ELDON, Mo. - For the Blair Oaks Falcons, Saturday night's game at Eldon came down to two numbers - 26 and 2.
The 26 refers to the unanswered first-quarter points the Falcons were able to put up, which were enough to ensure a 28-6 win against the Mustangs.
The more important, two, refers to the number of quarterbacks Blair Oaks lost to injury in the contest.
Then you add in the fact the Falcons also lost speedster Dominic Jamerson to his lingering hamstring injury, and it was a night to forget.
"We came out and started fast, which is what we wanted to do," Blair Oaks coach Brad Drehle said. "We took advantage of some things we thought we could do, and I'm proud of the kids for hanging in there at the end. It wasn't easy."
It certainly was easy in the first 12 minutes of game time. After the game was postponed by lightning Friday and rescheduled, it was the Falcons making the quick strikes on Saturday.
The Falcons took the opening kickoff and marched in just seven plays, four of them going for 10 yards or more. The drive got capped by an interesting 4-yard touchdown run, as quarterback Mikel Drehle handed off to running back Caleb Bischoff, who was quickly swarmed under by the Eldon defense. But Bischoff alertly pitched in back to Drehle, who scampered in for the score.
After Eldon went three-and-out, Blair Oaks needed just one play to score again. Jamerson raced 68 yards through the entire Mustangs defense, twice using quick bursts to pull away from opponents, but it was a costly run.
"After his touchdown run, he was done," Brad Drehle said. "It's still that hamstring. You feel bad for that kid. He's worked extremely hard.
"He had that burst when the (final defender) closed on him a little bit and he made that second burst and that's when it really tightened up on him. Hopefully for his sake he's able to get there. It may be the sort of thing where he may just have to take a couple weeks off."
Another three-and-out by Eldon led to another Blair Oaks score. This time the Falcons covered 50 yards in five plays, capped by a 28-yard touchdown run on a busted play. Mikel Drehle took a high snap to his right, reversed field and then outran the defense to the end zone.
When Eldon failed to cover the ensuing kickoff, and Blair Oaks recovered it, the Falcons were in business at the Mustangs' 23. Four plays later, Drehle scored on a 1-yard run and the 26-0 start was complete.
During the period, the Falcons held a whopping 230-8 edge in yardage.
The teams did little in the second period besides trade penalties and trade interceptions. But the second bit of bad news for Blair Oaks came with roughly a minute left before halftime when Drehle left the game after reinjuring a knee that troubled him in the preseason.
"It was the same knee, and he also got his ankle on the play," Brad Drehle said.
At halftime, the Falcons led in total yardage 308-38 and had an advantage of 9-2 in first downs, and one of Eldon's came via a Blair Oaks penalty.
The Falcons' final score at the 9:02 mark of the third quarter. The Mustangs dropped back to punt around their 35-yard line and Caleb Bischoff blocked it with such force it rolled back through the end zone for a safety.
A 41-yard field goal by Levi Shinn with 3:44 left in the third quarter and a 44-yarder at the game's final horn accounted for all of the scoring for Eldon.
"I was very proud of our defense, they hung in there and didn't give up a score, and they could have," Brad Drehle said.
Jordan Hair, who replaced Mikel Drehle at quarterback, left the game with less than five minutes left following a 10-yard run.
"Jordan was the same way as Mikel, when he made a cut, he twisted and he also got the knee and ankle," Brad Drehle said. "...We'll have to wait and see. Both of them need to ice and we'll evaluate them (this) afternoon."
The Falcons ran just 18 offensive plays in the second half after 36 in the first half.
"Our kids have worked hard and done some good things and tried to establish an identity and we thought we had something," Drehle said. "Now with injuries, we've got to start again. Each week we have to get better and now it may be the next guy up. Who's ready to play?"
The Falcons lost the turnover battle 5-1. They fumbled the ball six times, losing four of them, and threw one interception. Each team failed to execute on special teams as well, with the Falcons muffing a punt and losing possession, which the Mustangs failed to cover the aforementioned kickoff.
"We gave them extra possessions," Drehle said. "Those are things we've got to clean up and continue to get better. We're not where we want to be right now. Defensively we're playing awfully well. But when we get into this thing and play some really good competition week after week in the Tri-County (Conference), we've got to hang on to the football."
But at the end of the day, an ugly win is better than a loss. The Falcons are now 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the conference, while the Mustangs are 1-2 and 0-1.
"We did what we wanted to - get out of this 3-0, win a district game, and get the full points for it," Drehle said.
The Falcons return to action Friday when they host Hallsville.