Eastwood football team hosts annual spring game Friday night

The Eastwood Troopers battled through a tough schedule and some key injuries in the 2016 season, nearly making the playoffs.

The team ended up just missing out on the fourth and final spot out of their district after suffering four league losses by a combined 15 points.

But this year’s Eastwood team says it’s learned a lot from last season and matured greatly.

“We’re a veteran group, so you don’t see a lot of missed assignments. You don’t see a lot of little mistakes,” said head coach Julio Lopez. “We know where to go. We know where to be. We’re playing fast. And, it’s a group that you’re definitely going to have to watch out for in the fall.”

The Troopers hosted their annual spring game Friday night at Trooper Stadium in a matchup of the Blue Team vs. the Yellow Team.

Blue Team got off to a fast start behind a touchdown reception by Abel Santos, who scooted past multiple defenders to open up the scoring.

Yellow Team, led by returning starting quarterback Seth Ochoa, also made some nice plays early. In one instance, Ochoa capped off a touchdown drive with a scramble to his right and a perfect throw to Josh Ponce, who pulled in the pass just inches from the sideline, getting both feet inbounds.

Ochoa was injured in the third game of the 2016 season after two promising starts (and two victories) early in the year.

But now Ochoa is back for his junior campaign, which has the Trooper faithful and the team’s head coach excited.

“To have him back in the lineup and back under center all spring, it’s been great,” said Lopez. “You see the rhythm we’re in, and you see the tempo we’re able to run with him. And, the bottom line is, in my opinion, he’s the best quarterback in the city.”

While the Troopers are using last season’s tough breaks as learning tools, they’re also preparing to use them as fuel this fall.

“We’re hungry. You know, we’re angry. And we’re out to get people this year,” said Lopez.