Coming into week 7 in the 2021 season, the Eaton Reds were ranked number one in 2A football followed by Eaton rival, Resurrection Christian.  The matchup between these two teams took place on Oct. 9 on Eaton’s home turf.  The night ended with a home victory of 10-6 continuing the Reds’ undefeated season.  

“The energy was perfect.  Not too excited but dialed in and focused because of the importance of beating the number two team,” senior Ryan Dirksen (22) said.  Dirksen plays running back and defensive end for the Reds.  

With the close rivalry and rankings between the Reds and the Cougars, this was one game to not miss.  All points were scored in the first half of the game.  Putting extra points on the scoreboard with two point conversions pushed the Reds to victory over the Cougars.  

Dirksen led the Reds in all-purpose yards against the Cougars with 83 total yards followed by junior quarterback, Walker Martin (23), with 57 total yards.  For the season, Ethan Florez (22) leads the Reds in all-purpose yards with 563 total yards.  

“The resurrection o-line blocked like a wall of people, shoulder to shoulder just blocking people off.  Other teams try to block people more individually,” senior left tackle and D tackle, Lucas Cass (22), said.  “I’m most proud of how our team never gave up when we got punched in the mouth, and how we played through adversity.” 

Throughout the night, the Cougars tried to advance the ball down the field but were cut short by Eaton’s strong defense.  Florez led the Reds with 13 tackles followed by Dirksen with 12 tackles and one sack.  

With such strong athletes, the Reds are tough to beat.  Head Coach Zac Lemon said, “It’s nice to have players, back-ups, and farther down the line back-ups that can all contribute effectively.”  Eaton’s football team is packed with strong athletes making Eaton a hard team to overcome.  

Eaton plays another rival, University, on Thursday, Oct. 14 on University territory.  The Reds have a large target on their back with their undefeated season and 2020 Championship title. As schools look to take Eaton’s football team down, the Reds keep tackling each game as it comes.  “Ultimately, it just comes down to athletes being athletes and players making plays.  We count on them and trust them to do that,” Coach Lemon said.