With cars backed out miles down Holmberg just to enter the parking lot, the wide stands of Cumber Stadium filled up rapidly with extensive time to spare before the 7:00 p.m. kickoff. The season-opening game had been hyped up for several days, leading up to bright stadium lights shining with full-force on the packed crowd tensely awaiting the Eagles’ entrance.
From the moment the Eagles ran in, and even well past the kickoff, the crowd cheered and screamed in the hopes of seeing an Eagle victory against the opposing West Broward Bobcats- and they were not let down.
After stopping the Bobcats on their first drive, the Eagles quickly responded with a 24 yard touchdown by quarterback Tyler Goodman into the right corner of the end zone. Just like that, the team took a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter. By the end of the first half, the score remained, held up by the team’s impressive defensive play.
During the 18 minute halftime, the crowd was treated to a performance by the 27th Edition of the Eagle Regiment. The band premiered their new show “Poseidon,” based thematically off the mythical Greek god of the sea. As the show ended, the crowd gave a long, loud round of applause in appreciation of the show.
Soon the players returned to the field and resumed play. The second half of the game continued in a similar pattern as the first, with the Eagles locking the opposition down on defense – forcing punts, fumbles, and interceptions – and frequently responding with touchdowns on offense. Seven minutes into the half, after forcing the Bobcats to punt, the team drove down the field, where they scored a running touchdown from the 1 yard line while also converting the following two-point try. Just like that, the Eagles were up 15-0 – but they still weren’t done.
Only a minute into the 4th Quarter, the Eagles ran up the lead even further, with running back Riley Allison taking the ball 15 yards into the end-zone for a touchdown. The ball was then kicked off to the Bobcats, but after making a roughly 30 yard drive, linebacker Nick Defroscia intercepted a pass thrown in his coverage, and returned it nearly 70 yards back into Eagles territory. After running the ball to the 5 yard line for a first down, the Eagles scored yet another touchdown. After the extra-point attempt sailed through the goalposts, the score totaled 29-0. In the remaining seven minutes of the game, the Eagles defense continued to dismantle the Bobcats’ offense, leading to a successful shutout victory.
“The team really came together tonight for this win,” kicker Jared Hollander said. “West Broward is a great team. This game reflects all the work we put in this summer, and the leadership of all of our amazing coaches.”
The raucous crowd soon filed out of the stadium, satisfied to have seen the Eagles come out of the gates this season with such ferocity. Players and coaches alike shared their congratulations after the game, but are both still looking ahead towards the rest of their difficult schedule.
“We’re excited about winning our first game so handily, and I am proud of our defensive effort leading to 29-0 shutout,” Head Coach Willis May said. “Our play overall was great, but there were some breakdowns in our special teams unit that we need to fix.”
The Eagles will go on this Friday to play the Boyd Anderson Cobras in home, camo-themed game at Lauderdale Lakes. Coming fresh off this blowout victory, the team is fired up and excited for the challenges to come; from that first game alone, as fans, we should be, too.
“With the team we have this year, we’re playing hard and aiming high,” Hollander said. “We’re aiming for that District title. We know we can make it to States.”
