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by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society Recently, I was asked to write about any “famous people” from Grain Valley. My mind went to presidents, novelists, musicians, movie stars and professional athletes. I came up empty! However, when I changed the question to ask if Grain Valley had any “salt of the earth” citizens who have made a difference in the lives of others, I came up with many names. In the past several months I’ve written about some of the early pioneers like Jacob Gregg. Jacob and Nancy Gregg and their nine children lived at Stony Point prior to moving into Grain Valley. Gregg held many positions in government throughout his life. They included Jackson County Sheriff (1832-36) and one term as a member of the Missouri State Legislature (1850). Over the next few weeks, I will tell you about some of the more recent citizens. The Costigan name has been around since the late 1800s and more than five generations of the family have called Grain Valley home. Dennis (1849-1935) and Martha (1854-1927) raised nine children here, so in the early 1900s most everyone in our town, including my family, could claim at least one Costigan relative. Harold Elvis Costigan (1916-2004), their grandson, is my subject today. He was the fifth of seven children of Joseph Patrick and Mary (Taylor) Costigan. Harold grew up in Grain Valley, quarterbacked the football team and graduated from GVHS in 1934. He and his wife Merle both attended the University of Missouri where he earned a degree in agriculture and was an officer in the ROTC. After graduation, Harold joined the Missouri National Guard in St. Joseph, Missouri. He became a member of the 35th Divisional Tank Company and was called to service in February, 1941. Designated B Company, 194th Tank Division, they trained at Fort Lewis, Washington until September, 1941. On August 23, 1941, Harold and Merle Houston were married, eleven days before he left for active duty in the Philippines. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941), they also launched an assault on Clark Air Force base in the Philippines. Harold survived the Japanese attack on Clark Field. A few weeks later his tank platoon was ordered north to slow the advancing Japanese who had landed troops at Lingayen Gulf. On Christmas Day the platoon took positions west of Carmen. When they began taking fire from a strong Japanese force, 1st Lt. Harold Costigan ordered the tanks to open fire with their machine guns. Realizing they had a very good chance of being cut off, he ordered his tanks to withdraw through Carmen. A massive ground invasion forced the American troops to fall back to the Bataan Peninsula. The battle lasted for months with American troops cut off from supplies and reinforcements. On April 9, 1942 the American General King surrendered. On that day, Costigan became a POW. For the first 10 days following the surrender they marched some 60 miles along the road to the first prison camp. Years later, Costigan stated, “That was the death march.” Of the over 12,000 men surrendered or captured on Bataan, fully two-thirds lost their lives. By the time of their liberation on February 4, 1945, Harold weighed only 100 pounds, half of his former weight. He spent nearly two years in hospitals around the United States before being discharged on disability in 1947. He was legally blind and deaf, due to his years of torture and starvation. He and his wife bought a farm in Maryville, Missouri, and later in Oak Grove. In the 1950s he began teaching farm skills to vision-impaired students. He returned to Mizzou in 1960, earning a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling. Merle also returned for her master’s. They raised two daughters. Harold Costigan passed away on December 25, 2004. Visit the Historical Society to learn more about Harold Costigan, the Costigan Family and the Houston Family and their story. Merle’s father was in the first graduation class at GVHS in 1909. Harold Costigan grew up in Grain Valley, quarterbacked the football team and graduated from GVHS in 1934. He later served in the Pacific Theater in World War 2, surviving the Bataan Death March and years as a POW.
Photo courtesy of the Grain Valley Historical Society The City of Grain Valley Board of Aldermen approved the first reading of ordinances during the September 9th meeting addressing the city’s tax levy for 2019 and making debt payments for general obligation bonds. Both were passed by 6-0 unanimous votes.
