Football fans at Jacksonville's Golden Eagle Stadium were treated Friday night to flags that were given to each person that entered the stadium and to a pre-game show that included members from the 82nd Airborne parachuting into the stadium with the game ball and a Jacksonville jersey attached to the parachute.

At halftime, First Responders from the area were honored in memory of Sept. 11.

While the non-football action was fantastic, the football action going on between the shows was just as spectacular as the Golden Eagles rebounded from last week's loss to Oneonta to shut down Ashville with a 30-6 win.

The Jacksonville defense was so on top of its game that it put Ashville in the hole for total rushing yards with a minus six for the game. Ashville could muster only 147 total yards of defense while Jacksonville broke loose for 491.

While the stats show that the Golden Eagles dominated the game, it wasn't until the second half that Jacksonville was running on all cylinders.

Jacksonville scored on a 27-yard field goal by Brock Sanderson towards the end of the first quarter and went up 10-0 on a one-yard romp into the end zone by Coryell Elston. Sanderson connected on one of his three extra points on the night.

The half ended with Jacksonville on top 10-6 after Ashville scored on a six-yard pass.

The second half was all Jacksonville as the Golden Eagles controlled the line on both sides of the ball. The offensive line of Knox Newell, Jake Smith, Zach Cruse, Sanderson and Taylor Warner opened up gaping holes and allowed Jacksonville runners to pick up big yardage.

Coach Roland Houston was pleased with the performance of the Golden Eagles during the second half.

"I thought the first half we came out a little flat and we had one good drive but to me we didn't really get into sync until the second half," he said.

"I thought the second half we got back to the kind of team we were the first ball game; we established the fullback very well the second half and did what we needed to do the second half defensively to keep them from getting behind us deep."

Two running backs, Travis Dunn and Jackson Pearson, went over 100 yards, with Dunn running for 125 yards and one touchdown and Pearson 117 and a touchdown.

Pearson, who had been moved to running back to fill in for an injured Cordero Little, left the quarterbacking chores to younger brother Forrest. who rushed for 51 yards. The option of having both Pearsons in the backfield will be open to the Eagles and will allow for some variation.

Also moving the ball well for Jacksonville was running back Coryell Elston, who finished the night with 88 yards and a touchdown, and fullback Stephen Waters, who rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown.

Waters also anchored a tough defense that didn't allow Ashville a single first down during the second half, holding them to only 31 yards passing and minus 18 yards rushing.

Also helping out on defense were Tyler Ross with seven tackles and Noah Whaley, Waters and Knox Newell with five tackles.

Credit the defensive secondary, with the Pearson brothers at the corners and Jack Whaley at free safety, for taking away the deep plays and keeping Ashville out of the end zone.

While the Eagles can savor this game, they can't dwell on it for long as they face regional opponent and long time rival Alexandria next week.

The Eagles are 2-1 heading into Friday's game at Alexandria is 1-2. However, those two losses were to powerhouses Anniston and Cherokee County.

Houston knows his team will have their work cut out for them.

"We know they will be a good, solid football team like they've always been," said Houston. "I think Alexandria is as good as they've always been. We have our work cut out for us but if we play well and execute we can beat them."