They’re Back!

We all play some sort of waiting game during our lives. When we’re kids we have trouble waiting for our birthdays or Christmas. The anticipation can be incredible for a youngster. Every so often we would be anxious for school to start usually to see our friends again.

When we were in high school football became the big drawing card. Not the two-a-day practices so much but the chance to play a game that we really enjoyed. The hot weather and the sweat in our eyes was sometimes a bit much but that was part of the game we battled as well.

I’m sure things have improved by 2014, since players get to take their helmets off and actually get to drink some water.

It was definitely a challenge and I guess coaches learned that water was an important part of every practice and game. We just played and followed the rules laid out to us.

The local college football teams have been hard at it for a while and on Saturday the Eastern Washington University (EWU) Eagles will face off with a team they’ve had trouble with the last two seasons.

Sam Houston State comes to Cheney on Saturday to play the very first game of the 2014 season.

The game can be seen on ESPN at 12:30 p.m. I will be in my favorite seat at Roos Field cheering on the Eagles.

It doesn’t seem to be that long ago when I was hanging my head after a crushing semi-final loss to Towson State. Then again it seems like an eternity because like most Eagle fans we know how good this team can be and we can hardly wait for Saturday afternoon.

EWU has been picked as the team to beat in the Big Sky Conference and has been rated No. 1 in all of FCS football in a couple or preseason polls which often makes a team a huge target.

Coach Baldwin knows that ratings mean nothing, results do. So he has made sure that his troops are focused on the bigger picture, which is the game itself, and not the football ratings game.

If you’ve never seen the Eagles play and you don’t want to take the short trip to Cheney then tune in to ESPN and watch a fun team play. QB Vernon Adams is now a redshirt junior who is exciting like Russell Wilson only he’ll be passing the ball a bunch more than the Seahawk QB usually does.

Adams has a young go to receiver in Cooper Kupp that gave Oregon State fits in the season opener nearly a year ago. The game on Saturday is a showcase game since the rest of college football will be at least five to seven days away from their first scheduled games.

The Eagle defense is solid as well with a healthy dose of tested veterans and a bunch of young guys with some quality minutes under their belts.

Yes, Saturday is going to be fun. If you plan on going it is a Red Out game so wear your red whether it is Eagle gear or even Bronco red will work.

One week later, the Eagles will also be in Cheney to play Montana-Western a NAIA school from Dillon, Montana. This will be a game that usually allows some of the younger players to get a shot at some playing time as well as rest some players in order to keep them fresh for the long football season.

They’re back and the waiting will finally be over for us football fans. The Eagles will be flying around on Saturday and when they land let’s hope it is in the end zone with a football.

Go Eagles!