BEAVER — The Eastern Eagles are one step closer to an SOC I football championship, following their 41-13 home win over Notre Dame in league play on Friday night.
With the win, the Eagles control their own destiny in the SOC I race.
If they can earn a road win over Northwest in McDermott on Friday and a season-ending week-six win over Green on their home field, they’ll have clinched the first football league championship in program history.
Eastern’s Dillion Mattox accounted for the game’s first two touchdowns — rushing for scores of 25 and 21 yards.
Wyatt Hines connected with senior Logan Clemmons for a 68-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second quarter — extending the lead to 20-0.
Notre Dame’s Caleb Nichols scored the Titans’ first points with 18 seconds left in the first half on a five-yard touchdown run.
Before the halftime break, Mattox scored his third touchdown of the game — a scoring run from 39 yards out with three seconds left to put the Eagles ahead 28-7.
Mattox scored another touchdown to start the third quarter, this time from 74 yards away — his fourth and final of the game with 9:56 left in the third.
ND senior running back Logan Emnett picked up a rushing touchdown with 5:18 left in the third to cut Eastern’s lead to 35-13.
Clemmons scored the game’s final points with an exclamation-point 31-yard touchdown run with just 1:27 left, giving Eastern a 41-13 victory over its guests.
Eastern (4-0) will travel to Northwest for their de facto SOC I championship game versus the Mohawks, while Notre Dame (1-3) will prepare to host Symmes Valley at Spartan Stadium in week five.

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