GREENTOWN So many big plays highlighted Easterns first win over Oak Hills football team in five years on Friday night, its hard to pick one that was the brightest in the Comets 31-28 win at Cogdell Field.

But the fourth quarter sure did provide plenty of them.

Trailing the Golden Eagles 21-17 at the start of the fourth quarter, Eastern strung together two scores including a 52-yard Braden Sparks punt return to paydirt and a 62-yard two minute drive that quarterback Garrett Hetzner capped with a one-yard plunge to put the Comets up for good and three great defensive stands, the final one putting a big exclamation mark on the win when junior linebacker Luke Monize sacked Oak Hill quarterback Landry Ozmun on third down to all but seal the win.

I just knew I had to give it my all on that play, Monize said of the sack, which put Oak Hill in a fourth-and-19 situation at the Comet 49 with under :30 to play. An incomplete pass on the following play allowed the Comets to take over on downs and kneel down with :18 to play.

Man, that was incredible, Monize said. Im just proud of the team for stepping up in the situation. Its a great way to start the season.

Despite his big sack, and the play he pointed out from teammates Asher Walden (an interception and sack) and Tyler Hurston and Otis Smith (sacks earlier in the final defensive stand), his favorite moment was Sparks punt return TD, which put Eastern up 24-21 with 6:55 to play.

Definitely that punt return, that was a changer, Monize said. I was shocked honestly. I didnt expect it to happen but Im glad it did.

Oak Hill responded to that score with a with a quick, seven-play drive that went 71 yards as Ozmun found Jonah Powell from four yards out and the Eagles went up 28-24.

The Comets answered that with the 62-yard drive that Hetzner capped with his score less than two minutes later to put Eastern up 31-28.

We gave up the score with under four minutes left and our guys just march it, Comet coach Josh Edwards said. Garrett Hetzners will on the goal line to get that ball in the end zone, just tremendous. We went out and got it. When we had to make those big plays at the end of the game and our defense stiffened up on the pass defense, that was just huge.

Hetzner added a TD run from 13 yards out to cap Easterns opening drive of the night and put the Comets up 7-0. The QB completed 11 of 19 passes for 115 yards on the night, connecting with Elijah Elkins on a 22-yard TD pass in the third quarter to put Eastern up 17-14. VanMatre added a 29-yard field goal with :20 to play in the first half that got Eastern within 14-10 after the Eagles opened went up 14-7 on back-to-back scores.

Sophomore Tytus Morrisett finished with 84 yards on 15 carries to lead Eastern, all of those coming in the second half when he was called upon after Dontae Nolder went out with a knee injury in the first half.

We needed a guy that was going to hit the holes, Edwards said. We were doing okay but we felt like we needed more than three [yards]. And Tytus put his shoulder down and it was a difference maker. This win is a team win because we had so many contributors that stepped in for us.

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