Whew! After a little sleep and time to digest the Eagles win over West Orange Stark let's look at how that 58 to 54 victory was possible. First off, 866 yards total offense and 112 points in a Newton/WOS game is far from the norm of these contest over the years. Both teams have outstanding traditions of playing well in big games and last nights game reinforced those. I think there can be much said about the Newton players that handle the ball on offense. They ran hard, caught passes and were extremely difficult to tackle and they crossed the goal line putting points on the board. Great game for several different players there and Newton Nation is very proud of those guys but let's take a look a little deeper. There are some big guys in the trenches that contributed to the Eagle success. Pancake blocks all over the field by these wide bodies were seen last night. Downfield sprints to engage West Orange players comes from heart. There are champion hearts beating in many Eagle team members. When those lineman lineup foot to foot tight and push the defense onto their heels for those crucial yards needed for first downs, especially late in the game, this too is a strength of the team. That play may not be glamorous or have many opportunities for fans to cheer those lineman as individuals but make no mistake those guys are just as critical for team success. The win last night was a team win. A team playing hard. A team scoring 58 points. This Eagle team is balanced with wide body effort and fleet footed strengths. A rare combination. So congratulations across the board are deserved and offered by this writer. Makes me proud to cheer from those stands for the success of the Newton Eagle team. Celebrate that victory as the classic it will be but the march to AT&T begins in ernest next week. Purple Pride Never Dies!!
