The rushing tandem between Zayden Pittman and Jaivyth Cruz propelled the Ropes Eagles over New Deal, 63-7.
Spearheading the Eagles’ offense, Pittman and Cruz combined for 224 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
Pittman tallied 122 yards on seven attempts, finding the end zone three times, while Cruz gained 102 yards on nine attempts with one touchdown.
“Our offensive line did a fantastic job of getting on blocks,” Ropes head coach Beau Riker said. “Going to the right spot and staying engaged and getting our running backs in the end zone.”
Only throwing the ball three times, the Eagles relied on the run game with 27 rushing attempts while seven players got a chance to be part of the run game.
Four other rushers assisted in the Eagles’ 63 points with a touchdown each: Branson Simental, Kolter Dockery, Chase Lantelme, and Isaiah Acosta.
“It’s about the team first and our kids are doing a fantastic job of supporting each other and celebrating each other,” Jones said reflecting on the teams depth and unselfish behavior to give everyone on the team an opportunity to play.
The win over New Deal improved the Eagles to 4-0 of the season, with their next matchup being the West Texas Comanches.
Entering this matchup 4-1, the Comanches presented a unique challenge for the Ropes as they consistently switch up their defensive line looks and the Eagles being able to communicate on their offensive line will be the key.
“They kind of line up in a different front, pretty much every snap,” Jones said. “We can’t have an offensive line not talking. We got to communicate every play.”
The head-to-head matchup between the Ropes and West Texas at 7 p.m. on Oct. 1 at Ropes.