*** WEEK 1 HIGHLIGHTS: EAST HICKMAN EAGLES @ FAIRVIEW YELLOW JACKETS***

For the second year in a row, the East Hickman Eagles began their football season against the Fairview Yellow Jackets. Instead of playing at home, the Eagles traveled Highway 100 to Fairview High School.

After a six-minute first drive, Senior running back Matthew Sloan would take the handoff and run it up the middle for a 2-yard touchdown, and second-string kicker Jayden Malugin would kick the point after touchdown, PAT, for a score of 7-0.

After a long 9-play drive, the Yellow Jackets’ offense stalled out on 4th down and turned the ball back over to Dakota Ragsdale and the Eagles’ offense. The Eagles marched down the field, Ragsdale delivered a 33-yard touchdown pass to Senior tight-end Nathan Hobbs, and Malugin extended their lead to 14 on the extra point.

The Yellow Jackets then saw a resurgence in their offense, as a short pass from Junior quarterback Jax McCoy turned into a 50-yard touchdown pass, and the lead dwindled to 7.

On their next offensive series, the Eagles would march down the field, and from the goalline, Dakota Ragsdale handed the ball off to Matthew Sloan, who walked in for the touchdown—extending their lead to two scores once again.

On the first play of their drive, McCoy took a deep shot to an open receiver, but it was dropped, giving the Eagles defense another chance at a stop. However, on the next play, McCoy would again take a shot, this time intended for Senior receiver Maxwell Arnold, and it was caught and ran in for the touchdown. They were making it a one-score game once again.

The Eagles headed into halftime with a 21-14 lead and high hopes of beating the Yellow Jackets for the second year in a row.

The Yellow Jackets failed to convert on 4th down on their first drive of the half, giving the ball to the Eagles at midfield, and Matthew Sloan needed only one play to run the ball in for the touchdown and add seven more points onto their lead. However, Malugin  missed the extra point attempt, making the score 27-14

The defense, however, was not able to hold off the Yellow Jackets and conceded a score, making it 27-21 in the 3rd quarter.

On their next drive, Ragsdale went down with a cramp, and Senior backup Daniel Reddin would step up to lead the offense into the endzone for six points. Coach Austin decided to go for a 2-point conversion after the missed PAT, and it would score, making the score 35-21.

McCoy and the Yellow Jackets offense retook the field, and McCoy found a wide-open receiver and delivered a 34-yard touchdown strike; they closed the gap to just eight points in the 4th quarter.

After the big play from the Yellow Jackets, Daniel Reddin led the offense on the field, and Matthew Sloan ran up the middle and into the endzone for the score.

After two more Yellow Jacket scoring drives, Dakota Ragsdale took a knee to secure the victory with a final score of 41-35 and the first win away at Fairview High School in East Hickman High School’s history.