Friday Night Football
       Sparks Fly as 08'-09' Eagle Football Season Kicks Off

by Clint Dick

After last season’s disappointing 1-8 record, the Kingman Eagles are not the most intimidating team in high school football. Kingman struggled immensely last year, allowing the most points per game in the AVCTL, including 85 against Andale, 62 against Andover Central, and 50 against Wellington. However, the Eagles are convinced this year will be different. With the hiring of new head coach Darby Jones, who is introducing an entirely new and improved offensive and defensive strategy, it is a much different attitude in Kingman as the 08’-09’ season begins.

The Eagles went head to head with the Wellington Crusaders in the season opener September 5th. The Eagles looked good on both sides of the ball early as the defense forced a three and out on Wellington’s first possession and then an interception on their second. Kingman’s defense did not allow any offensive points until deep into the second quarter when the Crusaders began to pull away scoring three straight touchdowns to take a 23-0 lead at halftime. Wellington completed their shutout in the second half as Kingman failed to put any points on the board, losing 35-0.

Despite the blowout, the Eagles played far better than the score showed. Kingman tallied 135 yards on the ground, 87 of them coming from Senior running back Drew Bornholdt. Senior wide out Tate Henry accumulated 42 of the 81 passing yards, and Ryan Keeling, Senior, led Kingman in tackles with 7.5.

The following Friday, September 12 Kingman faced the 0-1 Mulvane Wildcats on a soggy field. The Eagles came out firing as Senior quarterback Tucker Neal connected with Senior wide receiver Aric Hook for a 10 yard touchdown pass that gave Eagle fans something to cheer about. The catch and run not only gave Kingman an early 7-0 lead, but also re-kindled the spirits of the Kingman sideline. However, as the game progressed, Kingman’s hopes for a victory dimmed as the Wildcats lit up the scoreboard in the second half knocking off the Eagles 34-13.

Kingman hit the road for their first away game on September 19th taking on the Rose Hill Rockets, a team that is currently in their first year in the AVCTL Division IV League. The Rockets got a quick jump start, taking the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, and they never looked back as they put up 20 points before the Eagles even got on the board. The result was a 55-26 loss for the Eagles. On paper, though, the Eagles offense looked good as they out gained Rose Hill in total yards 297-165 and in first downs 12-10. Neal had a fair game completing 15-30 passes for 186 yards and connected with Hook for 3 touchdown passes. The difference in the game ended up being the poor special teams play by Kingman as they allowed 3 return touchdowns, 2 kicking, and 1 punting.