In a defensive slugfest, the Allen Eagles emerged victorious against the Cedar Ridge Raiders by a score of 28-7 at McClane Stadium in Waco. The win puts the Eagles in the 6A Division 1 State Championship game.

The Eagle defense put together its most dominant performance of the season, holding the Raiders to just 278 total yards and forcing five turnovers. Among the turnovers was an interception for a touchdown by junior linebacker Luke Jaksick to ice the game.

“I’m trying to [win] for my city,” Jaksick said. “I feel like if we all do our job, we can get it done.”

Allen’s offense struggled to move the ball with consistency, gaining just 200 total yards and averaging only 2.9 yards per carry on the ground. However, the offense turned every turnover forced by the defense into a touchdown, ultimately allowing for the dominant win. Senior defensive back Jevon Jones said that complementary football is what will allow the team to keep winning.

“It means a lot [to help the offense],” Jones said. “They say that defense wins championships, so that’s what we’re going to do.”

The win leads to Allen’s fifth trip to state overall and first trip since 2014. This will be the first time the team goes to state under the direction of head coach Terry Gambill.

“Any time you can go play in the state championship, it’s a great accomplishment,” Gambill said. “It’s not about Coach Gambill. It’s our kids and the job that they’ve done to get us there.”

Next week the Eagles will take on Lake Travis at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Keep up with all the action by staying here on The Eagle Angle or by following our Twitter, @theeagleangle.