VILONIA -- The Vilonia offense is usually the Austin Myers show.
The Eagles' senior quarterback came into this week leading the state in passing yards, passing touchdowns and completion percentage, making him one of the more valuable cogs in the Eagles' game plan.
But with winds blowing south as much as 14 mph ahead of kickoff, the run game was king at Vilonia on Friday. The Eagles ran for 314 yards on 50 carries en route to a 28-14 victory against Harrison. It marked the first time Vilonia had beaten the Goblins in six years.
"The selflessness really showed tonight on our team," Myers said. "Like, I'm just one little, small piece of the puzzle to a great offense, and a great defense as well."
Vilonia (7-0, 4-0 5-West) finished with 472 total yards.
Vilonia had three different ball carriers -- Lane Hunter, Kannon Bartlett and Seth Kirk -- finish the night with 10-plus carries. Hunter led the way with 135 yards and 2 touchdowns. Bartlett totaled 98 yards on the ground and another 63 yards on 6 catches. And with 14 carries, Kirk proved crucial between the tackles, rushing for 84 yards and a score.
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"We hadn't established the run this year," Vilonia Coach Todd Langrell said. "We did tonight, and the execution of that was the main reason we came out with a victory."
Despite the success on the ground, it wasn't something for which the Eagles game-planned, Langrell said. The offense, as per usual, planned to go through Myers, who Langrell said worked well in pre-game throwing the ball into the wind. But as the game progressed, it was evident the passing game would have issues for both teams.
In all, Myers and Harrison quarterback Logan Plumlee combined to throw five interceptions, with Plumlee totaling four and Myers just one, though Myers' pick was returned about 30 yards for a touchdown by Harrison's Dylan Block.
"You can't practice [windy conditions], but it really comes into play, especially when both teams throw the football a lot," Harrison Coach Joel Wells, who called Friday's wind a "huge factor," said.
Both Vilonia and Harrison are, as Wells said, teams that throw the ball a great deal. While Myers is one of the state's leading passers, Plumlee isn't too far behind, as he came into the night No. 28 in the state in passing yards with 1,165.
Into the second quarter, Langrell said, is when the Eagles made a shift to emphasizing the run, and it showed.
In the first quarter, 17 of the Eagles' 29 plays on offense were passes. After the quarter, the Eagles threw the ball just nine more times, while they handed it off another 38.
Both Myers and Langrell were complimentary of Vilonia's offensive line, but Myers also harped on his team's depth when it comes to playmakers.
"They're selfless people," Myers said before naming off a dozen teammates. "They're amazing people. I look around and I've just got dudes everywhere. It's awesome. We've got so many options."
The Vilonia defense played arguably as big a part as the Eagles' run game in the win, holding Plumlee to 10 of 26 passing for 123 yards, a touchdown and 4 interceptions. In all, Harrison (4-3, 2-2) finished with just 33 yards on the ground, making their total yardage 156.
Despite the loss, a standout performer for the Goblins was Block, who finished the night with a touchdown run, an interception touchdown return, and a fumble recovery.
