Eastlake secures landslide playoff win against Kentwood
In a highly anticipated playoff game, the Eastlake Wolves defended their home turf with a resounding 56-7 win over Covington’s Kentwood Conquerors on Saturday, Nov. 4.
The wet and cold day did not deter attendance, as hundreds of supporters crowded the stands with fervor. The Wolves kept their foot on the accelerator the whole way, with running backs R.J. Abedi and Asir Jackson leading the charge for the dominant rushing attack.
The Wolves defense was suffocating with linebacker Jack Edmunds recording an early interception halfway through the first quarter that sparked the momentum for the home team. In addition, the defensive line, led by big defensive end Aryan Ramdas, recovered a fumble near the end of the quarter to set up the Wolves’ first touchdown.
Two-way phenom Grady Woodward joined the party with a long rushing touchdown in the middle of the second quarter. Abedi added a long run to set up another touchdown to extend the Wolves’ lead, 21-0, midway through the second quarter.
With missed tackles piling up and weighing heavy on their confidence, the Conquerors defense folded. Their offense, however, not quite ready to go home, put together a promising drive but simply ran out of time. The Wolves led by multiple touchdowns at halftime, 28-0.
The second half saw no change in strategy or performance for either team, as Steven Plummer completed another rushing drive for a Wolves touchdown with 2 minutes remaining in the third quarter.
With the visitors tired out, the Wolves kept the onslaught going with three rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Abedi and Plummer had touchdowns in the first five minutes, and Jackson added a short touchdown that all but iced the game.
In the final minutes, the frustrated Conquerors managed to put up their first and only points of the day with a 53-yard pass from Anthony Tucker to Jackson Dulay. While the team managed to avoid the dreaded shutout, it was too little, too late.
The weather conditions did not appear to impact the Wolves special teams as kicker Daniel Ferreira was flawless throughout the game. However, the same could not be said for the Conquerors, as drops were a large factor in their struggle, with many of them stalling promising drives and dooming any chance for the visitors to build on what little momentum they could find.
With spectators trickling out of the field, the Wolves closed out their first playoff game with a 56-7 blowout win.
The Wolves will look to build on their momentum against Sumner High School on November 11 at Eastlake at 6:00 p.m.
