Dayville/Monument ball carrier Gage Jenks looks to stay on his feet during the Tigers’ 33-26 win over Pine Eagle. If approved by the Monument School Board, Long Creek would join the Dayville/Monument sports co-op during fall sports.

MONUMENT — The Dayville/Monument football team took down the Pine Eagle Spartans 33-26 on Friday, Oct. 14, to pick up their second win of the 2022 season.

The Spartans got onto the scoreboard first by way of a 40-yard touchdown scamper early in the first quarter. The extra point attempt was successful to bring the game to 7-0.

Tiger quarterback DJ Heikes and receiver Tyler Thompson responded moments later with a 24-yard touchdown connection. The Tigers were unable to convert their extra point attempt, however, which left them trailing 7-6 with 4:51 left in the first quarter.

Dayville/Monument would find the end zone through the air one more time before the end of the first quarter. Heikes would connect with Gage Jenks for a 20-yard touchdown reception with 16 seconds left to give the Tigers the lead 13-7 following a converted extra point try.

The turnover bug would rear its ugly head for the Tigers in the second period, with the Spartans capitalizing on a fumble to tie the game at 13-13 early in the quarter.

The Tiger turnover would be nullified by a Spartans miscue with just over three minutes left in the half. With the game still tied at 13-13, the Spartans were driving and looking to take the lead when the Pine Eagle ball carrier fumbled the ball through the end zone and out of bounds.

The play was costly for the Spartans, resulting in a touchback and possession to the Tigers rather than the touchdown the team had been hoping for. The Tigers would fail to capitalize on that mistake but still headed into halftime even at 13-13.

The Spartans would again be the first to strike once play got back underway, this time via a 15-yard touchdown pass midway through the third quarter. The Spartans led 20-13 following a successful extra point try.

The Tigers would even the game once again less than two minutes later. Another Jenks touchdown reception, this time of 45 yards, leveled the score at 20-20 following a converted extra point try by the Tigers.

At this point it was Pine Eagle’s turn to suffer the turnover bug. An interception and fumbled snap on back-to-back drives in the fourth quarter stifled any hope of drawing close enough to retake the lead for the Spartans.

Dayville/Monument would turn one of those turnovers into a score via another Jenks touchdown. Now at running back, Jenks punched the ball into the end zone from 8 yards out to give his team a 27-20 lead with just over five minutes left in the contest.

Not long after that, Jenks would put the game out of reach, plowing 61 yards to the end zone with less than two minutes left to give his team a two-score advantage.

The Spartans would add one more touchdown to the scoreboard with less than a minute to go, but it wasn’t enough. The Tigers ran the clock out during their next possession and wound up with a 33-26 win in front of their excited home crowd.

Dayville/Monument coach Chris Carlin said he sees his team getting better as the season goes on. “Yes, we’re getting better every game, and we don’t quit. I can’t be prouder of them sticking through and not quitting,” Carlin said.

The Tigers have Joseph next on the schedule, and Carlin spoke of the Eagles’ speed and ability to move the ball. “They’re quick and they’ll air the ball out,” Carlin said.

The Tigers travel to Joseph on Friday, Oct. 21. The kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.