Olpe was oversized in their matchup with Christ Prep Academy but found themselves with a 21-14 victory once the clock hit zero on Friday. Looking at the two teams was almost like the two were taken straight out of Samuel 1, Chapter 17 from the bible, and once again, David was able to defeat Goliath.
In the trenches, the Eagles were going up against Patriot players that were on average 75 pounds larger than them. It affected the running game for Olpe, as Christ Prep kept Kyndon Robert in check. Robert finished the night with 40 yards on 16 carries.
Colby Hoelting hit Damon Redeker for the first score of the game on a 61-yard touchdown pass with 9:04 to go in the opening period. Hoelting would add another passing touchdown right before the end of the first half, this time finding Jordan Barnard from 11 yards out.
The two teams traded blows in the third without either finding the endzone. Olpe would take a three-possession lead when Hoelting rushed in from a yard out with 10:55 left to go in the game.
Benjamin Einess got momentum on Christ Prep’s side when he added a rushing touchdown with 7:38 to play. The Patriots onside kick was successful, but Christ Prep would turn the ball back over to the Eagles later on in the possession.
Olpe was able to run off valuable time off the clock before failing on a fourth and 14 with 3:15 on the clock; however, the Patriots struck quick when Noah Blair found a streaking Jonathan Layman on a 72-yard touchdown pass.
This time the onside kick was recovered by the Eagles. They picked up a first down that caused Christ Prep to burn through the rest of their timeouts in hopes of getting the ball back to tie it. Redeker was able to bin the Patriots back to their 35-yard line with 12 seconds left. An attempt for a heroic comeback fell short when a trick play failed at midfield with no time left on the clock.
The Eagles finished the night with 71 yards rushing and 182 yards through the air in moving to 3-0 on the season.
Week 4 will have Olpe hosting Jackson Heights, who is a top 5 ranked team in 1A. The Eagles defeated the Cobras a year ago in an instant classic, 20-18, and this game has all the makings for another classic.