Eaton ends regular season, heads to playoffs with dominating win over Timber Creek
Charles Whitebear scored three touchdowns and Haslet Eaton dominated Keller Timber Creek, 43-14, in its final regular season game on Wednesday at Northwest ISD Stadium.
The Eagles (7-3 overall, 5-1 district) wrapped up the regular season District 4-6A runner-up and will be No. 1 in Division 2. They will host Weatherford at a time and day still to be determined.
Timber Creek (4-5, 2-3) can still make the postseason with a win over Keller on Monday. The Falcons can also clinch the No. 2 seed in Division 1 with a loss by nine points or less. Keller will clinch if it beats Timber Creek by at least 10 points.
Whichever team clinches, will face Euless Trinity in the first round.
“We’re healthy and should be at full strength come playoffs,” Eaton coach Ellis Miller said. “I wouldn’t bet against us. The players want it, they’re hungry and ready to go.”
Colby Sessums connected on field goals of 38 and 32 yards in the first half. His 38-yarder gave the Eagles a 3-0 lead just before the first quarter ended. Timber Creek fumbled on the ensuing kickoff and Sessums’ 32-yard FG extended the lead to 6-0 with 10:11 left in the second quarter.
The Falcons’ Cam Minix intercepted an Eaton pass, but the Eagles forced Timber Creek to a punt.
Following the punt, Eaton went 54 yards on five plays as quarterback Braden St. Ama found Max Sio-Johnson for a 39-yard TD and 13-0 lead just over four minutes before intermission.
After another TC punt, Eaton increased the margin to 19-0 when St. Ama and Whitebear hooked up for an 11-yard touchdown with 6.6 seconds on the clock.
“We came out slow on offense, but our defense was heated up. It was about making some small adjustments that got us over the hump,” Miller said.
Eaton gained 182 yards in the first half and held Timber Creek to minus-2 yards on offense.
Things didn’t get better in the third quarter for the Falcons as they fumbled on the second half kickoff. Whitebear stripped the ball and returned it 35 yards to push Eaton’s lead to 26-0.
“I saw the ball and a chance to make a big play so I took it and scored,” Whitebear said. “The team needed a big play coming out of the half to push the lead.”
Whitebear scored his third TD of the night when he caught a 24-yard pass from St. Ama to make it 33-7 with 7:50 left in the third quarter. The scoring drive came after Timber Creek got on the board with an 11-yard TD run by Kaden Bess.
“Charles is a beast,” Miller said. “He’s a defensive end that plays wide receiver. Any time the ball is in the air, he’s got a 90% chance of catching it, even with two or three guys on him.”
Brock Hayward picked off a Timber Creek pass and three plays later, St. Ama scored on a 1-yard keeper for a 40-7 lead with under five minutes to go in the period. The big play was a 43-yard pass from St. Ama to Royal Evans to the TC 4.
Timber Creek backup QB TJ Williams scored the Falcons’ second TD with a 9-yard run.
Sessums hit his third FG with a 17-yarder in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles finished with 336 yards of total offense. TC ended with 165. Isaac Jones led Eaton with 109 yards on 17 carries. St. Ama added 137 yards passing and three TDs. Timber Creek was led by 63 yards rushing from Bess.
“It was a great team win. Offense started off slow, but we picked it up and made some big plays,” said Whitebear, who had four catches for 51 yards. “We came through some adversity. This team has a lot of potential and we have a really good chance at making a little playoff run.”
This story was originally published December 2, 2020 at 9:32 PM.
