By Dan Hardenbrook
Regardless of what happens in this week’s season finale, Engadine will be on the plus side of the win column following another dominant win last week, when they shut out Superior Central 36-0. With their latest victory, the fifth in a row this season, the Eagles are now 5-3 overall and just outside the playoff picture with one game remaining.
The Eagles displayed steady improvement every step of the way this season, and that continued on Saturday when they visited the Cougars. For the second straight week, the Eagles jumped up early and controlled the contest, making plays in all three phases of the game to dominate another opponent.
After an 0-3 start to the season, with losses against Rapid River, Cedarville-DeTour, and Onaway, the Eagles turned the corner, playing with more urgency and consistency. What’s transpired since has been a complete turnaround for one of the area’s most improved teams.
The Eagles scored at least five touchdowns for the fourth time in their last five weeks and won their fourth game in a row by double digits. The only games in that span that didn’t join those trends was a forfeit victory over Hale.
In their five-game winning streak, the Eagles have now averaged 45 points per game and won by a margin of over 32 points per contest. The Eagles can continue their strong finish when they host 1-7 Bear Lake on Saturday at 1 p.m. Hoping for a 6-3 finish, Engadine will also look for help in other games as they hope to get a playoff invite.
Coming into the week, Engadine was 26th in the MHSAA Playoff Point Rankings, with the top 16 qualifying for the Division 2 8 Player Playoffs.
