It is often the years in which one is to meet expectations than can be the hardest. Going into this season, the Freedom High School Eagles varsity football team were the favorites to bring home the long-awaited championship. Earlier this year, they talked about what that challenge was like, and how they were prepared for the road ahead.

On Saturday at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, they reached their goal, winning the Class 6A championship, by defeating Madison 48-14. Led by sophomore running back Jeffrey Overton Jr., they scored on their first three possessions and never looked back. Overton, the nephew of Freedom Coach Darryl Overton, himself a high school champion from his playing days at Hylton High School, ran for 212 yards and three touchdowns. He also set the Prince William County school record with 2,599 rushing yards.

Despite the dominance of the Eagles throughout the year, it was not without controversy. Back in October, the team faced heavy scrutiny for their blowout win over Colgan High School 112-16. It prompted a lot of vitriol on social media, yet the team remained focused on what was ahead, as junior Aaron Duncan told the PW Perspective last month.

“It means a lot, but I think that everyone has their own expectations, and we appreciate them,” said Duncan. “At the end of the day, it’s going to come down to who puts in the most work Mondays through Thursdays, and it will show on the field.”

Now, those goals have been met, and the crown has returned to Prince William County.