On Friday September 5, the Eagles took on their long-time nemesis, the Patuxent Panthers. The atmosphere surrounding the game was intense. Since North Point has opened they have been unable to defeat the Panthers. All week fans have been questioning whether the Eagles were up to the challenge, especially with a new head coach. Before the game Friday two key players and the head coach himself had a feelings of optimism before the game. Both players had a similar message of the Eagles being a different team with a new attitude. Brandon Battle (‘15), quarterback of the Eagles, commented “The team has a more serious tone.” Christian Houston (’15), running back of Eagles, supported this point saying “Compared to last year we are more of a unit and the players try to match the coaches’ professionalism.” As for the head coach himself, he had a little more to say. Newly hired head coach, Tom Petre is 34 years old and comes from Buffalo, New York. He has a wife named Patty and a pet dog named “Blitz”. During his playing years Coach Petre played running back and linebacker at Attica High School in New York. After High School he went on to play baseball in college at Cortland State. He completed his education at Canisius earning a master’s degree. Coach Petre decided to make the transition from player to coach very early in his life. He commented that the “positive relationship with my own coaches made me want to turn around and do the same for athletes like I once was.” When asked about his coaching philosophy he believes in “being a teacher first.” He further noted “You must teach the fundamentals in order to be successful”. The conversation ended with the question “What is one thing the public should know about Coach Petre?” He stated “I am committed to having a positive impact on the players as well as to winning.” On Friday we did just that. The varsity football team came out, stepped on the gas, and never looked back. Brandon Battle (’15) threw for 188 yards and 5 touchdowns. Christian Houston (’15) rushed for 3 touchdowns. Other notable performances included Ricco Jones (’15) who rushed for 93 yards and Andrew Henderson (’15) who had 5 receptions for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns. Finally, one of the most underrated performances of the night was that of the defense. They held the highly favored Panther offense to only 6 points. The final score of the game was 47-6. The Eagles are off to a great start. Next week the Eagles welcome Northern to the Nest. Photo Source: northpointathletics.org