Football: Anthony Maddie passes Aurora Christian to win

Updated: November 4, 2011 9:20PM

A year ago, Oregon hosted Aurora Christian in a Class 3A first round game and simply could not keep up with the Eagles’ passing attack in a 38-0 loss. A Wing-T offense, the Hawks simply aren’t able to replicate the four and five-wide receiver sets the Eagles employ, let alone the kind of quarterback the Eagles have in Western Michigan-bound signal caller Anthony Maddie.

The concerns carried over into this year’s rematch in the second round, and once again Oregon could not contain Maddie as the Eagles won 34-21.

Maddie went 19-for-22 for 377 yards and three touchdowns and spread the wealth among five different receivers in advancing the Eagles to the quarterfinals for the second straight year.

The Hawks (7-4) took a 7-0 lead early following an Eagles fumble on the first play of the game, scoring on a 4-yard run by Josh Merrill.

Aurora Christian (10-1) then scored 21 unanswered points, one off a 9-yard Maddie run to tie the game and then off two touchdown passes of 27 and 29 yards from Maddie to Chad Beebe (10 catches, 160 yards).

Those unanswered points were key, as the Hawks managed to get within one score twice in the second half, but could not stop the Eagles offense.

Oregon opened the second half with nearly eight minute, 73-yard drive and got to within a score with a 4-yard touchdown run by Braden Barton (132 yards, two touchdowns). But, Maddie answered right back with a 4-play, 75 yard drive that ended with a 49-yard scoring strike to Cory Windle (four catches, 112 yards)

A four minute scoring drive brought Oregon to within 28-21 midway through the fourth quarter, but the Eagles defense held firm on a fourth-and-7 play from the Oregon 26 with 3:16 to go, ending the Hawks’ chances. Maddie (65 rush yards) then ran it in from 14 yards out to cap the scoring.

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