A public hearing preceded the votes. No residents were present to speak for or against the levy proposal. City Finance Director Steven Craig outlined the proposed levy prior to the vote. “This evening we are considering the 2019 proposed property tax levy. If you remember, in 2018 the board chose to lower the levy ten cents and that trend continues with an additional three cent decrease this year,” Craig said. “The total levy will be 1.5994. With this debt levy, we’re taking the necessary steps to set in providing funding for the no tax increase bond levy question to be considered in April 2020.” The city partnered with Baker Tilly Tax Advisory group throughout the process of determining the 2019 tax levy rate. Baker Tilly provided calculations for levy rates at the request of the board and presented them publicly along with answering questions at recent Board of Aldermen meetings. The purpose of passing the tax levy for the city is to meet the required timelines for establishing the tax rate within Jackson County, Missouri. The tax generated provides revenue city operations and debt service payments. The board also authorized the escrow of funds sufficient to pay a portion of the Series 2011 General Obligation Bonds for the City of Grain Valley. City Administrator Ryan Hunt advised the mayor and the board that one of the key issues of the City’s 2019 tax levy was it allowed for paying off debt early. Craig reminded the board that $1.2 million taken from the debt service reserve fund would be used to make payment for general obligation bonds maturing between March 1, 2029 to March 1, 2031. The Board also discussed the recently completed Grain Valley Fair held on September 6th and 7th. Mayor Mike Todd praised the Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) for their work at the fair. VIPS volunteers took over organization of the parade this year and provided crowd support throughout the weekend. Todd expressed his appreciation for their organization and handling of the parade along with the crowd support they provided in coordination with the Grain Valley Police Department. Chief of Police James Beale also acknowledged the work done by VIPS and the police department in ensuring all went smoothly with over 50 parade entries this year. The Burger Barn, operated as a fundraiser by Crossroads Church, and the Grain Valley Fair 5K Run were two other highlights of the fair that drew praise. The Burger Barn was so popular that it ran out of food by 5:00pm on Saturday. Also noted was the number of people that the 5K Run attracted from outside of Grain Valley. Todd estimated only ten to fifteen percent of the people participating in the 5K were from Grain Valley and that visitors were impressed by the fair and the city in general. The next meeting of the Board of Aldermen will be held at 7:00pm on Monday, September 23rd at City Hall. Among the food and fun at last weekend’s Grain Valley Fair, several organizations shared information and resources for residents. Among them were the Grain Valley Democrats, who worked to register voters. Pictured Left to Right: Vice President Emma Howell and President Shaley Harper. Photo credit: Chandee Harper
Hello Friends-
This summer has been very busy. In July, I was honored to be appointed to a Special Interim Tax Committee by the Speaker of the House. We started out by holding a public hearing for Jackson County in August. During this committee hearing, we learned from constituents that the County Assessor raised values to a point of concern for many residents in the County, especially that the property owner may not be able to pay. The increases ranged from just a few percent to as much as 300-400 percent. Within that last two weeks, we had public hearings in St. Louis and Jefferson City where there were very similar concerns. As we draw near the end of our hearings, we will conclude with a final report to the Governor. Unfortunately, no action will happen before the end of the year; however, this issue has sparked much debate on what we will do as a General Assembly going into the 2020 Session. Stay tuned for my personal legislation to help ease these concerns moving forward. Legislative Update House Approves Special Session Bill to Address Motor Vehicle Sales Tax Issue (HB 1) Lawmakers returned to Jefferson City to work on a pro-consumer bill that would allow Missourians to reduce their tax burden when they trade in multiple vehicles. House members gave approval to a legislative fix this week during a special session called by Gov. Mike Parson. The governor called the special session to give lawmakers an opportunity to fix a state statute to allow the sales proceeds of more than one vehicle, trailer, boat, or outboard motor to be used as a credit against the sales tax owed on the purchase of another. The fix is necessary because a ruling by the Missouri Supreme Court clarified that the sales proceeds of only one vehicle may be used as a credit against the sales tax owed on the purchase of a new vehicle. The sponsor of the bill told her colleagues, “When the Supreme Court ruled on this matter, they in essence enacted a judiciary tax raise on the citizens of our state.” The governor’s call for a special session gave legislators an opportunity to amend state law to allow for the sale of multiple vehicles to be used as a credit. The bill approved by the House is in line with the Department of Revenue's prior practice and what consumers have come to expect. The bill’s sponsor cited several examples of Missourians who would benefit from the new law including a young mother trading in two older cars for a newer, more reliable vehicle; or senior citizens who are trading in vehicles as they try to downsize. “This bill benefits all Missourians from all walks of life whether you are in the city, the country, or the suburban areas,” she said. The Missouri House approved the bill by a vote of 126-21. