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Up to that point, Prince Edward Middle School hadn’t played their best football. Eagles Head Coach Louis Gould III will tell you that, no problem. Down by 8 on Wednesday night, on the road with 7 minutes left to go, it became a test of what Gould and his staff preach during practice. The last play was the last play, they say. It doesn’t matter what happened then. It’s time to move on. 

“Rain was coming down, time was winding down, but we didn’t give up,” Gould said. “All the summer workouts and training pays off on nights like this.” 

This was expected to be a tough game for both teams and it turned out that way. Both Mecklenburg Middle and Prince Edward came in undefeated, each bringing a strong defense to the table. And in those final 7 minutes, Prince Edward’s defense took control, shutting down the Phoenix on multiple drives. Three times, Mecklenburg drove down to score. And three times, the Prince Edward defense held on a goal line stand. 

“We knew it was not going to be easy,” Gould said. “Both teams came into this game undefeated (for a reason).” 

And that’s when the offense went to work. Eagles quarterback Avan Carrington showed patience in the pocket, connecting with Zymere Evans on a wheel route that turned into a 70-yard touchdown. Then Javonte Holmes forced a fumble, putting the Eagles in Phoenix territory just down by 2. With 45 seconds left, Carrington connects on his second touchdown of the day, a 25-yard pass to Malachi Alford to put Prince Edward up 18-14. Elijah Coleman officially sealed it for the Eagles a couple plays later with an interception. 

“I love this team,” Gould said. “This is the meaning of a great team win across the board to stay undefeated.” 

Looking ahead

And Gould is right. With the win, Prince Edward Middle sits 3-0 on the season. Up next, the Eagles will be staying home. The team will be in Farmville on Wednesday, Sept. 25 to face Appomattox. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. Beyond that, here’s a look at the team’s full regular season schedule.