Starting the season with the 42-14 win over the New Home Leopards, the Ropes Eagles are 1-0 and displayed their physicality on both ends.
The Eagles ran the ball 277 yards, while scoring all six touchdowns from the ground. Senior running back Jaivyth Cruz was the catalyst to the run game, carrying the ball 17 times for 136 yards and four touchdowns.
Having four new offensive linemen being able to gel quickly created opportunities for Cruz to be explosive and be a “stud athlete,” head coach Beau Riker said. “He (Cruz) ran behind a good offensive line,” Riker said. “Those guys really opened some holes for him (Cruz) to run and made it pretty easy.”
Describing the newlook offensive line, coach Riker was impressed with the effort, athleticism,and downfield blocking.
“They’re hustling, they’re 20 yards downfield picking up big time blocks,” Riker said, “ I think they’re doing a really good job.”
A unique offensive approach by the Eagles created a difficult challenge for the opposing defense, with senior Zayden Pittman and senior Chase Lantelme splitting time at quarterback.
Coach Riker describes both quarterbacks as players “who can throw the ball” and run it, allowing the Eagles to keep multiple options available within their offense.
The flexibility extended beyond the quarterback position. Multiple personnel groupings allowed the Eagles to change their offensive look throughout the game, creating matchup advantages and making it difficult for the Leopards to settle into one defensive approach.
“I don’t want to be on the other end of our offense, just trying to figure out what we’re doing, when we are doing it,” said Riker. “We could be two backs, tight end most of the time, and the next play, we’re spreading it and one back, shotgun and slinging the ball.”
Coming into Ropesville for the week two matchup will be the 3-0 Texico Wolverine squad out of New Mexico, that will be “interesting,” said Riker about the similarities between the Eagles and Wolverines #39’s physical approach.
“Smash mouth, power football, we look forward to,” Riker said. “We like to play physical football; I don’t want our kids to ever back down from physicality.”