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration. House members anticipate the Senate will approve the bill by the end of the week. House and Senate Complete Annual Veto Session On the same day the legislature worked in special session to address the vehicle sales tax issue, lawmakers also held their constitutionally-mandated veto session. The legislature meets each year in September in accordance with the Missouri Constitution to consider bills approved by the legislature but vetoed by the governor. It is during the Veto Session that members of the House and Senate have the opportunity to put legislation into effect as law despite the governor’s objections. Coming in to the annual Veto Session, the Missouri General Assembly had a total of six vetoed bills to consider for potential overrides. While Gov. Mike Parson signed the bulk of the bills sent to him by the legislature, he did veto two House bills and four Senate bills. The vetoed bills ranged in subject matter from regulations for outdoor cremations to qualifications for the director of the Department of Health and Senior Services. While the legislature has been active in overriding vetoes during the last decade, this year’s Veto Session saw none of the governor’s vetoes overridden. In the history of the state, the legislature has overridden the governor 119 times. Of those overrides, 49 have been on budget line-items and 70 have been on non-appropriations bills. Prior to the administration of Gov. Jay Nixon the legislature had completed only 22 veto overrides. During Nixon’s eight years in office, the Missouri General Assembly overrode 97 of his vetoes. ‘Back the Blue’ Missouri License Plate Unveiled (HB 898) Law enforcement officials and lawmakers came together this week to unveil a new license plate that will give Missourians an opportunity to show their support for the men and women who protect and serve. Missouri drivers now have the option to obtain a new “Back the Blue” license plate to express their support for law enforcement. The unveiling ceremony took place at the Missouri Law Enforcement Memorial on the river side of the State Capitol Building. Legislators were joined by several members of the law enforcement community, as well as Missouri Department of Public Safety Director Sandy Karsten and Missouri Highway Patrol Colonel Eric Olson. David and Beverly Thomas, who are the parents of Officer Molly Thomas Bowden, assisted in unveiling the Back the Blue license plate. Bowden was a Columbia Police Officer who was killed in the line of duty in 2005. A $10 contribution will be collected from each license plate applicant for the Missouri Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation, which honors those officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of the citizens of Missouri. This will help ensure the memorial continues to stand in memory of Missouri’s fallen law enforcement officers. Those who want the plate will also pay a $15 fee in addition to normal registration costs. Missourians interested in obtaining one of the new plates can apply for them online at the Department of Revenue’s website at https://dor.mo.gov/motorv/plates/personalize.php. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out if I may be of service. Thank you for the privilege to serve and the honor to represent the 32nd District! Grain Valley High School will host its first STEM Fair on Wednesday, October 30th from 6:00pm—8:00pm. The fair will be held in the commons area, gym, and auditorium at the high school and is geared toward middle and high school students and parents. The goal of the program is to to help students and parents learn about and explore STEM fields.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math are represented in a wide variety of current and future careers and jobs. Over 50 representatives of local and regional universities, colleges, trade schools, and industry along with middle and high school clubs and organizations will be represented. As of September 11th, the University of Central Missouri, Missouri S&T, Kansas State, UMKC, Wichita State, Metro Community Colleges, Kansas City Art Institute, and Pitt State are confirmed to attend. In addition, representatives from the fields of Engineering, Electrical, Computer Science, HVAC, Construction, Health Care, Television and other Media, Machinists, and Welding will be in attendance. There will also be two moderated CTE Panel Discussions with Q&A from 6:15-6:45pm and 7:00-7:30pm in the auditorium. This is a free drop-in event for middle and high school age students and parents. No registration is required. by Burton Kelso, The Technology Expert Wow! Can you believe we've started another school year? Making that transition from the summer months into the fall months can be one of the most hectic times of the year for families. Nobody wants to be that parent who forgot to send lunch money or items for that school field trip.
