The Magnolia Blue Eagles’ flight of six straight playoff berths took a major hit when Robert C. Byrd High School used the big play and lightning to defeat Magnolia 27-6 in Clarksburg Oct. 15.

Magnolia took the opening kick to start the game. On the second play from scrimmage, Jayson Keller’s two-yard run pushed him over 2,000 yards for his career.

Lightning halted play for the next 30 minutes.

The Eagles couldn’t get anything going the rest of the half, while RCB used a pair of 58-yard touchdown runs and a 24 yarder to spring out to a comfortable 21-0 lead at the break.

In the second half, the Eagle defense showed up and stopped RCB without a goal in the third period, while Keller scored Magnolia’s only tally with a four-yard TD scamper. RCB tacked on a late touchdown run for the final points of the game.

Magnolia had only 95 yards rushing after 40 yards were wiped away with a host of quarterback sacks. Keller was credited with 125 yards rushing on 26 carries and a touchdown, while Steven Rogalski picked up 10 yards on two touches.

In the air, Tanner Hanna was 7-22 for 71 yards and was picked off twice. Keller hauled in three Hanna passes for 51 yards, while Rogalski and Gage Deem combined for 20 yards on three receptions.

The Eagles moved the chains four more times than RCB in the game with 11, while the hosts had seven more penalties and 45 more yards lost to yellow flags.

Keller is closing in on another school record, having already broken the record for most TDs from the ground. Keller is only 164 yards from breaking Stingray Bates’ career school rushing record, while Rogalski is still three TDs away from breaking Kenny Fisher’s career TD receiving record of 25.

Defensively, sophomore Drew Keller led the Blue and Gold with 11 tackles.

The Eagles playoff chances are slim, but anything can happen in high school football.

The Eagles’ quest to defend its Class-AA title starts with the Barnesville Shamrocks on Friday, Oct. 22, in the Pumpkin City, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Magnolia will finish its season against Oak Glen and then Grafton.