FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -  The Eastside Eagles opened region play with a surprising 32-28 road loss against an explosive Flowery Branch Falcons aerial attack.

“I mean, we just didn’t make plays,” Eastside head coach Jay Cawthon said. “All credit to them (Flowery Branch), they made the plays, and we didn’t.”

The Eagles started the game with an interception, courtesy of senior cornerback Jace Taylor, before powering their way to the two-yard line. 

Senior running back Myles Mims punched in his fourth rushing touchdown of the season, giving Eastside a brief 7-0 lead. 

The Falcons quickly struck back with a 75-yard passing touchdown from senior quarterback Brett Strum  to senior wide receiver Tre Shields, evening the score at 7-7.

Back on offense, the Eagles relied on their physicality and rushing attack, driving down the field. The drive ended with Mims’ fifth rushing touchdown of the season, bringing the score to 14-7.

Strum and the Falcons beat the Eagles through the air again, as Strum found Shields again for a 50-yard gain, putting the Falcons deep in Eagles territory. With 3:17 left in the first quarter, Falcons’ tight end Eli Poole caught a wide-open 5-yard touchdown pass to equalize.

Looking to repeat their rushing success, the Eagles started their second drive on the ground, only to fumble on first down, giving the Falcons prime field position on the 25-yard line. The Eagles’ defense held strong, forcing a turnover on downs and handing the ball back to senior quarterback Payton Shaw  and the offense. 

However, the Falcons matched the Eagles’ physicality, stopping the run and forcing a punt, only to stall on offense to end the first quarter.

Mims and senior running back Tyler Solomon  spearheaded the ensuing drive, often running out of the wildcat formation. The drive stalled near the Falcons’ 20-yard line, resulting in a turnover on downs after a failed fourth-and-one play. 

Despite the poor field position, history rhymed for the Falcons, torching the Eagles’ secondary with an 80-yard passing touchdown from Strum to junior wide receiver Tyler Robinson. A missed extra point left the Falcons up 20-14 with 5:53 left in the second quarter. 

Crucially, the missed extra point gave the Eagles a chance to take the lead before the half. Shaw found senior wide receiver Chase Jordan on a 40-yard pass, pushing the Eagles into the red zone. Mims completed his touchdown hat-trick with a four-yard carry, giving the Eagles the 21-20 lead and ending scoring for the first half.

Eastside junior running back Amond Sands joined the party in the third quarter, scoring the Eagles’ fourth rushing touchdown of the night from five yards out, extending the lead to eight points. 

Momentum stayed with the Falcons, who drove down the field and scored a field goal, which, more importantly, brought the score within five points and a defensive stop away from retaking the lead.

Matching the Eagles’ physicality, the Falcons held their ground, forcing the Eagles to punt near midfield. Chaos ensued, as the Falcons’ senior cornerback Riley Bourrie blocked and returned the Eagles’ punt for a 40-yard go-ahead touchdown with eight minutes left in the game. 

Forcing the Eagles to punt again, the Falcons scored one more field goal before intercepting Shaw with 2:03 left in the fourth quarter, sealing the win. 

“We had a lot of guys play good games and make good plays; they made more plays than we did,” Cawthon repeatedly said following the game.

The Eagles will hope to return to the win column at home next week as they face the 3-1 Madison County Red Raiders at Sharp Stadium.