On Oct. 10, Woodstock High School hosted Etowah at the annual Woodstock vs. Etowah football game. The turnout from fans on both sides of the Towne Lake divide was fantastic.  

“The spirit and energy of the student section was unbelievable. Everyone was so into the game, and we were all just having an amazing time,” Steven Vaughn, senior, said. 

In the first half, sophomore Brayden O’Neil, quarterback, executed a pass to senior Cade Gantt, putting the Eagles in the lead 6-0; however, the extra point was missed.  

“It was dope assisting Cade into the first touchdown of the game. The experience was unforgettable, and seeing the crowd go crazy was the best part,” O’Neil said. 

With eight minutes left in the half, Woodstock successfully scored a touchdown and completed a field goal, putting Woodstock slightly in the lead by a point. As the second half of the game played out, both teams continued to battle head-to-head.  

In an unstoppable 78-yard run, Nick Maddox, junior, scored a touchdown, quickly followed by an extra point by Sean Hopper. The game was not over yet. Woodstock answered back with another touchdown, keeping a close lead at 21-20. 

“It was exciting, but I was so nervous at the beginning. The coach said, ‘Nick, we are giving it to you, and we need you to get us three yards.’ I wasn’t expecting that, and it was also painful because I got a full body cramp afterwards,” Maddox said. 

With less than a minute left, Maddox scored again, the game-winning touchdown, making the final score 32-27.  

“It was a great experience getting to watch the crowd go crazy and knowing in the back of my head that we had most likely just won the big game,” Maddox said. 

With 30 seconds on the clock, the student section stormed the field to congratulate their winning team.  

“It was insane; I’ve never been so proud of our school. All of us were so excited, and all our differences just went away. We were all there for the same reason, and that was because we love and support the same team,” Gabriella Gibson, junior, said.  

Congratulations to the Etowah football team on last week’s win at Woodstock. Come see the Eagles play against the Walton Raiders tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Walton.