Flashback Friday: Eagles Take Down Southern Oregon in NAIA FCS Semifinals
By Mike DeVader, Reinhardt Director of Athletic Communications & Media
Photo Courtesy of Jake McDonald, CORE 360 Magazine
WALESKA, Ga. – Today's Flashback Friday took place on Dec. 2, 2017, where Trevae Cain's 2-yard touchdown run in double overtime pushed the Reinhardt Eagles (12-0) over the 12-1 Southern Oregon Raiders, 37-34, and earned the team a spot in the 62nd annual NAIA Football National Championship for the first time in history.
"Great team victory as we persevered and found a way to win," head coach James Miller said. "Hats off to Southern Oregon on a great team and season. Billy Hall played a great game for us and really stepped up. Trevae Cain carried the load on offensMae with 22 carries for 103 yards and a big 4th-down conversion; he stepped up big time.
"Our defense made huge stops. 4th-and-1, game on the line – such a big-time stop, and in overtime to hold them to a field goal. What a job by the kids and our staff. I'm so excited for the University, our kids and coaches. We have put a lot of work into this and it paid off. What an amazing group of young men… so proud to coach them. We have to FINISH!"
The Eagles came out with energy on both sides of ball to start the game, but it was Southern Oregon who was able to methodically go down the field on the first drive and go up, 3-0. Reinhardt would immediately respond with two-straight touchdowns from freshman quarterback Billy Hall – who made his first-career start – as he rumbled for a 26-yard score and then found Ronnie Chambliss from 29 yards out on a one-handed catch in the end zone.
Down, 14-3, the Raiders didn't panic. In fact, immediately following a kneeled kickoff at their own 4-yard-line, Matt Boudreaux streaked down the sideline for a 96-yard touchdown from Tanner Trosin.
The scoreboard would remain 14-10 for the majority of the second quarter until Chambliss got loose again, this time from 28 yards out, to propel the Eagles to a 21-10 advantage at the break. Southern Oregon's championship pedigree would show itself in the third period, as the visitors would hold Reinhardt quiet before going 70 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown. The Raiders would get within four (21-17) on an 18-yard pass.
Both teams would exchange punts until Southern Oregon got the ball back late in the fourth quarter looking for the go-ahead score. The Raiders would move the ball from their own 20 to Reinhardt's 16-yard-line. On 4th-and-1, Southern Oregon was stopped short by Kareem Warren on a turnover on downs.
The Eagles got the ball back with less than five minutes left looking to run out the clock and punch their ticket to Florida. The tide would turn, however, as Hall would get sacked near midfield and fumble the football – and it was picked up and returned for a Raider touchdown.
Otis Odom would provide a spark on the ensuing kickoff when things looked bleak for Reinhardt. He returned the kick 50 yards to the Southern Oregon side of the field. The Eagles would tack on 15 more yards on the play thanks to a Raider personal foul penalty.
Reinhardt wouldn't advance the ball past the 31-yard-line, setting the stage for Nick Marquez to tie the contest with a career-long 48-yarder, and he nailed it.
The drama was only just beginning.
Southern Oregon kept the ball in the air and had to punt back to the Eagles, but Odom would muff the punt and it was recovered by the Raiders at the Reinhardt 39-yard-line with 16 seconds left.
The Eagle defense would only allow six yards as the Raiders set up the game-winning field goal from 50 yards away. Jaxon Clark's attempt would go just wide right as the teams headed to overtime.
Reinhardt would march down for a score on the first possession of overtime as Cain crossed the goal line from two yards out. Trosin would come through in the clutch on the second play of his possession and hit his receiver for a 27-yard score to tie the game up again at 31-31.
The Raiders would hit another field goal to go up by three in double overtime, but it was time for a historic drive led by a freshman quarterback in his first start.
The call of the game, and maybe the call of the season, came on 4th-and-1 as Miller decided to trust his offense to go earn its bid in the title game. Cain would rumble for a first down, and then on the very next play, plunge into the paint from two yards out – sending his Eagles to the ultimate game in Daytona.
Cain was the workhorse for Reinhardt's rushing attack with 103 yards and two scores on 22 carries. Hall added 44 on the ground and a touchdown. Through the air, the Eagle signal caller tallied 202 yards and a pair of scores.
Hall was tabbed Offensive Player of the Game.
"It started with us having a great week of practice," Hall said. "The coaches got us prepared and we had a great game plan. Everybody had everybody's back. We kept picking each other up throughout the game… as Coach Miller tells us, 'There's going be a lot of highs and lows in the game,' and we stayed together through it all."
The hosts ran for 248 yards and totaled 450 yards of offense in the victory, even though they were outgained by the Raiders – who had 467 yards for the game.
On the other side of the ball, Javier Dyer earned Defensive Player of the Game after leading the Eagles in tackles with eight total stops, a sack and a pass breakup in the semifinal triumph.
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