Your kids are back in school and are probably involved in extra-curricular activities. Creating a consistent schedule with your family to stay organized is the best thing to do, but sometimes that's easier said than done. Thank goodness for technology because there's no shortage of apps and other tech items that can help you bring order to your life. Here are some of my favorite organizational apps and devices that can help you. They are accessible from a wide variety of devices, giving you access from your computer, smartphones, and tablets, with syncing across all devices. 1. Allrecipes I know a lot of you are probably using AllRecipes to create meals, but did you know the website and app have a special 'Back to School' section that allows you to plan easy to make breakfast, lunch and dinner meals during the school year? For those of you who like to do things on the fly, the app has an awesome "Dinner Spinner' feature lets you shake your phone to find quick meals to prepare for the family. 2. ArtKive There's only so much refrigerator space you have in your home. Yes, you want to save your kid's artwork and projects. No, you don't want the clutter. This app allows you to take photos of all of those school art projects and store them in one place. You can even use the app to order products like mugs and shirts featuring your kid's artwork to share with grandma and grandpa. 3. Picniic This app bills itself as your family dashboard. You can keep track of almost every aspect of family life within this app such as keeping track of schedules, shopping lists, family todo lists. You can even track your kids with the GPS technology built into the app. 4. Remember the Milk If you keep forgetting items at the store, or tasks you need to accomplish, this app will help. Constant reminders will help you keep track of all of those school year to-do lists. The best thing about this app is that it will sync across all of your devices so you won't forget to do anything. 5. ShopSavvy Need to find the latest deals on back to school items, use this app to price compare with retail and online stores. 6. Amazon Echo and Google Nest Home Your smart-home digital assistants are very powerful devices and can help you and your family stay organized and connected during the school year. With your Amazon or Google Home assistant, you can set up reminders, shopping lists, to lists for each member of your family. It also allows you to add a calendar from Google, Microsoft and Apple, and your family contacts. When you download the app for both Amazon and Google, you can access these features wherever you go. Before you get overwhelmed with the current school year, make sure you're taking advantage of the latest tech that will help you stay organized. It might take you a few minutes to get adjusted to a new app or device, but it's better than being frustrated with all of the stuff back to school and beyond will throw at you. Want to ask me a tech question? Send me a message at burton@callintegralnow.com and send it in! If you prefer to connect with me on social media, you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter or watch great tech tip videos on my YouTube channel. I love technology. I've read all of the manuals and I want to make technology fun and exciting for you. If you need on-site or remote tech support for your Windows\Macintosh, computers, laptops, Android/Apple smartphone, tablets, printers, routers, smart home devices, and anything that connects to the Internet, please feel free to contact my team at Integral. My team of friendly tech experts are always standing by to answer your questions and help make your technology useful and fun. Reach out to us a www.callintegralnow.com or phone at 888-256-0829. The following information is derived from the Grain Valley Police Department daily calls for service log for the week of August 21-27, 2019.
by Wayne Geiger It was a busy day. I rushed in the front door to quickly change clothes and head back out to another meeting. I heard the sound of the hairdryer coming from the bathroom. My daughter, home from school already, was holding the cat and said proudly, “I got the cat dry.” I was a little perplexed. “How did the cat get wet?” I asked. “You don’t know?” came back the reply. “Know what?” I said. She directed me to the basement door. Our home, at that time, was a little small for our six-member family. It’s redeeming quality was a sizable finished basement with additional restroom. It was like another home downstairs. Part of it served as a perfect space for our two boys while the girls stayed upstairs. I loved it too because we were able to line one of the rooms with bookshelves which was perfect for all my books. Clutching the cat, my daughter opened the basement door and awaited my reaction. I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. It had been raining extremely hard all day. Our home was located on a corner where two streets met. The phrase, “it’s all downhill from here” would have