The varsity football team defeated San Angelo Lakeview for the bi-district championship Nov. 13. The Eagles will travel to Seminole to take on El Paso Burges in the area playoff game Nov. 20.

The Eagles finished the district season with only one loss to Randall in the district championship, advancing to the first round of the playoffs. Head coach Blake Bryant said the victory came as a relief.

“Winning that first game is huge because it takes some pressure off the kids,” Bryant said. “First round games are hard to win because everyone has new life. You also go into the games without as much information so it can be a bit crazy.”

The game against Lakeview went back and forth throughout, with Canyon in the lead at halftime and Lakeview ahead going into the fourth quarter. However, the Eagles scored 22 points in the fourth quarter and held Lakeview scoreless, putting up a final score of 58-37.

“Our kids were going to find a way to win,” Bryant said. “You could tell in their eyes.”

Bryant said he anticipates the game against Burges to be a challenge as well as they are a large 5A with many talented players and coaches. The Eagles are preparing for the upcoming game the same way they have prepared for every game so far this season.

“We want to send the message to our players that what we do is right, so there’s no need to change a bunch,” Bryant said. “We just prepared like we always do.”

In spite of the pressure of playoffs, Bryant said he has enjoyed the season so far and is proud of the work this year’s team has done.

“These kids have done everything we have asked and more,” Bryant said. “We are Canyon. That’s who we are and what we do.”