By Brandon Evans | Published Sunday, November 8, 2009
A waning harvest moon hung low in the sky and gazed upon a packed Eagle Stadium in the 90th meeting between Decatur and the Bridgeport Bulls on Friday night.
The wind blew hard on the field with an erosive force. It was the kind of wind that shifts sand dunes in the bleak desert and wears down towering mountains .
For most of the past decade, and for a majority of the history between rivals Bridgeport and Decatur, the power rested soundly to the east of the Big Sandy. The Eagles have rolled through most of the series, holding a 58-25-6 record over the Bulls.
But the sands continued to shift Friday night as the Bulls made a remarkable comeback late in the game to finish with a perfect record in district play.
This is the second year in a row the Bulls have swept their district, clinched the title and defeated Decatur. Meanwhile, Decatur has failed to make the playoffs for the second year in a row.
Decatur last made the playoffs in 2007. They lost in the first round to Abilene Wylie. That year was also the last time they beat Bridgeport. It was the last in a 6-game winning streak over their rivals across the creek.
On Friday, it looked like Decatur was going to get the best of the upstarts. The Eagles led 21-0 in the first half. The blue side cheered and stamped on the bleachers. Decatur could somewhat rectify a horrid 2-6 season with a single victory over the maroon menace.
Despite Bridgeport's high rankings and recent resurgence, they appeared doomed to forever remain the little brother to the Eagles. But something happened beneath that golden harvest moon.
Bridgeport coach Danny Henson made the necessary half-time adjustments. He proceeded to shut out the Eagles for the entire second half. He also unleashed better play-calling over Decatur coach Kyle Story. His team rallied behind junior quarterback Cody Henson and toppled the Eagles 24-21 in dramatic fashion.
Who knows how far Bridgeport will go in the playoffs. They had the advantage of playing in a district which proved to be very weak all season. But the Bulls did prove they are the new power in the county and the district. Henson seems to possess a clear vision of what he wants his team to accomplish and the players are all on board.
Meanwhile, Decatur failed to find an identity all season. Can Decatur return to their winning ways next year, or have the sands shifted to favor Bulls for years to come in the Battle of Big Sandy?
