The Basics
Score: (RV) Evangel 44, Avila 7 | Box Score
Record: Evangel (5-3, 1-1), Avila (3-5, 1-1)
Location: Nixa, Mo. | Eagle Stadium
NIXA, Mo. – Evangel Football returned home on Saturday (Oct. 24) afternoon, hosting the Avila Eagles for Homecoming Weekend. A dominant first half effort allowed the Valor to cruise to victory on Saturday, defeating the Eagles 44-7, after putting up 37 points over the first two quarters.
After Evangel forced a punt on Avila's first drive and held good field position with just a 15-yard Eagles punt, a 28-yard pass from Matt Allen to Brady Allen set Noah Bryant up for a two yard touchdown rush to give EU a 7-0 lead. The Eagles drove to the Evangel 21-yard line on their next possession, but the Valor defense earned back-to-back stops on third and one and fourth and one, forcing a turnover on downs.
Bryant did most of the work on the ground for Evangel on their ensuing possession, racking up 35 yards to set up a Luke Milligan 13-yard touchdown pass to Broc Lyle, giving EU a 14-0 lead. After forcing another Avila punt, Cody Voysey scored a 21-yard field goal to extend the Valor lead to 17-0 in the second quarter.
Avila used a big play to score their first and only touchdown of the day in the second quarter, making it a 17-7 game with 11:18 remaining in the period. Lyle carried the bulk of the offense on the next Evangel possession, recording 62 yards on the single drive alone and scoring a touchdown on a pass from Milligan to take a 24-7 advantage.
After another Eagle punt, the Valor fumbled and lost the ball, giving Avila the ball on Evangel's 26-yard line. The Evangel defense buckled down, as Garrett Finley was able to hit the QB on fourth down, stripping the ball and leading to a Kenneth Spring recovery and return for 84 yards to the house, extending Evangel's lead to 30-7, after the Eagles blocked the PAT attempt.
Griffin Dyer came away with an interception, returning it 37 yards to Avila's 40-yard line on the following defensive possession with Bryant scoring his second touchdown on the ground to make it a 37-7 Evangel lead at the halftime break.
Evangel's second possession of the second half would be the final score of the contest, as Milligan found Brady Allen wide open in the middle of the field, giving EU a 44-7 lead. Evangel's defense shut out Avila in the second half, solidifying their Homecoming win on Saturday, their 18th against the Eagles all-time.
Evangel was led by Luke Milligan, who threw for 183 yards and a trio of passing touchdowns, while Noah Bryant led EU on the ground with 69 rushing yards. Broc Lyle led Evangel with 111 receiving yards and a pair of scores on Saturday, tying the school record for touchdown receptions in a career (29).
Defensively, Erik Spring led the Valor with eight total tackles, while Garrett Finley finished with 2.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. Erik Spring and Griffin Dyer both came away with interceptions, while Finley recorded a strip sack that Kenneth Spring returned for a touchdown.
UP NEXT
Evangel Football competes in their final home contest of the season, taking on the Tabor College Bluejays at 1:05 p.m., in Nixa, Mo., on Saturday (Oct. 31) afternoon.
For the latest information on Evangel Athletics, visit Facebook at Facebook.com/EvangelValor, Twitter (@EvangelValor), or EvangelAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on their favorite EU teams by downloading the Evangel Athletics Gameday App through the App Store or Google Play. Â
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