The Goshen Eagles are on the brink of accomplishing something they have not accomplished in a long time. A playoff berth lies ahead of the Eagles with a victory tonight, and Eagles head coach Joe Thornton said his team is ready for the task.

The Eagles are on the road at Highland Home tonight. The Flying Squadron have been a very tough team in seasons past, but they are winless to this point of the season.

“This is a big game for our team and our community,” Thornton said. “We’ve had a dry spell for a while. The kids are excited and they have a lot of pride about it.”

Highland Home graduated 27 seniors off of last year’s team, and that can be attributed to the slow transition this season.

However, Thornton said the Flying Squadron are still a very dangerous team.

“They have probably improved more than anybody throughout the season,” Thornton said. “They are good at onside kicks and they have nothing to lose. They are going to come out and do everything they can to win the game. It’s a rivalry and both teams are close to each other. They are just a dangerous team.”

Thornton said this could be a trap game for the Eagles, but his team knows what can happen with a win.

“They know this is for the playoffs,” Thornton said. “We’ve had a good week of practice. It’s been nice having afternoons off since school is out. They have an opportunity to get their legs back underneath them, and hopefully that will be an advantage for us.”

The Flying Squadron show a split 4-4 on defense, and they, much like Goshen, have an interesting offense.

“They run a Notre Dame box,” Thornton said. “They show a lot of misdirection, and if you can’t stop it you’re in for a long night.”

The Eagles are on the road tonight, and kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

A win guarantees the Eagles a playoff spot, but seeding possibilities will still be up in the air.