In a do-or-die game, the Carson Graham Eagles prevailed 28-8 over the Belmont Bulldogs and punched their ticket to the BC Highschool Football Playoffs.
Led by Grade 10 quarterback Josh Barber, the Eagles scored on their first two offensive series. The underclassman was unphased by the bright lights and looked the part playing up for the Eagles varsity team. The Eagles air raid attack runs through the quarterback position, making Barber's performance even more impressive.
The Eagles defense continued their solid play as well. Jack Shih picked off a ball intended for a Bulldogs receiver early in the game and set up the Eagles inside the Bulldogs' yard line.
Three plays later, Barber hit Jaden Diamond on an 8-yard pass for a score. Barber then hit Célyan Vermeulin on an endzone fade for the two-point convert.
The Eagle's defense continued to fly around, making life miserable for Belmont's Gun-T attack. Defensive coordinator Pooya Dourandish had another masterful plan, and his unit held the Bulldogs to -12 yards on their first couple of drives.
Feeding of his defense's incredible play, Barber led the Eagles offense on a well-balanced 8-play 70-yard drive that was capped off with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Fin Clark.
Hold on, folks. The grade ten isn't perfect after all. Barber threw an interception on the Eagle's next drive, and the Bulldogs took over deep in their own territory. Barber had nothing to fear, though, as a couple of plays later, Eagles Backer Connor Henry shot through the line of scrimmage and tackled a Bulldogs running back in the backfield for safety.
The Eagles took a 16-0 lead into the half and had all the momentum. In the second half, the Eagles picked off where they left off and scored twice in the third quarter to put the game away for good.
Eagles Head Coach Brian Brady kept it straight to the point post-game.
'We look forward to the playoffs," he said.
The Eagles will indeed look forward to the playoffs, as the team is getting hot at just the right time. Their defense has elevated their play, and with Barber coming into the fold at quarterback and heating up, the Eagles might surprise some teams in the upcoming weeks.
