Two long touchdown runs and a goal-line stand in the first quarter set the tone for Edwardsburg in its 30-8 win over Hamilton in the opening round of the Michigan high school football playoffs.

Eddies’ running back Kyle Shrider scored on runs of 61 and 97 yards to help give his team a 16-0 lead before the end of the opening stanza.

The junior added a 17-yard touchdown run with 3:54 to play in the fourth quarter to put the game away for the Eddies, who improve to a 10-0 record.

The Eddies (10-0) have outscored their opponents 421-38 this season and have recorded five shutouts, including four in a row before Hamilton scored in the second quarter of Friday’s game at Edwardsburg.

Edwardsburg coach Kevin Bartz said Hamilton was the most difficult team his players have faced this season.

“They are a very good offensive team… averaging more than 30 points a game with a good running game and a good passing game,” he said. “We knew we weren’t going to come in and just completely shut them down. They did get down in the red zone. I thought our kids did a great job of stepping up and making the big plays.”

The most important play of the game might have happened late in the first quarter as Hamilton responded to Shrider’s 61-yard touchdown run, which opened scoring at the 7:25 mark.

The Hawkeye’s looked like they were about to tie the game after a long drive, but the Eddies stopped them a few feet short of the goal line on fourth down with 2:13 to play in the quarter.

Soon after, Shrider broke free for a 97-yard run to give the Eddies a two-score advantage.

“To get that two touchdown lead was huge,” Bartz said. “Part of it was getting our kids to believe they could compete with this team and I think once we hit that point we knew we were in good shape.”

Hamilton got on the scoreboard when junior Trenton Lane scored on an 8-yard run with 8:02 left to play in the first half, making the score 16-8 after a successful 2-point conversion.

The Hawkeye’s had another good opportunity to score before the end of the half, but Eddies senior Keshaune Rucker intercepted the ball at the Eddies’ 11-yard-line to stop the threat.

Quarterback Cameron Ekanayake scored on a 6-yard run with 8:31 to play in the third quarter as the Eddies increased their lead to 22-8.

Edwardsburg rushed for 417 yards, led by Shrider with 214 yards on 20 carries. Ekanayake added 70 yards on 11 carries and was 1-of-4 for 14 yards passing.

Defensively, the Eddies held the Hawkeyes to 239 yards of total offense, of which 168 came on the ground.

Austin Cline led Edwardsburg with 15 tackles, while Chase Tarwacki had 10. Terek Curtis and Joe Raab each recorded seven stops.

Edwardsburg will host Lakeshore in the Division 3 district championship game Friday night.

The Eddies defeated the Lancers 34-21 in last year’s title game.

 

EDWARDSBURG 30, HAMILTON 8

At Edwardsburg

Hamilton                     0          8          0          0 – 8

Edwardsburg           16          0          6          8 – 30

E – Kyle Shrider 61 run (Nick Bradley run).

E – Shrider 97 run (Cameron Ekanayake run).

H – Trenton Lane 8 run (Lane run).

E – Ekanayake 6 run (run failed).

E – Shrider 17 run (Shrider pass from Ekanayake).

Varsity records: Hamilton (5-5), Edwardsburg 10-0.