For a half of football it looked as if it would be Mills Godwin's night. The Mavericks could seem to do no right in the first half. Blocked punt, fumble returned for a touchdown, offensive stalls and the defense was being picked apart by QB Daniel Viener of Mills Godwin.

The team that came out from the locker room after halftime was not the same team that went in. Like Clark Kent, they went in and came out as Superman, a complete 180. The Mavericks were aggressive on defense and that passing game that was their kryptonite in the first half was no more as the Mavericks picked them apart. Three different Mavericks came away with interceptions in the second half, two in or near the end zone by way of Jefferson Meade & Roddrey McWilliams.

While the defense came to life in the second half, so too did the offense which overcame their first half struggles. QB Ryan Bland and RB Miggy Martin pounded the rock eating up clock and wearing out a Godwin defense that had looked so good in the first half.

You might recall in the movie 'The Replacements' Shane Falco speaks in a team meeting about quicksand. In his post-game interview with Gary Hess & Criswell, Coach George Bland described the first half as "being stuck in mud".

The two defenses set the tone early forcing the others offense to 3 & outs.

Mills Godwin had a promising drive going after back-to-back first down connections between Daniel Viener and Nick Clark... a combo we have seen a lot of this season. The Eagles faced a 3rd & 7 when a first down pass was dropped. The Eagles opted for a field goal try which was short hitting the cross bar.

Freeman's second possession of the game was extended by offsides and pass interference calls against the Eagles. The Mavericks could not sustain the offensive drive and turned the ball over on downs.

The second quarter was all about the Eagles.

After Mills Godwin was held to a 3 & out the Mavericks went to work on offense and had something going. From their own 25 Freeman moved the ball 54 yards behind a run game alternated by Ryan Bland & Miggy Martin. Tucker Washburn on defense for the Eagles was in on several tackles but it was Logan Rhodes making the biggest play on defense when he intercepted the Freeman pass and returned it 79 yards for a touchdown!

The Godwin defense also held the Mavericks to two 3 & outs but as big as a half as it was for the Eagles, Freeman had some moves to make on defense as well.

With a short field to work with following a blocked punt; the ball on the 27 yards line of Freeman no less...Daniel Viener went airborne only to see his pass intercepted.

Viener came back from an interception to hit Jackson Eakes and Nick Clark on 12-yard passes to each carving up the field quickly. A holding call stalled the possession, a Jason Abbey sack of Viener on 3rd & 15 squashed the drive.

As time wound down in the half Freeman would go to the book of trick plays and pull out the old Hook & Ladder. IT paid off and the Mavericks got a first down. Four plays later the Mavericks fumbled, Godwin recovered and ran out the clock to go into the locker room up 6-0 over undefeated Freeman.

Douglas Freeman came out with renewed focus and determination in the second half.

Miggy Martin & Ryan Bland carved up 54 yards on the ground in just 5 plays with Bland punching it in from one yard out.

The Mavericks Erick Britt & Max Vest got to Daniel Viener with a sack on third down forcing the Eagles to a quick 3 & out.

55-yards and a fake punt, pass to Danny Medina-Barrera and the Mavericks had the ball on the Godwin 9 and two plays later Ryan Bland was punching it in for his 2nd touchdown of the night. Three minutes left in the quarter, Freeman had a 14-6 lead and they were not done yet.

Godwin backed up to their own 19 had consecutive passes fall incomplete but they stuck with the pass and it bit them. Miggy Martin intercepted them and Freeman took over at the Godwin 26. Two plays later Kevin China scored the Mavericks third touchdown of the quarter from 17 yards out.

On the kick-off it appeared the Mavericks had recovered the live ball but under further review, it was deemed the Maverick stepped out of bounds before touching the live ball. Godwin got a break but as the third quarter came to a close, the Mavericks had a commanding 21-6 lead.

The fourth quarter was in some respect owned by Freeman.

Godwin had the ball at the Freeman 22 and within two plays the Eagles were knocking on the door at the Freeman 7. Daniel Viener put it in the end zone but Jefferson Meade was there for the pick to keep the Eagle offense scoreless.

To make matters worse for Godwin, Freeman put together a long drive behind Miggy Martin's legs and Ryan Bland hooking up with Jake Lohmann to just keep moving the ball on the Godwin D. Miggy Martin who had put so much work in on this night finally tagged the end zone with a 5-yard run with a little over three minutes to go.

The Eagles now down 22 was looking to get one more score on the board before this one concluded, it was not meant to be. Viener had two big passes to Nick Clark for a total of 70 yards and Logan Rhodes catching an 8-yard pass to overcome a false start. Godwin was again within striking distance. Ball at the Freeman 5 the Eagles could not penetrate the end zone and it all came down to fourth down.

As had been the case often in the second half, Viener's pass was intercepted, Roddrey McWilliams the culprit this time making it three interceptions in the second half. This interception effectively ended the game as Freeman could take a knee and run out the clock.

Freeman would improve to 5-0 while Mills Godwin would fall to 2-3 and now on a 2-game losing streak.

Douglas Freeman Mavericks

Miggy Martin - 18 carries, 76 yards, 1 TD and a INT

Ryan Bland - 16 carries, 62 yards, 2 TD's; 6 of 6 passing for 55 yards..

Kevin China - 8 carries, 53 yards, 1 TD.

Mills Godwin Eagles

Daniel Viener - 7 of 11 passing for 110 yards, 4 INT's.

Nick Clark - 5 receptions, 95 yards.

Douglas Freeman is 5-0 for the first time since 2016.

Coach George Bland is now 3-2 versus Mills Godwin.

In their 40th meeting, Douglas Freeman now has 12 wins against the Eagles.