BERLIN- The Decatur varsity football team’s attempt to spoil homecoming for Easton and gain their first win of the season last Friday fell just one point short with a 34-33 overtime loss to the Warriors.
Two weeks ago, the Seahawks dropped a game to Kent Island on its own homecoming to fall to 0-4 on the season. Last Friday, Decatur traveled to Easton with an opportunity to return the favor for the Warriors, and for four quarters and an extra period, the two teams went back on forth in a knockdown, drag out contest.
Easton scored first on a 45-yard touchdown run, but Decatur answered quickly with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Justin Meekins to Matt LeCompte. Easton continued to dominate on the ground in the first quarter, scoring on long touchdown runs of 61 yards and 14 yards to pull out to a 21-7 lead.
In the second quarter, Decatur got back on the board with a touchdown pass from Meekins to R.J. Hayman to cut the lead to 21-13. Easton then scored on 36-yard touchdown run to increase its lead to 27-13. Meekins threw two more touchdown passes in the second quarter, including one to Hayman and another to LeCompte. The touchdown pass to LeCompte came with just 15 seconds left in the half and tied the game at 27-27 heading into intermission.
After a wild first half with both teams driving up and down the field, the second half turned into a defensive struggle with no more points put on the board. Late in the fourth, Decatur drove all the way down to the Easton three-yard line with an opportunity to put the game away and capture their first win, but the Seahawks turned it over and regulation ended in a 27-27 tie.
In the overtime period, Decatur turned to its run game and scored a touchdown on three tough carries by Dryden Brous. However, the Seahawks did not convert the extra point and took a 33-27 lead. When Easton got its opportunity in overtime, the Warriors scored a touchdown to pull even at 33-33 and converted its extra point attempt to secure the 34-33 win and save its homecoming.
After slugging it out with tough Bayside North opponents through much of the first half of the season, the Seahawks hit the road again on Friday to face North Caroline. After that, Decatur finishes with four straight against familiar but no less challenging Bayside South opponents including Wicomico, Parkside, Bennett and finally Snow Hill.