The Newton Eagles are 2017 State Champs!

The Newton Eagles have won the 3-A Division 2 State Title – defeating Gunter 40-16. The defending champs came into the game riding a 31 game winning streak but that was snapped by a smothering Newton defense led by defensive MVP of the game Corbin Foster with 10 tackles and 1 sack. The game was intense from the first snap. On Gunter’s 3rd possession the Tigers tried a deep pass but Tamauzia Brown intercepted the ball. It was his 12th interception this season. Brown returned it 30 yards to the Gunter 28. One play later with 3:59 left in the 1st quarter Darwin Barlow took a hand-off wide and faked the pitch to Brown. Barlow raced 28-yards applying a nice spin move to get into the end zone. The score was 7-0 Eagles after Caleb Colon added the extra point. Gunter would respond with an eight play 61 yard drive, capped off by a 3 yard touchdown from Peyton Lowe. The score was 7-7 with 58 seconds left in the 1st quarter. Newton got the ball and Darwin Barlow, Tamauzia Brown, and Kevin Watson moved the ball down the field on some tough runs. Then with 10:02 left in the 2nd Josh Foster threw up a high pass in the corner of the end zone. Then offensive MVP of the game Noah Williams set up and out-jumped the defender. It was a touchdown, Eagles, 14-7. The Tigers running attack marched them down the field again, but a big tackle by Corbin Foster forced a 4th down field goal attempt. Gonzalez kicked in a 32-yard field goal and the score was 14-10. The Ea- gles tried to score again before halftime when Josh Foster dropped back and threw another jump ball to Williams in the back corner of the end zone. Williams jumped up and snagged it but a late flag for offensive interference negated the touchdown. The score would re- main 14-10 going into halftime. Get the whole story in your copy of the 12/27/17 issue on the newsstands now…..