Eagles enjoy a perfect moment

In a fleeting moment of silence amid Osbourn’s boisterous celebration, Eagles coach Steve Schultze found the perfect moment to let loose.
“We’re goin’ back to states!” he screamed. The moment was perfect simply because it was the only moment when the crowd quieted. He barely got the last word out before another round of yells and hugs enveloped him.
For the second straight week, the Eagles had proven that the belief in themselves was not empty boastfulness. Their 24-20 win over Woodbridge in Friday night’s Group AAA, Division 6 Northwest Region championship was Osbourn’s second playoff win over an undefeated team that had beaten them early in the season.
It was coincidental, then, that the celebration around Schultze came on Woodbridge’s field. A year ago, the Vikings were in the same position: A team who had built its momentum amid little fanfare, only to find themselves at just the right moment.
“Coach [Keith] King even said that. He talked about [how] they got injured, banged up and then nobody really thought much about them. They started playing good ball,” Schultze said. “Here we are, we’re peaking at the right time.”
The Eagles’ problems weren’t related to injuries, though. Running back Jerell McFadden said he felt like the team was just a collection of individuals, not a team in the collective sense. Schultze said that some of the teams they lost to were better on that night.
Osbourn always knew it had talent, with McFadden and the Keith brothers — Thomas and Timmy — and Tyler Brown and a capable line. But Schultze said it became apparent the Eagles had turned a corner right after they beat Fauquier, who, like Battlefield and Woodbridge, entered their contest with an unblemished record.
“It was a district championship game for us, because we hadn’t lost in the district,” Schultze said. “So we started believing way back then. Then we won, what, four or five in a row?”
The Eagles used all of their weapons on Friday night. None was more effective than the defense, which came up big in critical situations. None was bigger than stopping Woodbridge standout De’Antwan Williams on a fourth and goal at the Osbourn 1. Williams, stopped at the line, spun free and squirted outside. Cornerback C.J. Jackson, one-on-one with one of the state’s best backs, wrestled him to the ground to preserve the four-point lead.
Osbourn’s dual-threat quarterbacks, McFadden and Thomas Keith, kept the Vikings’ defense guessing, running when downfield options weren’t available and throwing when they were.
All of that led to a second unlikely Osbourn win, in which few beyond their program believed they had a legitimate chance at victory.
“I love coming in as the underdog,” McFadden said. “Nobody really believes you can win but your team and your coaches.”
A few seconds later, McFadden was gone, running toward the massive group that was posing for pictures, the latest in a celebration that seemed to go on and on.
Perhaps, when the celebration eventually fades, Osbourn’s future opponents will realize the difficult task that the Eagles pose.