described our home at the time. That day, there was a great deal of rain and a lot of runoff. Unfortunately, it all headed in our direction. There was too much water, too fast and no way for our sump pump to handle that amount of water. In one day, our basement had become a sizable swimming pool. In our family, we refer to that time as “the great flood.” In horror, and almost in a dreamlike state, I pulled off my dress shoes, put on some old sneakers, and ran down the stairs to access the damage. Halfway down, I felt the cold water surround my ankles and I was still pretty high up on the stairs. I decided to keep going and get a closer look. As I walked down the stairs, the water came up to my thighs and eventually just below my chest. I wondered how many steps were left and if I needed to get my floaties. After reaching the floor, the water in our basement was about four-feet high. As I waded through the water, I had no idea what was below the surface. The water was dark, murky, and mysterious. I felt like I was in the ocean. The theme music from Jaws would have been appropriate. Although I couldn’t see in the water, I was cognizant of what was around me. There were bits and pieces of all sorts of debris floating in the water—including tiny particles. I was bewildered as to what these particles were and then it finally dawned on me! It was a mixture of cat litter and cat food. Days before, we had bragged about being such frugal shoppers and the great deal we had gotten on the “big bags”. “Why did we have to buy the giant bags,” I wondered? Then, I witnessed a small miracle, for which I am thankful. The plastic cat box, driven by unknown undercurrents, came floating by. It was well-used, but thankfully, it was above the water. At least one catastrophe avoided (emphasis on the cat in catastrophe). I wondered what other mysterious messes laid below the abyss. For a brief moment, I remembered the bathroom in the corner of the basement. No doubt, the toilet, like most everything else, was below the water. I hoped my sons had remembered to flush the last time they used it. I quickly removed the thought from my mind. Now was not the time for speculation and I did not own a decontamination suit. The basement looked somewhat familiar—at least from the waterline up. In the first room, were the particleboard bookshelves that housed my college, seminary, and other personal books, along with my wife’s cookbooks and other personal items. There were five bookshelves. Three of them had buckled and toppled because of the water and weight of the books. The other two remained at their post victoriously displaying several rows of books that were saved from the flood. The kid’s beta fish was also on the shelf. The little guy had missed his chance at freedom by a foot or so. In the next two rooms, I examined my sons’ living quarters and play area. Beds, toys, chest of drawers, guitars, saxophone, handheld portable devices, gaming systems, and more were all underwater. There was also the antique chest of drawers handed down to me from my grandparents who came to this country from Italy. The last room was a storage area, of sorts. In this room I kept some of my “extra” books and Bible commentary sets that would not fit on the shelf. I left them packed in the boxes for safe keeping and even put a dehumidifier to keep the moisture out. Dehumidifiers are not rated for floods. Always read the fine print. Thankfully, we had several friends who came to our aid. They offered some great advice and help. These dear friends came alongside and helped us carry everything upstairs and outside. This was quite the process. Because everything was soaked, normally heavy books became extremely heavy. In addition was the odor of wet materials. The immediate goal was to get it all outside and pile it in an area in the corner of the lot. A friend’s trailer, which would serve as a dumpster, would be coming soon. During the cleanup time, both my wife and I checked out emotionally. Typical human nature. A coping mechanism. We had to push down the intense pain in order to deal with the immediate problem. We each had our job. I worked in cleanup. She worked in restoration. She had rescued the clothes from downstairs and the plan was for her to go to the laundromat while I pitched our belongings into the dumpster. She couldn’t handle the sight of throwing our possessions in the trash. I’m not allowed to do laundry because of my failed attempt to wash her cashmere sweater early in our marriage. So, we each had our duty to do. Now was not the time to mourn. That would come later. As I stood before the huge, mangled pile of my past, I held a little, reddish, brown book in my hand. Hebrew grammar was one of the most-difficult classes for me in seminary. I spent hours studying every night. To the chagrin of my wife, I had 3x5 cards of Hebrew vocabulary and conjugated verbs taped all over the walls in my study room. My professor was Dr. Waylon Bailey and we used his textbook in class. I remember