NEW DIANA, Texas — New Diana is 9-0 entering the final week of the regular season and is looking to cap off an undefeated season.
"It's been great, doing things we haven't done before, and just making history. It just feels good to be that team to do it," said New Diana quarterback DeJuan Johnson.
The Eagles team is led by sophomore quarterback DeJuan Johnson, who posted 250 passing yards and five passing touchdowns, completing seven of eight pass attempts in last week's win over Arp.
"He does things that I can't explain. He hadn't been coached as a quarterback a lot, he was just kind of an athlete, but he could still throw the ball a mile, and when he takes off running he's looking three or four moves later," said Eagles Head Coach Jason Pitts. "Our biggest job this year is to not try to put too many rules on him and handicap him, it's just let him go do what he does."
As Pitts mentioned, Johnson has always been a great athlete. In fact, he was the Eagles starting QB in 2023 as a freshman too. But, he made some improvements between seasons that have allowed him to excel this year.
"I grew a lot. Most of the things I know now I didn't really know last year. I can read more, my mechanics have gotten better and I think I've got a little more arm strength, and I've put it where it needs to be more this year," Johnson said.
While Johnson may lack experience, his teammates make up for it. There are 18 seniors on this Eagles squad, including the quarterbacks' older brother Jaydin Johnson.
"It's like 18 more coaches on the field. They fix things before we can even get to fix them, because they see things happening, and so it really works out well," Pitts said.
It's been quite a ride for the Eagles this year. Now after capturing their district crown last week, the focus has shifted to making a name for themselves in the playoffs.
"It's been real hard to get everybody's best game because they just want to wreck the undefeated season. But we work hard each and every day and we just try to push each other to be the greatest we can be," Johnson said.
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