East Lake’s record currently sits at 2-5. Three of the five losses the Eagles suffered were by seven points or less. The close losses always sting the most. They are the games where, one play, one turnover, one kick, or even one penalty can be the difference.

There is no quit in East Lake though. They will continue to show up and compete. Most importantly, they still have their sights set on the 8A District 11 championship. They are 1-0 in the district with a 23-7 win over Palm Harbor University two weeks ago. Tonight, they host a Steinbrenner team who is also 1-0 in the district and 3-4 overall. Steinbrenner earned a 29-0 win over Alonso in their district opener.

Tonight’s match-up is a big one with post-season implications. Here is a look at East Lake’s top contributors so far this season. 

The Eagles run the ball 59% of the time. 2024 RB Ti’lan McGee has received the bulk of those carries. In seven games, McGee has carried the ball 94 times for 559 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also has 4 receptions for 29 yards. 2023 QB Jake Bechtel has been the primary signal-caller. He has completed 69 out of 120 passing attempts (58%) for 731 yards and 5 touchdowns with 4 interceptions. 2022 QB Kai Huggins has also seen time behind center where he has connected on 16 of 25 attempts for 190 yards and 1 touchdown with 1 interception. The Eagles have four receivers with at least 150 yards receiving; Wyatt Stiehl (198 yards), David Avant (191 yards), Ryui Rivers (180 yards), and Colin Maclean (150 yards).

Defensively, the leading tackler is 2023 LB Josh Giddens. He is averaging 10.8 tackles per game. Overall, he has 54 total tackles, 33 solo, 2 for loss, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, and a blocked punt. 2023 LB/SS Caleb Coburn is right behind him with 8 tackles per game. He has 56 total tackles, 28 solo, 8 for loss, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 recovery. 2022 DE Jack Hostetler has 38 total tackles, 24 solo, 10 for loss, 5 sacks, 8 hurries, and a fumble recovery. In the secondary, 2022 ATH Colin Maclean and 2023 DB Amari Ray have recorded 3 interceptions a piece.