spending hours in that grammar book underlining, circling, highlighting, and adding notes. As I held the waterlogged book in my hand, the memories came in like a flood. Unfortunately, the book could not be saved. Naturally, I could buy the book again, but I would never have the same attachment or notes. There was nothing that could be done. I looked at the cover, flipped through a couple of pages, and with a heave threw it in the dumpster. I had dozens of books and the same number of untold stories. The books were a personal loss to me, but not the biggest loss. The wound that cut the deepest was the pictures of our family and personal documents. My wife and I lost many of our wedding photos and pictures of our children growing up. These pictures were taken before the digital age and could not be replaced. We also lost videos we had taken of the kids, awards, and other memorabilia that we had kept from their growing up years. To say that this was an extremely difficult time in our life would be an understatement. The great flood taught me several lessons. Interestingly, I can now see some of the beauty that grew up out of the ashes of despair. First, it reminded me that I cannot do life alone. During that time, I was overwhelmed, but caring friends came to our aid offering their wisdom, time, and resources to assist. I will never forget their kindness. I could not have done it without them. The second thing that I learned was, although our waterlogged and ruined material possessions ended up in a landfill somewhere, I still have the memories. No one can remove them from my mind. The great flood is one of those landmark events in our family that we talk about from time to time. It's actually brought us closer. And finally, I am reminded that things could always be worse. I am very grateful for the marvelous blessings of God. I also realize that there are many people who have suffered tremendous hardship and heartache. My story would be minuscule in comparison to theirs. So, things could always be worse. Sometimes, it’s the little, gentle reminders of that fact. On that fateful day, when I first looked upon that dreadful scene to see the destruction and mess, I was thankful that the dirty cat box came floating by. Wayne Geiger is the Pastor of First Baptist Grain Valley, an Adjunct Associate Professor of Speech, and freelance writer. He can be reached at waynegeiger.com. by John Unrein The Grain Valley Eagle Cross Country Teams got their season underway with a dominant showing during their home meet at Grain Valley North Middle School on August 31st. The boys and girls teams each took first place with scores of 21 and 20 points respectively. Both Eagles teams placed five of the top seven runners in the meet. Teams competing at the meet included Grain Valley, Fort Osage, Excelsior Springs, and Cameron. The two-mile course with gradual slopes ran fast despite wet conditions. The lowest score of the top five runners for each team determines the outcome. Michael Reddick of Fort Osage was the overall boy’s winner with a time of 10:58. Close behind him for the Eagles were second place finisher Junior Collin Clemens at 11:11, third place finisher Senior Jaxson Jarman at 11:33, fourth place finisher Senior Jake Sanders at 11:44, fifth place finisher Sophomore Mason McCain at 11:49, and seventh place finisher Sophomore Isaac Burd at 12:10. Grain Valley Sophomore Ella Casey continued her ascent as a runner from her strong showing last year. She was the girls overall race winner with a time of 13:22. That was 30 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher for the girls in what was stout display of running. Rounding out the other top five Eagles finishers were third place finisher Freshman Lexie Nicholson at 14:07, fourth place finisher Junior Valerie Holcomb at 14:10, fifth place finisher Freshman Peyton Bell at 14:20, and seventh place finisher Junior Annalynn Earley at 14:50. Head Cross Country Coach Nick Small was encouraged by the performance of his kids. “This was a great opportunity to get to see how the work they have been putting in from the end of Track season through the summer to now has led to some early season success. It was nice to get a team championship on both sides and we are looking forward to continuing to develop through the season as we now turn to our five-kilometer schedule,” Small said. “On the girl’s side, aside from another great performance from Ella Casey, Freshman Lexie Nicholson had a fantastic race. We are very excited about her potential moving forward. For the boys, honestly, we had a solid performance all around.” The Eagles Cross Country Team returns to action on Saturday, September 7th at 8:00 am during the Cross Country Invitational at Liberty North High School. Eagles runners push the pace of race. Pictured front left: Junior Collin Clemens. Center: Sophomore Mason McCain. Photo credit: Valley News staff Assistant Cross Country Coach Brian Winckler encourages runners a half mile from the finish line.
