Battle tested

If the true test of a team is how it responds to adversity, Eastern View High School football coach Greg Hatfield said his Cyclones passed with flying colors.

“I learned that we have some character and a lot of heart,” Hatfield said. “We’re still learning everything it takes to win, and obviously there’s going to be peaks and valleys but our kids never put their heads down.”

A week after Micah Cunningham racked up 278 yards and four touchdowns to help Chancellor hand Eastern View its worst loss in school history, the Cyclones stormed back with a 41-7 win at King George in what Hatfield called his team’s most complete game of the season.

“It would have been easy to say ‘we got our buts beat and just move on,’” Hatfield said. “But we didn’t. We stuck with the run and had a balanced day. We still made mistakes but we didn’t make the gigantic mistake.”

Simon Pendleton became the first Cyclone to eclipse the 100-yard rushing mark and threw five touchdowns to lead Eastern View past the Foxes. The defense also held King George to just 94 rushing yards.

“We pride ourselves on trying to play great defense,” Hatfield said. “To win in the Battlefield you have to play great defense so you don’t have to score 70 or 80 points a game.”

Eastern View’s defense is going to have to be on top of its game again tonight as the Cyclones (2-2 overall, 1-1 in the district) hit the road for a game against perennial Battlefield District powerhouse Courtland.

Courtland (3-2, 2-0) has outscored its last two opponents 94-0 and racked up 632 rushing yards in the process.

The Cougars had four runners go over 70 yards as Courtland totaled 394 yards on the ground in a 59-0 win over Spotsylvania last weekend. Lewis Jordan led the way with 101 yards.

“The key is to have 11 guys playing great defense at the same time,” Hatfield said. “The defense is going to have to be big this week. J.C. (Hall) and I have been friends for a long time, so I know it’s going to be fun and I know he wants to run the football.”

The Cougars posted 238 rushing yards in a 35-0 win over King George Oct. 2 — with Jordan again leading the way with 99 yards and two touchdowns — but Courtland isn’t a one-dimensional offense.

“The thing about Courtland is that everyone knows you’re going to run the ball when you run the Wing-T,” Hatfield said. “But he (Hall) will give you different looks and will throw some screens and throw vertically, which makes them tougher to defend.”

Quarterback Ryan McBroom found the end zone five times through the air against the Knights after throwing for 91 yards and a touchdown against King George.

The Cyclones will also have to contend with Courtland’s stingy defense tonight. The Cougars intercepted former Eastern View player Cody Jenkins twice last weekend and are looking for their third shutout in a row.

“Simon just can’t force the ball and he has to trust his reads,” Hatfield said. “We can’t turn the ball over, and we’re going to try to run the football and keep them honest. We just have to make good decisions and be decisive.”

With one Battlefield loss already on their record and a long-time district power lining up against them, the Cyclones know how important tonight’s contest is.

“This is a big game because it’s Courtland,” Hatfield said. “They’ve got a great football tradition there with all the state championships they’ve won. They are one of those upper-echelon Battlefield schools, and Courtland is the reason the Battlefield is one of the best AA districts in the state.”

The Cougars have won at least a share of four district titles since 2004 and tonight’s game will feature two high-powered offenses, but Hatfield knows it could very well be decided on the defensive side of the ball.

“It goes back to getting off the ball and tackling well,” he said. “So we’re going to have to get to the point of attack, and when we get there we can’t miss tackles. Whoever does that is going to win.”