WARNER – It went from rout to nail-biter Friday night at Warner, but the Eagles managed to squeak out a 4-point win over the Nowata Ironmen.

The first half was all Eagles. Once the got started they ran up 20 points in the opening while keeping Nowata at bay by stopping every effort the Ironmen tried for a 26-0 halftime lead.

Warner opened the scoring at 8:17 of the first quarter on a 23-yard scoring toss from 2

Jaxson Cash to Lubbock Drake in the right corner of the endzone for the first touchdown of the game. With a 9 successful extra point the Eagles led 7-0.

Still in the first, it was rinse and repeat, this time from 47 yards to a wide open Drake over the middle for his second score of the game.

With just over a minute remaining in the half, it was Cash through the air again, this time to Dee Antwine for a 63-yard touchdown toss.

The third quarter, with the Ironmen still scoreless, The Eagles hit paydirt again, this time on a 1-yard toss to Ethan Glover for a 26-0 Warner lead with 1:17 remaining in the third.

Still in the third quarter with just 22 ticks left in the period, Nowata finally broke the ice on a 5-yard scamper by Emmanuel Wilson, but the 2-point attempt failed to keep the score at 26-6 Eagles.

In the final period the wheels fell of the Eagle machine with a total shift in momentum and an Ironmen scoring frenzy.

It started with  a 1-yard Wilson plunge for his second touchdown of the game with 8:25 remaining in the contest.

About three minutes later with 4:48 remaining, the Ironmen scored again on a 64-yard catch and run by Asiah Saxton and a 2-point conversion that brought the game within a score at 26-20.

The next Eagle drive ended with a blocked punt and a scoop and score and yet another 2-point conversion to give Nowata their first lead of the game 28-26 with just 3:29 remaining in the contest.

With the clock ticking down to under a minute remaining Cash found Antwine wide open in the end zone and Warner took the lead back 32-28 with just :54 remaining on the clock.

Nowata’s final attempt at a “Hail Mary” with 2 seconds left fell short and the Eagles squeaked out the win 32-28 to open the season 1-0.

The Eagles will be at home again next Friday when they take on the Central Sallisaw Tigers, and Nowata remains on the road to challenge 2A Chelsea.