‘One game at a time’: Crowley Eagles stay undefeated with road win against Paschal

In 2006 George W. Bush was president. Twitter just launched and Pluto was reclassified to no longer be a planet. It was also the last year that Crowley had a 7-0 start to it’s football season.

When the Eagles came to Farrington Field to take on the Paschal Panthers on Thursday, October 12, they were looking to have their best start in nearly 20 years. The Crowley team stayed focused on their goal, remaining undefeated and taking down Paschal 48-28.

“We had a real good off-season, we have a real good group of seniors that really believe, and all the kids just buy into what we tell them,” Crowley head coach Carlos Lynn said.

Lynn is in his first year as the head coach for the Eagles. He spent the past six years at Cedar Hill, where his team went to the playoffs four times. The players said it is the coaching staff’s confidence that is driving the team.

“The coaching staff came with a winning mentality, so when you have that mentality, it is really hard to lose,” senior Curtis Johnson said about the Eagles.

Johnson scored four touchdowns in the game against Paschal.

“I feel like how you practice comes out in the game,” Johnson said. “So, I feel like if I keep practicing hard, results are going to show.”

And the hard work is showing this season for the Eagles.

“It’s a bunch of hardworking kids. They do what they are coached to do and most of the time when they do that, they come out on top,” Lynn said.

Right now, both teams in Crowley ISD, Crowley and North Crowley, are undefeated.

“It’s wonderful. Crowley ISD is full of talent, full of good kids, full of great coaches and we are excited to represent them,” Lynn said.

While Crowley and North Crowley are rivals set to play each other on November 2, players like Johnson are happy to see both teams succeeding this season.

“It’s all love. I feel like all of us grew up playing pee-wee league with each other,” Johnson said. “So it is all love at the end of the day.”

It is the years of playing together and the bond that is making this Crowley team one of the best in school history.

“I would describe our team as a brotherhood,” Johnson said. “I feel like when you are a brotherhood everything comes together naturally, you don’t really have to try too hard for anything.”

While Crowley won the game, the first touchdown of the night was scored by the Paschal. Jack Davis put the first points on the board with a Pick-6 with 10:45 left on the clock in the first quarter.

The Eagles didn’t give the Panthers a chance to celebrate. They scored their own touchdown on the ensuing drive and tied the game at 7-7 with 10:11 remaining in the first quarter.

The Eagles’ quarterback, Caleb Williams, threw a 64-yard pass to Curtis Johnson who scored the next touchdown, allowing Crowley to take their first lead of the night. This brought the score to 13-7 with 7:26 left in the first quarter.

The Eagles then scored back-to-back touchdowns making the new score 26-7. The Eagles remained in the lead the rest of the night.

Crowley will next face District 3 6A-1’s third-ranked Trinity at home on Friday, October 20.

“We just take it one game at a time,” Lynn said. “Trinity is next. We have a week to prepare for them.”

Johnson has big hopes for the remainder of the season.

“At our school we have DPS, I want our team to win the district championship, I want us to make it all the way through playoffs and I want us to get to the state championship and win,” Johnson said.

Next for Paschal is a matchup against Chisholm Trail on Friday, October 20.

This story was originally published October 13, 2023 at 12:04 AM.