The battle between Eastlake High and Eastwood, billed as a potential District 1-6A title game before the midpoint of the season, took a bit hit when Falcons quarterback Julian Williams broke his hand during the week and was replaced by talented but raw sophomore Jonathan Fajardo.
Eastlake's problems in what turned into a 42-0 loss that was called by lightning mid-third quarter ran far deeper than that, and the root of it was arrayed on the home sideline. Namely, Eastwood is not a team that forgives or backs off when blood is in the water and soon enough the Troopers had it bubbling and churning everywhere.
This wasn't a win with an asterisk, it was one won by a superior Trooper defense playing so well it may not have mattered who was under center
for Eastlake.
Eastwood scored two defensive touchdowns in the first half when it forced four turnovers with two sacks, it took a 34-0 lead to halftime and a potential city championship game quickly turned into a Trooper victory march.
Eastwood forced two turnovers on Eastlake's first three snaps, the second a 19-yard scoop and score from Andrew Flanagan after Noah Williams delivered a blind-side strip-sack of Fajardo, who had no chance on the play.
Later what looked like a miscommunication on 4th down at the end of Eastlake's only sustained drive of the half ended in an 80-yard interception return from Logan Bedwell for a 31-0 Trooper lead with 4:42 left in the first half.
Eastwood's dominant defensive line had Fajardo under siege all night as the Troopers kept coming and coming.
The second half began with an Eastlake fumble and two plays later the Troopers scored, and so it went, a beating interrupted by a lightning delay in middle of the third quarter with Eastwood up 42-0.
Up next
Both teams play Pebble Hills next. First, on Thursday, Oct. Eastwood travels to the Socorro Student Activities II to take on the Spartans in a 7 p.m. kickoff.
The following Friday, Oct. 10, Eastlake "hosts" Pebble Hills in a battle of the furthest East side when they square off Friday night at the Socorro Student Activities Center I. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: What looked like a title game between Eastwood and Eastlake turned quickly
