Brad Gray got a chance to learn about the Eupora Eagles last season when he was the team’s offensive coordinator, but the coach has learned a lot more as its head coach over the last few months.
The Eagles were a resilient bunch last season as they worked their way into the playoffs and earned yet another first round win. That’s been a constant for the team but they’re looking for more this season as they’re led by a strong junior class.
Gray noticed during the summer that his team had a work ethic and a drive, and they got a chance to get the pay check on Friday night when they went on the road to Noxapater. It was a dominant effort on both sides of the ball for the Eagles as they went to Winston county and took care of business with a 35-0 shutout.
There’s always a little something sweeter about the first win and it was extra sweet for Gray and his team.
“I told the coaches last week that the kids worked really hard in the summer in the weight room and in practice and I felt like we needed good stuff to happen early,” Gray said. “You can be fully prepared and be the better team and then on Friday night things may go the other way. It was huge to start off like that and get the guys confidence. It was big.”
Eupora certainly looked like the team that was hungry from the preparation put in as they wasted no time getting the job done. It started off with an interception from Mark Pittman for the Eagles that set the team up in a good situation and Ty Murphy would find Tabb Powell for a big 35-yard touchdown pass for the early 6-0 lead.
A few minutes later, Jay Stephenson would find pay dirt as he raced in from 12 yards away extending the lead to 13-0 and that’s where the score would stand through the first half. The Eagles would score a trio of touchdowns in the second half including 22-yard run from Jessie Sudduth and a 30-yard one by Charles Potts sandwiched around Stephenson’s second score of the day.
It was an all-around solid performance by all involved, but there are things to clean up like there are every Friday night.
“I thought that our defensive plan was really good. Our defensive staff did a really good job, and the players did a great job running to the football. I think we need to become better tacklers, but they set the tone,” Gray said. “Offensively we had to overcome some things. We started off fast and then some things happened. Younger guys came in and overcame some things. I guess it was the first game jitters.”
The Eagles get the chance to come home and play the first game in front of the home fans on Friday night this week.
Eupora is slated to take on a French Camp Academy team that was quarantined last week due to a COVID-19 outbreak on the team. The Panthers seem to have come out of it and look to be ready to play. Gray knows that Nathan Wright’s team is always going to be ready to play and put up a fight.
“Last year they played us really hard and I think French Camp is always going to play Eupora hard,” Gray said. “They’re well coached. They’re going to be aligned on defense. They’ll be fundamentally sound on both sides of the ball. Offensively, they had a Division-I guy at quarterback and with him gone I’m not sure what they’re going to do. We’ll rely heavily on our defense this week.”
