CM Eagles Hold Off Jersey Panthers, 32-29, in High-Scoring Rivalry Battle
Civic Memorial answered every Jersey surge Friday night, using big plays and late defensive stops to escape with a narrow victory.
JERSEYVILLE — The Civic Memorial Eagles held off the Jersey Panthers in a back-and-forth rivalry battle Friday night, earning a 32-29 road victory.
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The Eagles jumped on the scoreboard first when kicker Reid Wallace connected on a 23-yard field goal to give CM an early 3-0 lead.
Jersey answered immediately following the kickoff. Andrew Johnson returned the kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown, putting the Panthers ahead 7-3.
CM responded with 6:14 remaining in the first quarter when quarterback Luke Clouser connected with Grady Farrell on an 80-yard touchdown pass.
The Panthers regained the lead with 3:21 left in the opening quarter when quarterback Andrew Koenig scored on a 13-yard touchdown run. Jersey converted the two-point attempt to take a 15-10 lead after one quarter.
The scoring continued in the second quarter.
Clouser kept the football and scored on a 2-yard touchdown run, putting the Eagles back in front, 18-15.
Koenig answered for Jersey, finding the end zone on a 2-yard touchdown run to give the Panthers a 22-18 advantage.
CM responded before halftime. Clouser connected with Farrell again, this time for a 30-yard touchdown, giving the Eagles a 25-22 lead heading into the locker room.
The Eagles extended their advantage in the third quarter when Clouser scored his second rushing touchdown of the night on a 1-yard run, pushing CM's lead to 32-22.
Jersey continued to battle in the fourth quarter. Koenig connected with Johnson on a 40-yard touchdown pass, cutting the Eagles' advantage to 32-29.
The CM defense then came up with the stops it needed to preserve the three-point victory and send the Eagles home with a hard-fought rivalry win.
Clouser played a major role in the victory, contributing multiple touchdowns through the air and on the ground, while Farrell hauled in two touchdown passes.
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