Eagles Open Season Against Rush Springs

  • The Watonga Eagles were on the road Sept. 11 for their quarantine delayed season opener against Rush Springs. The Eagles took on a dominating Redskins team but were unable to take the win, going down by a score of 45-18 in the non-conference game. Next up for the Eagles at 7 p.m. Sept. 18 are the Minco Bulldogs at Minco. Kimberly Jenkins | Watonga Republican
    The Watonga Eagles were on the road Sept. 11 for their quarantine delayed season opener against Rush Springs. The Eagles took on a dominating Redskins team but were unable to take the win, going down by a score of 45-18 in the non-conference game. Next up for the Eagles at 7 p.m. Sept. 18 are the Minco Bulldogs at Minco. Kimberly Jenkins | Watonga Republican
  • Eagles Open Season Against Rush Springs
    Eagles Open Season Against Rush Springs
  • Eagles Open Season Against Rush Springs
    Eagles Open Season Against Rush Springs
  • Eagles Open Season Against Rush Springs
    Eagles Open Season Against Rush Springs

The Eagle Football team finally got their chance Sept. 11 to start the 2020 season at Rush Springs. The Eagles started out hot, moving the ball with some great running from quarterback Joe Jackson and junior Levi Denham at running back. Freshman Chris Sanders gave the team a boost, both running and receiving, and juniors Deondre Dunn and Aaron Perez helped by giving Rush Spring's secondary fits in the passing game.

Defensively, Kyle Brown and Kerby Easter held strong in the middle of the line, and newcomers Brendan Cole and Kannon Kearney provided some solid tackling from the cornerback and linebacker positions. However, lack of practice time because of the COVID quarantine and Mother Nature, made it difficult for the team to maintain through four quarters.

Despite the defeat, there were several bright spots on both sides of the ball. Coach Zac Maynard said after the game that the biggest victory was the hearts of the players. "They showed a lot of character tonight by not quitting and continuing to work, even with the time we lost. We've battled through so much already this season, with COVID and injuries, and they still came out and fought hard. I was really proud of them," Maynard said.

The Eagles will be back in action on Thursday Sept. 17 when they host Minco for Senior Night at the Eagle's Nest. We will celebrate our seniors, starting at 6:30 pm, with the kickoff at 7.

Our senior players are Aaron Perez, Nick Mata. Brendan Cole, Luis Mata, Joe Rinehart, Kyle Brown, Kerby Easter, and Tucker Estep. We're asking for everyone to come out and support these young men and all our players, as we also will introduce WatongaEagles.tv, the new online streaming network for Watonga Sports.