson Metten, and the rest of the Eldorado crew, limiting them to just 45 yards rushing.

Eldorado coach Joe Clark said after the game that his team was simply unable to contain the Maroa-Forsyth run game. Clark noted that early success running the ball allowed the Trojans to grab the momentum early and that his squad was "never able to really capture any momentum" and that it "just wasn't [Eldorado's] day altogether."

The EHS seniors finish their careers with 26 wins in three varsity seasons, including two playoff victories. Clark said that while his seniors have many successes to be proud of on the field, it's the off-the-field successes that he hopes lasts longer, noting that he and his team "enjoyed the time together, and built relationships that will never fade."

Eldorado finishes the year (Clark's first as head coach) with an 8-3 record.

Reflecting back on the growth of the program since he arrived with Brandon Hampton 10 years ago, Clark said he's "proud of the success to date, eager for the future, and hopes to continue to "lead these young men in the right direction."

Eldorado also finishes the season with another first in school history, back-to-back seasons with a playoff victory.

Maroa-Forsyth moves on to the quarterfinal round of the playoffs, where it will face undefeated West Hancock in Hamilton.