The Homecoming game was not the prettiest. Our own Trevor Brey and SJV’s quarterback, CJ Duell, were both plagued by sacks and interceptions. Both offenses were lackluster, with the game staying scoreless until the final minutes. There were countless penalties assessed against both teams. Most third downs were third and longs. SJV was able to win because of Kavon Chambers, their star running back. Their entire offense revolved around just giving him the ball, and aside from being the constant (and only) threat for South’s defense, he was responsible for the only TD of the game with a 75 run late in the 4th quarter. While this sounds far from ideal, there was one large redeeming quality regarding how the Eagles played; they played with grit. Even against the likes of Chambers, even when their offense was stalling, even when at times physically outmatched, the Eagles buckled down on defense. Whenever it looked like SJV might break through, the Eagles halted their advance. They simply got stops. Only the attacks of a talent like Chambers were enough to wear the Eagles down, until SJV was able to get through. But, for almost the entire game, the Eagles were able to match SJV’s brawn with pure spirit on the defensive end. They have heart, and that’s what I love most about this Eagles team. While Homecoming wasn’t a crowd-pleaser, it pleased me to see that even when things got really tough, South never backed down.