ST. DAVIDS, Pa. - Eastern Flag Football kept its perfect record intact on Tuesday night with an 18-12 overtime win over Montclair State in its first ECAC contest.
Jeriyah Johnson scored the game-winning touchdown in the extra session on a screen pass from
Kira Green. It was the first overtime win for the Eagles in program history.
Despite being outgained by the upstart Red Hawks, 223-168, the Eagles were efficient on both sides of the ball on a cold and blustery evening. Green, who was named the Atlantic East Player of the Week for the second consecutive week, completed 22-of-34 passes for 103 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while also scoring her team-leading fourth touchdown. First-year
Molly Schellpeper led the Eastern receivers with five receptions for 46 yards, while
Damiyae Moyet snagged her team-leading eighth touchdown reception of the season.
While the Eagles gave up 220 yards through the air, 114 of them came on three plays, one of which was a 66-yard touchdown. The Eagles gave up just three rushing yards on 17 carries.
Kyla Massenburg finished with a team-high eight tackles, two tackles for loss, and three sacks, while
Briel Hyppolite and
Stephanie White each recorded five stops. Johnson, who scored the game-winning touchdown, also collected a pair of picks, with one setting up Eastern's second score.
After a scoreless first quarter, Eastern struck first on their third possession. Green found Schellpeper for a 27-yard gain on second down, putting the Eagles deep in Montclair territory. Two plays later, Moyet caught a pass from Green that was deflected in the back of the end zone, putting the Eagles ahead 6-0.
It only took one play for the Red Hawks to tie the game, as quarterback Haddiyah Bell found Maya Amico for a 66-yard touchdown. Montclair went on to stop Eastern on its next possession, but Johnson made her first big play of the game deep in Red Hawks' territory. The senior intercepted a floating pass from Bell off excellent pressure, setting the Eagles up just outside the red zone. On fourth-and-goal, Green took it in herself to put the Eagles ahead 12-6. Eastern took that lead into the halftime break.
After a scoreless third, Montclair rode the momentum of a Genevieve Fara interception at midfield to eventually tie the game on a two-yard touchdown run for Bell. The Eagles had the ball late in the fourth quarter, and had a play in the end zone as time expired, but the pass was not completed, pushing the game to overtime.
The Eagles' defense held firm, navigating a big fourth down penalty that gave Montclair a fresh set of down to keep the Red Hawks out of the end zone. The Eagles' offense put the game away after that, as Johnson took a screen pass on the left side and punched it over for the game-winning score.
Eastern (5-0) is back in action this weekend in Arlington, Va. for a tri-match with Marymount and Immaculata.
