EWU football celebrates going from missing playoffs to Big Sky champs

PORTLAND – A year ago, an injured Shaq Hill watched helplessly from the sidelines as Eastern Washington failed to make the postseason.

On Friday night, he and his teammates triumphed together. The Eagles won another Big Sky title after a 35-28 win at Portland State. Much of the credit goes to Hill, who capped a memorable senior year with seven catches for 124 yards.

Hill made some history in the process, becoming the first four-time Big Sky Conference champion in Eagles history.

“I can’t even explain how special this is,” said Hill after the game, still clutching the Big Sky trophy. “I was so emotional after the game because this has been a long road. I’m finally holding the Big Sky trophy – it’s good to be back.”

Hill played as a true freshman in 2012 when the Eagles won the first of three league titles and advanced to the playoffs each season. But he injured his knee in EWU’s opener against Oregon, and two knee surgeries kept him off the field for nearly a year.

Well into Saturday morning, the Eagles were still celebrating a 10-1 season, tied for the best regular-season record in 108 years of football in Cheney. In the lockerroom, coach Beau Baldwin honored a promise to perform a victory dance.

He chose the “worm,” which was captured for eternity on social media.

“It’s fun – it doesn’t get any better than that,” added Hill. “We all love each other and are a family, so it’s all good. I didn’t see that one coming. Coach Baldwin stepped out of his lane right there. He tells us to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.”

Now the Eagles and Hill are back in their comfort zone as they await the release on Sunday morning of the 24-team Football Championship Subdivision playoff bracket. The show begins at 8 a.m. on ESPN3.

Eastern went into the weekend ranked third in the polls but second in the most recent FCS Selection Committee rankings released on Nov. 15.

Going into the weekend, North Dakota State held the top spot, followed by EWU, Jacksonville State, James Madison, Sam Houston State, The Citadel, Central Arkansas and Richmond. The top eight teams earn byes next week and will host second-round games on Dec. 3.

Little changed at the top on Saturday, as North Dakota State won 28-21 at South Dakota, Jacksonville State routed Tennessee-Martin 33-7 and James Madison and Sam Houston State won impressively.

At worst, the Eagles figure to be the No. 3 seed, which means fans can count on home playoff games at least through the quarterfinals.

The two weeks of rest will come in handy, as several key players are nursing injuries. Wide receiver Cooper Kupp went over 6,000 receiving yards and 400 receptions at PSU, catching six passes for 67 yards before leaving the game in the third quarter with a shoulder injury.

The injury to Kupp was only the tip of the injury iceberg for the Eagles. Senior linebacker Miquiyah Zamora (hamstring) missed most of the game, and EWU was already playing without a trio of injured starters – guard Matt Meyer (concussion), running back Jabari Wilson (hip/rib contusion) and rover J.J. Njoku (knee).