Eudora ? As wide receiver Matthew Abel starred in Eudora High’s 40-14 football victory against Anderson County on Friday night, he did so with a heavy heart. He had not talked to his sick grandfather, George Abel, a cancer survivor, since Thursday.

“I’ve been going through a lot this week,” Abel said. “I didn’t even know if he was still around for this game. I just wanted to go out and play this game for him whether he was there or not.”

While an alert George spoke to Matthew’s mother just before the game, an emotional Abel gave the Cardinals early momentum, returning the opening kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown at Laws Field.

“We wanted to get after them right at the start,” junior Travis Clarke said.

Although the Cardinals (6-0) dominated possession in the first half and ran 40 plays, they scored only one offensive touchdown. Two turnovers limited Eudora’s scoring chances. Quarterback Kent Swanson, who finished 5-of-10 for 99 yards, fumbled a snap and threw his first interception of the year.

Abel, however, powered a second-half scoring assault. The Bulldogs used single coverage on him and ended up paying for it. The junior, who had 88 receiving yards, caught a 34-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter and a 40-yard TD strike in the fourth.

Eudora High's Bryan Dudley tries to break away from Anderson County's Cory Archer during the second half. The Cardinals earned a 40-14 victory Friday at Laws Field.

“I just wanted to go deep. I knew we could beat them out there,” Abel said. “I know Kent has the arm and I have all the trust in the offensive line to give him time.”

Clarke, who rushed for 193 yards and a touchdown on 37 carries, was equally effective. Although Clarke credited his offensive line for opening large holes, the junior put on an impressive performance.

“Travis had his best game,” Eudora coach Gregg Webb said. “He was running hard.”

Eudora best displayed its explosive capability during a nine-second window in the fourth quarter. Austin Hoover rushed for a 33-yard score, giving the Cardinals a 28-14 lead. Chad Krutz then recovered a fumble on the Bulldogs’ ensuing kickoff return, and Abel scored his third touchdown on the subsequent drive’s first play.

But special teams did not go Eudora’s way during a bizarre fourth-quarter sequence, which Webb said he had never seen before. The Bulldogs attempted a reverse on the kickoff return following Abel’s 34-yard touchdown. Chance Lowe fumbled the handoff but still raced 80 yards down the right sideline for a score against a befuddled coverage team, cutting the lead to 22-7.

Eudora defense tries to pull down Anderson County's Cory Archer during the second half. Eudora High School played Anderson County Friday night at Eudora.

“I want to kill my kick team,” Webb said.

Eudora never punted and posted 40 points for the sixth straight time, but the game seemed closer than the score indicated. Special teams and turnovers played a big role, and the Bulldogs sliced the lead to 22-14 in the fourth quarter.

“It was a funny game,” Webb said. “But we’ll take it.”

For the Cardinals, the victory served as an the undercard for an exciting night. Eudora’s two-hour Homecoming dance followed the game.

Abel, however, said his thoughts were with his grandfather.

“I know he’s proud of me no matter what I do,” he said.

Eudora 40, Anderson County 14

Eudora 8 6 8 18 – 40

Anderson County 0 0 7 7 – 14

E – Matthew Abel 80 kickoff return (Travis Clarke run)

E – Austin Hoover 3 run (run failed)

E – Abel 34 pass from Kent Swanson (Clarke run)

A – Chance Lowe 80 kickoff return (Miguel Villavicencio kick)

A – Cory Archer 1 run (Villavicencio kick)

E – Hoover 33 run (run failed)

E – Abel 40 pass from Swanson (run failed)

E – Clarke 4 run (kick failed)