By any measure, it was the kind of finish that makes you question the laws of physics, and maybe your own sanity. For Eastbrook coach Jeff Adamson, it was another Friday night that managed to be both unpredictable and oddly familiar.
In his 37th season, Adamson’s Panthers pulled off yet another jaw-dropping comeback, edging Alexandria-Monroe 37-36 in overtime to stay unbeaten at 10-0. The win extended a legacy that’s been built not on flash, but on faith, fundamentals, and the sort of calm you can only earn after nearly three decades of watching teenagers test your blood pressure.
Late in the fourth quarter, it looked finished. Down 29-21 and at its own 19-yard line with 4.4 seconds to play, Eastbrook pulled off a desperate series of laterals that ended with Bodie Howell streaking to the end zone, a play that had fans halfway between disbelief and cardiac arrest. The celebration was short-lived; a block-in-the-back flag dropped, and Alexandria’s sideline started prepping for the handshake line.
Except, not so fast.
Because Eastbrook scored on the play, Alexandria-Monroe had to accept the penalty to prevent the improbable touchdown from counting. Officials ruled there’d be an untimed down, with the ball spotted across midfield at the 42. What followed felt like one of those moments only high school football can deliver. Howell dropped back, heaved a Hail Mary, and somehow, because this is Eastbrook, it landed perfectly. Touchdown. The two-point conversion was good on a pass from Howell. Game tied. Overtime. Logic officially left the building.
Alexandria scored on its first play in the extra frame, making it 36-29. Eastbrook answered with Howell calling his own number on consecutive carries, the latter bringing the Panthers within one. And Adamson, doing what Adamson does, didn’t hesitate. He went for two. No drama, no debate, just confidence. The Panthers converted on another Howell keeper. Ballgame.
Eastbrook 37, Alexandria 36. Another chapter in what’s become one of Indiana’s most quietly remarkable coaching stories.
Since 1989, Adamson has compiled over 300 wins at the helm of his alma mater, four 2A state championship game appearances (2004, 2016, 2018, 2019), and a pile of sectional titles that could double as weight-room decor. But numbers don’t tell the whole story. The man has built a program that thrives on poise, perspective and somehow, always seems to find a way, even when there shouldn’t be one.
When the clock hit zero, there were no cinematic celebrations or choreographed moments, just tired players, a handful of relieved coaches, and one more improbable Eastbrook win to file under “How Did That Just Happen?”
And on this night, with one untimed down and everything on the line, the Panthers reminded everyone that belief, blended with a little chaos, still goes a long way on a Friday night in Indiana.
