Once again, it was the Eagles who set the tone by striking first. With the Homecoming crowd of almost 1000 on Oct. 18, the sense of anticipation in Clark Intermediate Stadium was palpable. The queen candidates and floats dominated the sidelines but FC football stole the show with another shutout.

When wide out Colby Hunter, 03′, returned an interception 27 yards for a touchdown early in the first quarter, the fun from Homecoming week appeared to spill over onto the football field. After Hunter’s interception, the Eagles continued to score often throughout the first three quarters and defeated Farmersville, 48-0.

For the game, Hunter had two other offensive TDs. He scored his first on a 47-yard pass from quarterback Sam Fisher, ?03, and the last one on a 6-yard run. Fisher gave the Eagles yet another memorable performance, connecting on a Hunter’s TD and rushing for 2 TDs. He finished 7-10 for 140 yards.

“The team came out fired up because of Homecoming.” Hunter said. “The interception set the tone for the rest of the game and the line gave time to Fish and he was able to find his receivers.” Hunter also said, that he was able to make things happen because coach Jon Hall gave him a lot of touches.

With the win, the Eagles are now ranked #2 team in California among Division 5 schools, according to Cal-Hi Sports on Oct. 22. The Fresno Bee ranked football #7 in the Sierra/Sequoia Division on Oct. 24.

Four weeks after Channel 30 named them the team of the week, the Eagles still received coverage and air-time from the station. Last week, the duo of Sam Fisher and Michael Van Beek were nominated for the play of the week, thanks to a spectacular 40-yard pass along the sideline against the Aztecs.

Coming off of a bye week, the team appeared well rested and well prepared. Coach Hall, before the game on Friday, said he was not worried about his team coming out flat after a week of Homecoming festivities.

“I knew that the guys would be ready to play,” Hall said, “And I felt that the only way we could lose was if we beat ourselves.”

Behind another monstrous game from fullback Rene Charest, 04′, the Eagles gained 392 total yards, 252 of which were on the ground. For the game, Charest had 118 yards on only 14 carries, while also turning in a 52-yard TD run.

“The line is just playing great right now,” Charest said. “They are starting to get to a higher level of play, just in time for the playoffs.” Charest also said that the bye week could not have come at a better time, as it allowed them to rest and thoroughly prepare for Farmersville.

The defense, which has been the backbone of the team all season, was once again spectacular in every aspect. They held Farmersville in check for the second time this season, limiting them to 105 yards of total offense and only four first downs.

At halftime, leading 34-0 and well on their way to yet another shutout, the Eagles briefly ceded the spotlight to the Homecoming queen candidates. After a week of icky foods, corny pickup lines, eating competitions, and other festivities, a week of anticipation came down to one moment. Dawn Steele, 03′, was crowned as the 2002 Homecoming Queen.

“I’m so happy right now,” Steele said. “I’m glad that people voted for me, but I know that all the girls deserved to win.”

Now, sitting atop the Central Sierra League with a 7-0 record, the Eagles are a certain lock for the playoffs. After a season of dominating wins over lesser teams, the Eagles have shown that they are ready for a bigger, brighter stage.

In the playoffs, the campus team will have their chance prove to the rest of the Valley they deserve a top-ten rating. But until then, they will have to deal with Riverdale. The Cowboys, who suffered a 48-0 defeat from the Eagles on Sept. 20, will host the Oct. 25 game. Hall says he is sure that the Cowboys will be looking to vindicate themselves and expects a closer game.