Tyrone spoils BEA homecoming with last minute score @CoachJNagle @GoldenEagles_FB (jodon gallery)

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Ron Bracken | October 3, 2020

WINGATE – On a perfect night for football, Tyrone and Bald Eagle Area combined to play an imperfect game that featured eight turnovers and 11 penalties. But as flawed as it might have been it was as entertaining a contest as you might see all season, one that was won by the Golden Eagles, 15-12 when Brandon Lucas hit a wide-open Tommy Hicks in the end zone from 20 yards out with 1:34 left in the game to spoil BEA’s Homecoming. It was the kind of win Golden Eagle fans came to expect during coach John Franco’s first tour as the team’s head coach but was basically absent in the years between his departure and return last year.

“This team really needed a win like that,’’ Franco said. “The kids really wanted to play this game since we hadn’t beaten them in the last couple of years. We finally put one good drive together.’’ They needed it after BEA scored on a 6-yard pass from Garrett Burns to Cole Irvin to take a 12-9 lead with 7:06 left.. And when BEA ws forced to punt on its next possession Burns unloaded a 61-yard punt that pinned Tyrone on its own 6 with 3:09 to go.

But that’s when the ghosts of Tyrone teams past surfaced. On first down with Lucas got loose for 19 yards for a first down at the 25. Then he found Damon Gripp for receptions of 11 and 44 yards to put the ball at the BEA 20.On first down Lucas spotted Hicks all alone in the end zone and fired a strike for the score with 1:34 left in the game. The two-point try failed, laving the score at 15-12.
“Hicks was Brandon’s second read on the play. They had Gripp covered so he went to Hicks,’ Franco added.’

According to BEA head coach Jesse Nagle, the play was a result of some bad luck on his team’s part.
“Our kid (who was covering Hicks) fell down,’’ he said, explaining how Hicks got so wide open. “We knew that’s what they would probably run. “But I thought our defense played outstanding tonight.

“But there were some plays we should have been able to make that went the other way. We weren’t able to break any tackles but that’s a credit to them, they’re a good tackling team. “
Tyrone wasn’t alone in make a long scoring drive, however.

After Tyrone took a 7-0 lead on a 24-yard pass from Lucas to Gripp in the first quarter, The Gold Eagles backed BEA up to its own 4. But a 56-yard run by Burns sparked an Eagle drive that Burns capped with a one-yard run with 1:06 left in the first half. The PAT kick was blocked, making it 7-6. Tyrone lost a fumble and Lucas threw two interceptiones in the half while Burns threw four picks for BEA. Tyrone increased its lead to 9-6 when Lucas and Hicks caught Burns in the end zone for a safety with 5:59 to go in the third period. “This was a good dwin for us,’’ Franco added. “There were a lot of good teaching points.’’

Tyrone improved to 3-0 with the win while BEA dropped to 1-2.

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