What looked like a title game between Eastwood and Eastlake turned quickly

The battle between Eastlake High and Eastwood, billed as a potential District 1-6A title game before the midpoint of the season, took a bit hit when Falcons quarterback Julian Williams broke his hand during the week and was replaced by talented but raw sophomore Jonathan Fajardo.

>Eastlake's problems in what turned into a 42-0 loss that was called by lightning mid-third quarter ran far deeper than that, and the root of it was arrayed on the home sideline. Namely, Eastwood is not a team that forgives or backs off when blood is in the water and soon enough the Troopers had it bubbling and churning everywhere.

>This wasn't a win with an asterisk, it was one won by a superior Trooper defense playing so well it may not have mattered who was under center for Eastlake.

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>Eastwood scored two defensive touchdowns in the first half when it forced four turnovers with two sacks, it took a 34-0 lead to halftime and a potential city championship game quickly turned into a Trooper victory march.

>Eastwood forced two turnovers on Eastlake's first three snaps, the second a 19-yard scoop and score from Andrew Flanagan after Noah Williams delivered a blind-side strip-sack of Fajardo, who had no chance on the play.

>Later what looked like a miscommunication on 4th down at the end of Eastlake's only sustained drive of the half ended in an 80-yard interception return from Logan Bedwell for a 31-0 Trooper lead with 4:42 left in the first half.

class="related-link">More: No. 1 Eastwood eyes repeat as District 1-6A football champ

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>Eastwood's dominant defensive line had Fajardo under siege all night as the Troopers kept coming and coming.

class="related-link">More: No. 4 Eastlake enters 2026 with new coach and playoff hunger

>The second half began with an Eastlake fumble and two plays later the Troopers scored, and so it went, a beating interrupted by a lightning delay in middle of the third quarter with Eastwood up 42-0.

Up nextBoth teams play Pebble Hills next. First, on Thursday, Oct. Eastwood travels to the Socorro Student Activities II to take on the Spartans in a 7 p.m. kickoff.

>The following Friday, Oct. 10, Eastlake "hosts" Pebble Hills in a battle of the furthest East side when they square off Friday night at the Socorro Student Activities Center I. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.

>Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.

>This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: What looked like a title game between Eastwood and Eastlake turned quickly