Eagles score 20 points in fourth quarter to beat Franklin

Vista del Lago's flag football team had its toughest game of the season on Monday and came from behind for a 26-24 victory over Franklin. With the win, the Eagles improved to 4-0 on the season. The team's next game is at West Campus Tuesday. After three straight shutouts and blowout victories, the Eagles were finally challenged by Franklin. Vista took a 6-0 lead on a 56-yard pass from Becca Lemos to Cadyn Nettleton, but Franklin scored 18 unanswered points to take an 18-6 late in the third quarter. Vista, however, dug deep and scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter: two touchdown passes to Nettleton and a pick-six from Taylor Peyrucain, to come back and win the game, 26-24. Franklin scored a late touchdown, but couldn't get the game-tying two-point conversion and the Eagles ran out the clock. Lemos completed 19-of-28 passes for 191 yards, while Nettleton caught four passes for 140 yards and three scores. "The game showed a lot of character from our girls," Vista coach Aron Henderson said. "I preach to the girls; don't get too high, don't get too low. Try to stay even keel. I'm always asking them, is the job finished? No.' Let's not get excited about these 50-0 wins, because we've got other games to play. We have to learn how to counteract their punches. "Franklin got up on us by a couple touchdowns at halftime and the girls were a little bit flustered. I told them, "don't worry about the referees, don't worry about the calls, you go do what you do best and that's play the game. I teach discipline. In order to win some of these games, you've got to be disciplined. You have to have a strong mindset and not let the moment get too big." The strength of the team, according to Henderson, is the girls' willingness not to quit. "I came in as a new coach with a new system, a new scheme and I brought in with me a whole different type of an environment and they had to buy-in and they did," Henderson said. "That is why we win games like this, because they bought into what I'm teaching. It's a great group of girls. I couldn't ask for a better group." The team's four captains are Lemos, Peyrucain, Kami Stephens, and Amanda Nazworth. "Becca is only a sophomore, but she's awesome," Henderson said. "She stepped right into this offense and she runs it. I give her that trust because she's trustworthy. She's smart and she makes plays. "Taylor is another captain. I knew she was a good person, but I didn't know if she could be a captain, but she's a leader on the field. During practices, she locks down her side of the field and she's like, 'what else you got coach?' I have to change my playbook because of her. That says a lot about her. She comes out here and leads by example. She's smart, physical and she knows how to play the game. "Amanda is another captain. She's a great person and a joy to be around. Never has a negative thing to say. She's a great leader and people listen to her. "Kamira is the other captain. My center and my back-up center weren't here today and I needed Kamira to play center. She's one of the more sure handed people on this team, but I needed her to play center. She does whatever the team needs and that's why she's a captain." Nettleton had a great game for the Eagles, and is just one of many weapons Henderson can turn to. "I have an excellent, yet terrible problem because I've got too many weapons and I don't know how to get them on the field at the same time," Henderson said. "It's a great problem to have but it's also a problem that I have to manager and it's very difficult." That might be a problem, but the Eagles are 4-0 and off to a good start to the season and Henderson is definitely looking forward to having a good season.