United (7-3) AT Cuyahoga Heights (9-1)

[ITCL Web Page]

Can the Eagles win their first OHSAA playoff appearance?

[eaglefan1]

unchartered territory for the Eagles. Hopefully they can put the exitement of making the playoffs for the first time aside a bit to break down film on C-H and have a good week of practice. What little i know on C-H is they have a very good running game and an efficient passing game. According to their roster they're not big by any means and have roughly the same depth as United. Game will be on turf. If United can play defense like they did against Range they should hold their own. That was the best defensive effort i seen all year from them against a playoff caliber team. Linebackers were disciplined and held their ground, line had good penetration, and the secondary were ball hawks. Offensively it was also the best supporting rushing attack i seen all year. United QB was kept somewhat in check, especially thru the air for most of the game and United's backs and O-line really stepped it up. If they put it all together they have an excellent chance to advance. Good luck Eagles and all ITCL teams.

[84grad31]

A brief comparison: C-H is averaging 36 pts a game, played 6 teams w/ a .500 record or better, and held opponentes to 14 pts or less 8 times. United is averaging 30 pts a game, played 7 teams w/ a .500 record or better, and held opponents to 14 pts or less 4 times. C-H is no stranger to playoff games (in Div V and Div VI), while United played in a few of its biggest games this regular season. Advantage no doubt goes to C-H, but the Eagles have shown the skills and determination to win this! Go Eagles and all of the ITCL teams!!

[Hello]

I think the one thing eaglefan1 said that stood out to me and is going to be the biggest factor in this game is how well Uniteds defense plays. They need to bring there A game because if not I don't think the eagles will be able to win this one. C-H has had some very good teams in the recent years and are a regular in post season play. They put up a lot of points and play very solid D. I think United has a good enough offense to put up some points against them but If their defense gives up 30 or 40 points, then in I am not sure if the eagles can put up enough against a team the caliber of C-H. But anyway, go Eagles and bring home a win to the ITCL!

[ITCL Web Page]

Are there any dedicated Eagle fans that would be interested in giving the web site some updates and a brief summary of the Eagles-Redskins game Friday night? We want to be able to give the Eagles recognition in their playoff game, but we don't have a solid contact to provide the information. Let me know and I will PM or e-mail you how to contact me. Thanks.

[eaglefan1]

Even though the score didn't show it the Eagles did manage to move the ball fairly well against a brutal pressure defense that
C-H was running. United's QB was under constant pressure and was on the run the entire night and took several sacks...and that is not a knock on the line. C-H was bringing 6-7 every play and their LB's were very fast. I was suprised we didn't try and run more up the middle but once we fell behind by a couple scores we abandoned it. Receivers did an excellant job in improvising and coming back to the ball. If there is one thing the QB needs to do if he has plans to play at the next level is to know when to cut your losses and not try to force the situation to create something. Sometimes its better to take the loss or the intentional grounding and line up for the next play...an easy fix in my opinion. I was shocked to learn the next day that he managed to complete 14 of 19 passes under that pressure. Defensively the feature back was the best we seen all year. Not quite as fast as Skiba but if its possible harder to bring down. I guess thats why he rushed for 300 yds in the last regular season game and has over 2000 yds. to date. C-H is a top 10 team in the state and been to the playoffs like 14 yrs in a row for a reason.

Anyway, what a great season. As a fan I would like to thank the players and the staff for 11 exciting games. Good luck to the seniors in what ever they pursue and good luck to the returning players and staff next year.

[ITCL Web Page]

Congratulations to the Eagles on a great year and making it to the playoffs for the first time. It is something the players will always remember.