The Chester County Jr. High Eagles came up just short Thursday night, falling 30–26 to Decatur County Middle in a dramatic finish.
The game started with fireworks as Maddox Lewis connected with Jsean Austin for an 80-yard pop-pass touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. The Eagles’ defense forced a turnover on downs later in the first half, and Austin broke free again for a 63-yard rushing score. However, two long touchdowns were wiped off the board by penalties — both questionable calls that stalled momentum.
Decatur County led 14–12 at halftime, but special teams gave the Eagles an immediate spark to open the third quarter. After the Panthers extended their lead to 22–12, Talon Clayton returned the ensuing kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown to close the gap. Austin added his third touchdown of the night — a 69-yard run — to put Chester County ahead 26–22 late in the fourth.
The defense came up big with key stops, including a fourth-down tackle by Braylen Stewart, but the Panthers converted a late fourth down and then connected on a 25-yard touchdown pass on 3rd-and-13 to reclaim the lead. An unusual onside kick recovery by Decatur County allowed them to run out the clock.
Head coach Chad Hanna credited his team’s fight despite limited practice time due to extreme heat and no scrimmages before the opener. “Considering the lack of practice time and digging into the depth chart, I felt the boys held their own and gave us a shot to win,” he said. “Overcoming the flags and mounting injuries was too much, but I’m proud of the way we fought to stay in the game.”
