By Gary Thomas

In a key 2A Region 3 battle, the outcome was plain and simple: the winner stays home and the loser hits the road in the first round of the AHSAA state playoffs. The Goshen Eagles secured their home-field advantage for playoffs with a decisive 42-12 victory over the Luverne Tigers on Friday.

Little time was wasted in the game as the Eagles scored at 10:36 in the first quarter. Quarterback Jayden McNabb raced 54 yards for the game’s first score. The PAT kick was true as Goshen was up 7 to 0 over the home-stadium Tigers.

With 7:34 showing on the scoreboard clock, tailback Szemerick Andrews rambled 53 yards for an Eagles’ touchdown. The kick was good as Goshen led 14-0.

Luverne got their first and only touchdown of the first quarter when Tiger tailback Elliot Harris ran 65 yards into the Eagles end zone as the score read Eagles 14, Tigers 6. McNabb claimed the Eagles’ third touchdown of the quarter on the four-yard line, plunging into the Tiger end zone for a 21 to 6 lead at the three-minute mark.

To start the second quarter, Luverne hit pay dirt again when quarterback Kane Smith hit tight end Malakai Matthews on a touchdown throw. The Tigers cut into the Eagles’ lead 21-12 as the first half came to close. 

With 5:12 left in the third quarter, McNabb was up to his old ways and hit running back Andrews on a 15-yard pass for the touchdown. The Eagles were up 29 to 12 after a successful two-point run. 

To begin the fourth quarter, the Tigers drove down to the Eagle 15-yard line to score, but a Smith pass was picked off by safety Andrews as he outraced the Tigers into the end zone to give Goshen a 35 to 12 lead. The Eagles sealed the Tigers’ doom win McNabb hit McLendon on a 73-yard touchdown score to give Goshen a 42-2 victory over Luverne.

Goshen ended region play in second place at 5-1, while Luverne ended at third with a 4-2 mark. Goshen will end the regular season at Straughn and the Luverne Tigers take on the Daleville Warhawks. Both games will kick off at 7 p.m. Friday night.