The Falcons and Cyclones have a history... a very miniscule history, five years ago as a matter of fact when the two met in the playoffs. The Falcons were topped that night 42-0 by Eastern View.

Now it is 2024 and these Falcons are not a low seed in the playoffs, they are legit contender to win the region and perhaps contend for a state title. This Falcons staff is different than 5 years ago and of course the players are.

The Falcons scored their first points ever in this very short series but Eastern View did not make it easy on the Falcons. For a half of football the Cyclones played the Falcons tough with the trio of AP Hull, William C. Butler and Brett Clatterbaugh spearheading the offense.

19-13 at the half, the Falcons flexed their muscle in the second half scoring 34 unanswered points while the defense flexed their own muscle. It did not hurt that the Cyclones lost Butler to an injury and Clatterbaugh left the game for a bit too.

For anyone that questions a two quarterback team... look only to the Falcons for an example that it can work. Linwood Johnson who was at Varina last season looked smooth out there with the offense throwing 4 TD's on his way to over 200 yards passing. Charles Scott, Jr. on the other hand threw a TD of his own on his way to 167 yards passing.

The Falcons shook off the rust in the first half of action playing a tough and gritty Eastern View team but the second half looked more like the Falcons we saw in 2023.

The Falcons had two drives in the first quarter and both ended in the end zone. Linwood Johnson was the first on the field at QB for the Falcons and he orchestrated both drivers. The first stretched 68 yards and in a twist deja vu', just like last season John Washington was the first to touch the ball on offense with a first down run. That first Falcons drive took 7 minutes off the clock, saw Eastern View penalized twice and saw Linwood score his first TD as a Falcon with a keeper from 6 yards out.

The second drive was one play and 32 yards with sophomore Iveon Lewis and Linwood Johnson hooking up roughly 2.5 minutes after the Falcons first score.

A great start for the Falcons, not so much for the Cyclones. Eastern View fumbled the ball but recovered but it was a quick 3 & out. There were more ball handling issues on their second possession but they did get their first, first down of the day when the Falcons jumped offside. Romelo Perry came through the Falcons getting to AP Hull on a sack just before the end of the first quarter.

The Cyclones second possession of the day carried into the second quarter and saw Eastern View flagged twice but the Cyclones overcame it to end the shutout when AP Hull hit Brett Clatterbaugh for a 16-yard TD with Austin Robinson draped over Clatterbaugh.

The Cyclones would not be done there. On their third possession of the quarter after the Cyclones struck back again with Hull and William C. Butler converting a first down and Brett Clatterbaugh scoring his second TD of the day on 3rd & 10 from the 40 and along the visiting sideline Hull's pass fell into the bucket that was Clatterbaugh's hands and off he went down the sideline with 1:04 to go in the half.

Between the two Cyclone TD's was a solid defensive effort from the Falcons with Jayce Bigelow getting to Hull for a sack that stunted any positivity on that drive.

There was a bit of a momentum shift it felt like in the second quarter. The Cyclones scored twice and the Falcons were being shutout. Charles Scott, Jr. made his debut but that first drive of the quarter saw Jabari Cox fumble and the Cyclones come up with the loose ball.

Adding insult to injury was a false start call that stunted the progress of the Falcons and then Deondre Brock of Eastern View nearly picked off Scott. The Falcons would turn the ball over on downs.

The Falcons got the ball back with less than a minute to go in the half and Linwood Johnson back at QB. Linwood went right to work converting two first downs and paving the way for he and Iveon Lewis to hookup for the second time this game on a 42-yard pass to end zone. Just like that, the Falcons were up 19-13 going into the half despite a subpar quarter.

Just as momentum shifted in the second quarter from Falcons to Cyclones to Falcons again, the third quarter there was no shift, it was a full on wave of momentum and it began early.

Eastern View fumbled on their first possession of the second half with Cairee Smith scooping the loose ball and returning it to the end zone for the score. Two minutes into the third quarter it was 25-13.

Huguenot's Daron Thompson was menacing on defense in the second half and a big reason why the Falcons were able to hold the Cyclones to just one first down and Samuel Cohen stopped AP Hull in his tracks on third down. The Cyclones would turn it over on downs.

Linwood Johnson and Iveon Lewis hooked up for a third time and it took just one play to make it a 32-13 game midway thru the third quarter.

Thanks to a Daron Thompson sack and holding call against the Cyclones, there would be a punt. In three plays the Falcons were again in the end zone when Charles Scott, Jr. hit Markel Dabney with a 26-yard shot. 19-13 at the half, the Falcons were now up 38-13 headed to the final quarter.

Things would not get any better for Eastern View in any way in the fourth quarter.

Backed up at their own 5, the Falcons defense brought it on the first two plays as the Cyclones teetered dangerously so near the goal line and on third down, the Falcons got it... the safety. Falcons now had a 40-13 lead.

When the Cyclones thought they got a break, they didn't. Sure Ryan White recovered a fumble but the Cyclones could not capitalize. To make matters worse, the punt was blocked giving the Falcons great field position.

It took four plays for the Falcons to find the end zone yet again but it did not come without risk. Risk coming in the form of Ryan Dodson breaking up a Linwood Johnson pass on second down. That said, two plays later Linwood found Jhamari Cain in the corner of the end zone for a 21 yard score and with a little over four minutes to go the Falcons led 47-13... they weren't done.

A 3 & out for Eastern View the Falcons did not have to wait long to have the ball back in their hands.

The Falcons were down to a 4th & 6 and honestly could have taken a knee but Coach Scott wanted to see what his young QB could do facing pressure so he trotted him back out there and all he did was hit Jhamari Cain for a first down. Coach Scott says play to the whistle and they did just that with Quinn Wilson taking it in from four yards out.

The Falcons left no doubt in the second half that they are a team to reckon with in Region 4B.

Linwood Johnson looked every bit the part of a leader on offense completing 10 of 14 passes for 202 yards and 4 TD's while scoring 1 TD on 2 carries and 10 yards on the ground.

Charles Scott, Jr. showed us what is to come with 167 yards and a touchdown pass of his own completing 9 of 18.

Iveon Lewis shined picking up where he left off last season with 8 catches for 175 yards and 3 touchdowns!

Jayce Bigelow was a menace on defense with 12 tackles and 1 sack on the Cyclones.

This was Huguenot's first win against Eastern View.

First time Huguenot has had back-to-back season opening wins since 2018-2019.

53 points is the most points for the Falcons since putting 75 on Clover Hill in the 2023 season opener.