The Eagles - who host Lago Vista at 7:30 tonight at Merk Field - learned this week that a knee injury starting fullback Chance Marek suffered in that victory will keep him out the rest of the season. That came after they lost a starting defensive lineman a week earlier.
So it's easy to understand why Rogers coach Jeff Walker and the Eagles were happy just to escape with a 21-20 win a week ago that kept them perfect in District 25-2A.
"That was the most fight we had all year," Walker said. "We could have quit easy but we found a way to get a 'W.'"
Without Marek (667 rushing yards, 12 touchdowns), the load falls on senior E.J. Larkin, halfback Ryan Pierce and new fullback Cody Weir. Larkin, the area's rushing leader with 1,039 yards and 11 touchdowns, figures to draw even more attention the rest of the way. That's why the Eagles need as much as they can get from Pierce and Weir.
"We're trying to get a young backup to do the best they can," Walker said. "People are going to try to take E.J. away and that makes it pretty rough on us. We're going to keep plugging away. We can't cry about it."
rschneider@temple-telegram.com