Photo credit: Valley News staff by John Unrein The Eagles football team ground out a tough win against the visiting Savannah Savages on Friday, August 30th. Both teams had game planned each other well in an attempt to shut down what the opposition did best. The ability of Grain Valley’s offense to churn out yards on the ground along with their defense being able to hold Savannah’s rushing game largely at bay led to the 14-12 victory. Savannah deployed a 3-3 stack defense (three down linemen with three stacked linebackers behind them) and played games by blitzing their linebackers through a variety of gaps all game. Grain Valley responded by running trap as a safe gap run against the blitz along with blending in jet sweeps and option. The combination of runs led to two touchdowns along with 261 yards rushing. Contributing ball carries for the Eagles included Senior Running Backs Jamore Goulden and Tanner Bailon, Junior Quarterback Cole Keller, as well as slot receivers Junior Parker Bosserman and Sophomore Logan Pratt. Goulden and Keller each found pay dirt with rushes of three and ten yards respectively. Goulden turned in a gritty performance in his first time starting for the Eagles at running back. His individual effort of 73 yards on 21 carries drew the praise of Eagles Head Football Coach David Allie. “Hats off to our running backs. They got the yards when we needed them tonight. Jamore was elected a captain this year based on his hard work and effort. He always has a smile on his face, puts his head down and gets what he can get, and comes back to carry the ball on the next play,” Allie said. One of the linemen assigned the task of pulling on trap runs to kick out the defensive end was Offensive Guard Jack Bailey. The returning starter and Junior praised his opponent along with sharing his joy for run blocking. “Savannah was physical. They flowed to the football very well. We found that if we ran trap away from motion, it would be successful for us. Getting to earhole block an unsuspecting defender is awesome,” Bailey said. Goulden was satisfied with his efforts along with being respectful of his opponent in his post-game comments. “They are a tough team that fights hard. I wanted to go toe to toe with them on every play. They hit you hard and let you know about it. Getting to score a touchdown in the second half and helping my team win was special,” Goulden said. Wide Receiver Gavin Oyler also turned in one of the key offensive plays of the game with 6:17 left in the third quarter after the Eagles scored to go up 12-6. The Senior came out after halftime suffering from cramps. Oyler kept the extra point attempt hold and rolled to his right. He was greeted by a Savannah defender only to absorb the contact and stretch the football across the goal line for a successful two-point conversion that put the Eagles ahead 14-6. Defensive Coordinator Pete Carpino chose to deploy an even front (four down defensive lineman) against Savannah. The linebacking corps and defensive ends were disciplined in reading their keys to eliminate big gains. Option meshes by the Savages often were greeted by multiple defenders attacking the ball carrier. The big trio, as they affectionately refer to themselves, consists of Senior Steele Blackmon, and Juniors Quincy Jones and Donovan McBride. All three defensive tackles were consistent in coming off the ball low, getting their hands on the offensive lineman in front of them first, while maintaining leverage and finding their keys. “First off, they had a good offensive line. We were physical though and kept our eyes on our reads,” McBride said. Jones added, “It was hard tonight, but we fought through it. Thanks to the coaching we got this week, we knew to sit down and keep ahold of the man in front of us. We spent a lot of time in the pit during practice leveraging our hips and it paid off tonight.” Blackmon put his summation on the defensive line’s effort for the evening. “They are a good offensive line. We are a better defensive line. I was in a two technique, head up on the guard getting double teamed most of the night. It was hard with their full house formation to make sure your eyes were in the correct gap while holding down the man in front of you.” The Eagles success in limiting Savannah’s rushing attack led the Savages to turn to the fade pass. Savannah connected on a deep vertical touchdown pass between Senior Quarterback Chase Spoonemore and Senior Running Back Noah Bodenhausen. The score would tie the game with 6:08 left in the second quarter. Savannah would miss the subsequent extra point. The Eagles would only give up one more score on the evening. “We were trying to prevent big plays. They hit us though on a couple of big plays on third down. We are a little beat up in the secondary and we had to rotate guys. The cohesiveness we usually have in the secondary was different tonight,” Allie said. “Hats off to our defense though. That front did a great job stopping their run game. You have to love one of the things we can’t coach and that’s the size of our guys up front along the defensive line. On top of that they are aggressive. Those three big boys anchoring inside allows our linebackers to flow freely.” Allie indicated that red zone efficiency on offense along with reading their keys better would be a focus for the upcoming week of practice. Defensively, he wanted the Eagles to work on not giving up things over the top in the passing game as well as prepping for the speed that they will see against the Grandview Bulldogs on Friday, September 6th, in their first Suburban Conference matchup of the season. Junior Quarterback Cole Keller hands off the football to Senior Running Back Jamore Goulden. Photo credit: John Overstreet Senior Running Back Jamore Goulden and Junior Offensive Lineman Jack Bailey. Senior Steele Blackmon, and Juniors Quincy Jones and Donovan McBride.
Photo credit: Valley News staff |
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