HOUSTON – Coach Buz Boyer knew how the statistics stacked up before his team hit the field Friday night.

“We knew they were loaded with seniors,” Boyer said of the Eupora Eagles. “Out of our 60 plus kids on the team, over 40 are freshmen and sophomores. We started eight sophomores on defense and six on offense.”

The Toppers have an abundance of youth that will have to learn quickly and grab all the experience they can get their hands on early as division games will begin in five weeks and the competition in between is pretty steep.

The Toppers received for first possession with Will Kirby returning to the 24. Devois Ivy pushed to the 40 for a first but the Eagles stalled the campaign, forcing the punt.

The Eagles didn’t waste any time as they pushed downfield in eight downs for a Demarcus Pass TD and a six-point lead.

The Toppers took possession with Kirby again receiving and Charles Heard gaining a couple on first down. Kirby ran on second, gaining enough for a first down, but the Toppers turned it over on a third-down interception and the Eagles again capitalized with a march down field and a Jimmy Gladney pass from Jamall Roby for the TD. Taylor Marlow put the ball through the uprights for the PAT.

Quan Brand was on the receiving end for the Toppers and brought the ball out to the 39, but the Toppers couldn’t get any momentum and punted with the Eagles again taking full advantage with a run and pass for a Stephen Rice TD and Marlow PAT to end the quarter.

Pass gained another TD in the second quarter and Immanual Brooks ran in a TD, while Marlow went 1-2 on PAT and closed the half with the Eagles up 33-0.

The Eagles came out of the locker room the same way they left and scored a touchdown within their first series of the second half. On a Lazerick Davis run and Marlow added the PAT.

The Toppers didn’t go far on their first possession and punted but and Eagles fumble set up the Houston boys for another try. The Toppers Kirby and Reggie Buchanan combined to move the ball downfield and Buchanan took it in from two-yards out for the first Topper TD of the game. Emmitt Dendy made his kicking debut with a solid PAT to put the Toppers on the board with seven.

The Toppers defense rallied and held the Eagles, forcing a punt and the Toppers went into the fourth quarter on another determined drive.

Buchanan, Wright and D. Ivy kept the ball on the ground to gain a first down and Wright then put it in the air to Ivy with Buchanan running the final yards for a second. A pass to Michael Randle put the Toppers inside the red zone and Buchanan drove it across for another Topper TD. Dendy once again came through with the PAT.

The Toppers and Eagles traded possession as the remainder of the clock ran out with the Eagles taking the 40-14 win.

Upcoming action

The Hilltoppers will have a week of work ahead of them before they head to the Boneyard this Friday to take on the Calhoun City Wildcats. The Cats are coming off a 32-27 defeat by Coffeeville Friday night and will host with kickoff at 7:30 p.m.

Boyer said that given the youth on the team and the caliber of competition, his players first taste of gridiron 2009 will inspire them to work harder to succeed.

“They will get better,” Boyer said.