This week the Golden Eagles will face the Juniata Indians at Gray Field.  The winner advances to the district final at Mansion Park and the loser goes home.

The Indians boast the highest scoring offense in all of AA football. They have a lot of weapons on the offensive side of the ball, including running back Chantz Swartz. Swartz is a powerful back who has rushed for almost 1600 yards this season. The Indians’ offense heavily relies on him for most of their big plays and a vast majority of their points.

The Golden Eagles come into this match-up with a 9-2 record, and are coming off of a huge win last Friday night against Huntington. All season the Eagles have been a little inconsistent, but they proved last Friday that when their season is on the line that they are able to do just about anything.

The Indians also have a record of 9-2, but they have breezed through their regular season, finishing most of their games with the mercy rule running clock. They have such an explosive offense that most teams have a hard time matching up.

This Saturday’s game is going to be a brawl. The Eagles are looking to show that they can hang with one of the best teams in the state. They are going to do that by controlling the line of scrimmage and following their rules. The Indians’ defense is stiff, and they bring a lot of pressure. They also like to shift a lot to throw off the opposing offensive line.

Chantz Swartz is a weapon like nothing the Eagles have faced this season.  He averages an unbelievable 14 yards per carry. And he is also a part of the passing game, with 807 yards receiving this season. The Eagles are going to have to tackle well and pursue to the ball to limit the yards after contact.

This week is do or die for the Eagles. They are going to have to have their best performance of the season if they want to make a statement this week. So don’t miss out on this highly anticipated match-up, be at Gray-Veterans Memorial Field at 7 pm. And make sure to bring your mittens, it’s going to be a cold one.