They Earned This One

After the last two weeks, these guys needed a win.

And they got one.

The JV Eagles jumped ahead early against Meridian and, unlike some of the games we've seen lately, they didn't let Meridian take it away from them. They dug deep, kept fighting, and found a way to hold onto a one-point win when the clock finally hit zero.

But the score doesn't tell the whole story.

I think this was the best I've seen these guys tackle, block and hit as a team. There was a different level of physicality out there. They were flying around, helping each other, finishing plays and, most importantly, doing it together.

Maybe they learned something last week.

You have to learn how to hit and sometimes that comes from getting hit.

It's a painful lesson, but it's an important one if you're going to be a football player.

When the clock finally expired, the looks on these guys' faces were awesome. Not fake. Not forced. Genuine joy and genuine accomplishment.

Most of these guys haven't experienced many wins in their short football careers. You could see what this one meant to them.

And they deserve it.

These kids have worked their asses off. They've dealt with a lot of unnecessary bullshit that is completely outside of their control. Through all of it, they just want to play football. They want to compete. They want to win. They want to be out there with their teammates doing what they love.

Today, they got to do exactly that.

And it showed.

They earned this W.

I'm pretty damn confident there are more of them coming very soon.

As always, I've put all of my photos from the game here for the players and families to use however they want. Social media, team posts, senior-year memories, or just to have. Right-click and make ‘em yours.

Go Eagles.