Eastwood High is known for its high-flying offense, but the Trooper are more than that. They are a good team that can win games in many different ways.
On a windy Friday night at Franklin in a key game for 1-6A playoff seeding, with passing the ball a dicey proposition, Eastwood turned to their defense, they turned to a pounding running game, and when the situation called for it, the Troopers made some pretty plays through the air.
That all added up to a come-from-behind 32-18 victory that moved Eastwood to 3-1 in 1-6A and left Franklin 2-1 where the Troopers dominated the second half (22-0) after playing on the back foot most of the first 24 minutes.
The Trooper trailed 18-7 in the final 62 seconds of the first half, but a brilliant 10-play, 64-yard
field goal drive got them within a score at half and they dominated the final two quarters. In an 18-18 tie, Eastwood ground out a beautiful 96 yard drive, mixing the run and the pass, and finally took control.
That helped the Troopers overcome the most inauspicious of starts, as on the second snap of the game, Franklin safety Kingston Jeffery intercepted Eastwood quarterback Kingston Jeffries and darted 43 yards down the sidelines for a touchdown.
Jefferies played his way into the game, with some help from receiver Jordan Nava (eight catches for 162 yards), and Eastwood finally revved up and pulled away.
Up next
Eastwood hosts Socorro at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23 at the SAC 2. Franklin will be at Eastlake on Thursday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. at SAC 1.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Eastwood rallies on windy night behind defense against Franklin
