It's been a frustrating season for Line Mountain so far.
The Eagles have played well in spurts but have not been able to put a whole game together. As a result, they sit at 1-4 and very easily could be the opposite,
Last week's 21-14 loss at Tri-Valley is indicative. The Eagles led 14-0 at halftime but lost their mojo in the second half. Among the touchdowns they gave up was a pass play in which a Line Mountain defensive back missed an interception by inches.
"We played really well in the first half," Line Mountain coach Rodney Knock said. "Our defense played really well. But in the second half, they came out and pushed us around a little. They made a play where we just missed a pick.
"We just haven't been able to put four quarters of football together."
There have been other problems, too. The Eagles have turned the ball over too much, and at inopportune times.
"We haven't been able to run the ball consistently," Knock said. "It's not that we don't have the kids who can do it. Sometimes it's just missed blocking assignments. We just don't have enough of the kind of kids who can go out and turn a game around on their own, One of the things we've been stressing to the kids this week is that we're not that type of team. For us to be successful, everybody has to contribute."
The Eagles will host Halifax, another 1-4 team, Saturday for homecoming. The Wildcats' one win, like Line Mountain's, is over Susquenita. The Wildcats have only 27 players on their roster, but the depth advantage is maybe the only clear edge the Eagles have, according to Knock.
"We're not taking them lightly," he said. "They might not be as deep as us but they have some players."
Tailback Eric Johnston has 308 yards on 42 carries (7.3 per carry) and wide receiver Jarrett Hoy is a solid pass receiver (7 catches, 108 yards).
"They've been running a little more spread-type offenses than they did," Knock said. "But they also go into the I. They don't do anything too complex and their quarterback has a nice arm,"
The Eagles, with a couple of wins, could get right back into the thick of the District 4 Class A points race. They are currently tied with Bloomsburg for seventh in the points, but Muncy, the number four team, has only one more win. With games the next three weeks against Halifax, Upper Dauphin and St. Joseph's Catholic Academy, Line Mountain could get back in the race. But to do so, the Eagles will have to generate some consistency, especially on offense.