GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Jeff Lee has been a head coach for 26 years in Georgia. He’s seen a lot -- and experienced a lot.
But the Riverside Prep coach is already putting what happened Friday night high on his list of unforgettable moments. The Eagles beat Cross Keys 36-6 at Maginnis Field to end what had been the long-time program’s longest losing streak (35 games) in its 116 seasons of playing football.
“I’ve been doing this a long time, but it was, that was one of those moments, man, to get that first one, to see that,” Lee told Friday Game Night during the Hardy Chevrolet Scoreboard Show after the victory.
“To see their faces. I mean, that's why I do this. It’s fun. It was fun just to see the fruits of their work and everything pay off.”
JJ Blackwell had a big night for the Eagles, accounting for three TDs, one fumble recovery in the endzone, and two touchdown passes, including a 64-yard strike to Michael Omeh to push the Eagles ahead 24-0 in the second quarter. In the second half, Blackwell connected with Max Vegas on another big play, a 40-yard pass to give the Eagles a 36-6 lead.
The last time the Eagles had walked off the field a winner was on Sept. 3, 2021, after beating Druid Hills 32-26 in Atlanta. The last time they walked off Maginnis Field with a win was on Nov. 8, 2019, in a 42-0 rout over Providence Christian.
“It was kind of joyous. I mean, the cadets, the president, the fans that had been with us. And we had a real good crowd here,” he said. “It was exciting.”
Can they start a winning streak? Lee said the real challenge starts now.
“The hardest thing now is how the guys handle some success,” he said. “First time you've had it. So how hard is it? It's going to be real hard. But we're not going to let up on you, that's for darn sure. But we’ll see what kind of team we’ve got and see how they handle some success.”
Riverside (1-0) will travel to Lanier Christian (1-1) on Thursday. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Cabbel Field at the Gainesville Middle School.
