Home sweet home for Aurora Christian
There was brief technical difficulty with the audio during the introduction of the Aurora Christian offense but that is the only kind of difficulty the Eagles would have all night.
The Eagles scored five touchdowns in the first quarter and rolled to a 62-0 victory over Christian Life in the first game played at Aurora Christian's long-awaited new field.
Luis Solario scored the historic first touchdown on the Eagles' second offensive play as Jordan Roberts threw what would be the first of four TD passes in the first eight minutes and 30 seconds of the game.
"It was wide open and we were able to take advantage of it, it was great, just a great feeling, it felt like a dream," said Solario of his first of two TD receptions. "We came out with great intensity and great adrenaline and played every play and we got it done."
"I wanted the first play to be a touchdown," said Aurora Christian coach Don Beebe. "We tried, it was so open we came right back to it. David Zielke was the guy but they rolled over Zielke and took him out of the play but Jordan, being the player he is, didn't try to force it and hit the guy running wide open down the field."
Aurora Christian (3-0, 1-0) scored a touchdown all 8 times it had the ball in the first half but just as impressively the Eagles defense held Christian Life to just 32 total yards in the game and allowed just one first down all night.
"We watched film on them and saw they were doing a lot of dives and we were able to get it done and stop them," said senior defensive lineman Peter Kariotis, who had 12 tackles.
"This was for the seniors that came before us," Kariotis said. "Coach Beebe always told us we would have a field and it didn't happen in their time, but that is part of the reason we have a rock out there. When we come out here, every player will pound the rock for all the seniors that didn't get to play on this field. They are part of the reason that we have this great field, along with all the great people that go to Aurora Christian, and with God. we got this amazing field to play on."
"I don't want these boys to take this for granted," said Beebe of the Eagles' new state-of-the-art turf field. "What they have here is special and all the boys that paved the way, that practiced here when this field was rocks, dirt and weeds, that is why we have the rock out there with all the remnants and their memoirs buried out there by the rock and we pound that rock in memory of those players from the past."
"It was an unbelievable feeling to have a real home field," Roberts added.
Roberts tied a state record by throwing for over 100 yards in a game for the 33rd time in his career. He did so on just seven attempts.
"It is a nice record because it shows consistency and longevity on the field, and it is one of many he is going to take down in the next four or five weeks," said Beebe.