The Eureka Junior High Tornadoes opened their 2025 season Thursday with a dominating 36-8 win over the Bluestem Lions. The Eureka squad, with only 15 available athletes due to illness and low numbers overall, all managed the road victory with several new players playing key roles.
Bluestem began the game kicking to the Tornadoes. The kick was fielded by 8th grader Gavin Gonzalez and returned all the way for a touchdown. Fellow 8th grader Felix Neill ran in the conversion, and with 7 seconds of game time gone, the Tornadoes had an 8-point lead. Eureka then kicked to the Lions and recovered the kick. After Neill gained 30 yards on a rush, and 8th grader Cord Adkins added 12 more, the Lions’ defense stiffened and forced the Tornadoes to turn the ball over on downs. Bluestem promptly fumbled the ball back to the Tornadoes, who took over on the Lions’ 16-yard line. Two rushes by quarterback Adkins put the ball into the endzone. A successful conversion run by 8th grader Marcus Pearce made the score 16-0.
