After a half-decade of underperforming football at Eureka college it was time to find some talent that would fire up the Eureka faithful. Head coach and Eureka Football Hall of Famer, Kurt Barth knows a little something about finding some pieces. Barth has always been a master class of a recruiter; he has recruited players from all over the country. One of his biggest recruits was Sam Durley, the former strength and conditioning coach and new offensive coordinator. Sam has been a crucial part of this Red Devil team. Both Barth & Durley have devoted hours upon hours into this program and this off-season. They feel like this could be a special season, a season that all of Eureka has been waiting for.
The talk of campus since last spring was Kaeden Frazier, a 6’3 Junior from Clarkstown, Washington. He has been on campus since early July getting ready for the Red Devil’s upcoming season.
“Coach Durley and Coach Barth played a huge role in my final decisions to come here,” Kaeden Frazier said. “The hospitality and professionalism shown to make sure that my academics were all set, just showed how much they truly care about you as a person.”
Frazier connected with Wide receivers Kobe Newman and Sebastian Hill this offseason to ask them to get some early work. Taking full advantage of a new quarterback arriving in the fall, the upper-class wideouts got straight to work. They frequently got together in the summer to start building a connection, putting them months ahead of schedule. With all the pieces slowly coming together, many believed this will be the year the Red Devil’s become contenders again.
After an impressive offseason, this Red Devils team was full steam ahead for week one against Knox College. Knox and Eureka have a tradition that goes back a little over a decade, the Lincoln Bowl. With the Covid-19 pandemic, the Lincoln bowl has been on pause for the past few years. As it started back up September 2nd, the Red Devils put on a dominant performance with a 41-16 win against the Prairie Fire. With 384 total purpose yards, 224 in the air and 160 on the ground, the Red Devils offense looked electric.
“I am very proud of our team. These guys fought through a tough camp and put together a strong performance against Knox,” Kurt Barth said.
This was a tone setting performance from the Red Devils, but they didn’t stop there. They went down to Greenville University and stole one on the road! A 23-14 win, the Red Devils snuck out of Greenville victorious, a battle from start to finish. A dominating performance from junior Sebastian Hill, who had put the Devils over the top. With a total of 4 touchdowns this season, 2 in the Greenville game, Hill has been a dominant force for the offense.
“My teammates are the ones that make it happen. From the QB, to the coaches and especially the offensive line. Without them it is not possible,” Sebastian Hill said.
Starting the season 2-0 has not happened for the past three years. Could it be a coincidence or is this the start of something special. Trying to repeat the dominant performance from last season against the Rockford Regents, the Red Devils were put to the test on family weekend. A nail biter that went down to the wire, which had everyone on the edge of their seats. Down 28-21 with 7 minutes on the clock, the Regents were marching. Ball hawking senior, Jack Arnett came up huge for the Devils after a game saving interception in the end zone with 7 minutes on the clock. A huge 37-yard reception by sophomore Jack Butler, followed by a 23-yard receiving touchdown by Hill, his 5th on the year, tied the game for the Red Devils. Needing a stop on defense to make sure the undefeated season stays alive, freshman Hansen Johnson, who is having an impressive first season with the Red Devils, helped come away with the pass breakup on 4th down. With 1:21 on the clock the ball on Eureka’s 43-yard line, time was ticking for a Red Devil’s victory in regulation. On the first play of the drive, Frazier found one of his new favorite targets. Frazier found Butler for a 50-yard bomb to get all the way down to inside the Rockford 10-yard line. With only a few more chances to take the lead in regulation. Senior running back Ben Bernabei, who had already had 2 touchdowns on the day, chugged his way into the end zone to give the Red Devils the lead with under a minute left in the game.
“It was very humbling to have a performance like that. I am very grateful to play this sport at a high level. It was an all-around team effort that needed to happen in order for us to win,” Ben Bernabei said.
The devils have started 3-0 for the first time since the 2018 Championship season. A special season so far, but can the Red Devils keep dominating into week 4. Taking on the St. Norbert College at home on September 23rd, the Devils will try and stay undefeated and continue to ride this momentum past the Knights.
