Magnolia Blue Eagle senior runningback Jayson Keller rushed for 129 yards on 34 carries and scored a touchdown to help the Eagles claim a 17-13 victory over the Barnesville Shamrocks Oct. 21 in the ‘Pumpkin City’ to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Magnolia won the toss and elected to take the ball. They marched down the field and capped off an eight-play, 80-yard drive with a Keller six-yard TD scamper for the game’s first points. Michael Jones split the uprights on the PAT for Magnolia to give the visitors a 7-0 advantage.

The Blue Eagle defense held Barnesville to a three and out keyed by a Tyler Blizzard tackle for loss, forcing a Shamrock punt. Magnolia took advantage of the good field position and marched right down the field with Jones splitting the uprights on a 35-yard field goal with 4:03 left in period one.

Barnesville started its next drive at their-own 17-yard line. After a positive run, the Shamrocks gained 17 yards on a roll out. However, the Shamrock drive would stall after an MHS Kage Rohde tackle for loss of yardage. The Eagles were again in good field position, at their own 31-yard line, with a minute and change left in period one.

The Shamrock defense would hold Magnolia, keyed by an Eagle infraction, and got the ball back after a nice Bentley Knight punt. However, Barnesville would go on a 57-yard drive, keyed by a 30-yard QB keeper and a fourth down pickup. The drive was capped-off by a 13-yard TD run to get the hosts on the scoreboard midway into the second period of play. The PAT kick was off its mark and the Eagles were clinging to a 10-6 lead. Blizzard also recorded a quarterback sack during the drive.

The fired up Shamrock defense would hold the Blue Eagle offense to minimal yardage and would get the ball back. The Eagles’ Stephen Rogalski would make two outstanding defensive plays in the secondary and the Eagles got the ball back at their own 27-yard line. Both teams moved the ball some, but would each punt the ball back to each other the remainder of the second period.

The Shamrocks pinned the Eagles down at their own six-yard line with less than two minutes remaining in the first half. But, on third and long, Jayson Keller picked up the needed yardage to move the chains. The Eagles’ Tanner Hanna would take a knee and the Blue and Gold would go into the locker room up 10-6 with Barnesville getting the ball back to start the second half.

After the break, Barnesville would march down the field and score on a fourth down pass play of 14-yards to give the hosts the lead at 13-10 on its first drive of the second half.

Rogalski returned the ensuing kick 29-yards to start his team’s first drive of the half. Keller tacked on a pair of long runs, with the help of some nice downfield blocking by Rogalski. Keller gained a few more yards thanks to the blocking of the Eagles’ front line. The Eagles got the ball all the way down to the ‘Rock 34-yard line, before the hosts would take over on downs.

The Barnesville offense was wearing down the smaller Eagles and moved the ball to midfield. That is when the Magnolia defense strapped down their helmets and went to work, causing a fumble recovered by Rohde.

After a Shamrock personal foul, the Eagles’ Rogalski would gain positive yards on an end-around. He would then go the distance on a 14-yard toss by Hanna to give Magnolia back the lead.

After the ensuing kick, Knight and Brandon Clegg would make nice tackles, while Rogalski would swat his third pass deflection to force a ‘Rock three-and-out. Barnesville would also hold Magnolia to a three-and-out and would take over after another nice Knight punt.

The Shamrock offense then went right to work and picked up a couple first downs, including one that was nearly intercepted. The Magnolia duo of Clegg and Cole Seckman made it hard for the Shamrocks to get any further and the Eagle defense would help cause a Barnesville fumble that Nick Blatt recovered for Magnolia.

With only a little over six minutes remaining, the Eagles offense needed to keep the clock moving and run out the clock. During the drive, Magnolia was faced with a pair of third and long situations, but Blatt would haul in a Hanna tight end screen pass and Keller would pick up needed yardage on a nine-yard run to move the chains and keep that clock running. Barnesville would finally get a stop and force a punt.

However, the Knight punt pinned the Shamrocks to the 14-yard line. Barnesville needed to gain 86 yards to score with just a little over two minutes remaining in the game; they went to the air. After another Rogalski deflection in the secondary, the Shamrocks would miss-fire on its next three passes and Magnolia would get the ball back and run out the clock for the win.

Jayson Keller rushed for 129-yards on 34 carries and scored a touchdown to lead the Eagles’ ground game, while Rogalski hauled in three Hanna passes for 65 yards and a touchdown to pace the Magnolia air attack.

Hanna completed seven passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. He also completed two passes to Blatt and Jayson Keller for 24 yards.

Defensively, Rohde and Drew Keller each recorded a dozen tackles, with Rohde tacking on a pair of tackles for loss of yardage and recovered a fumble.

Rogalski only needs one more TD reception to tie Kenny Fisher for the career TD receptions, while Jayson Keller only needs 20 yards to surpass Stingray Bates for the career yardage record. Keller has rushed for 823 yards on the season and has scored 11 touchdowns this season. And Magnolia Head Coach Mark Batton only needs on more victory to reach 100 wins.

You might be able to see these three milestones happen if you attend Friday night, Oct. 28, at Alumni Field when the Eagles host the Oak Glen Golden Bears at 7:30 p.m.