WENDELL - East Wake Football League's newest edition, the Riley Hill Eagles, finally got on the board in the last three minutes of Saturday night's game against the Wendell Rams with a rushing touchdown and two-point conversion by Tavares Alston, but the 33-7 Wendell win wasn't the story of the night.

The story of the night, and of the season, is how the Eagles (3-3) have managed to put together a team in a community surrounded by Wendell, Knightdale and Zebulon - all towns with EWFL teams.

"It's been extremely chaotic," Riley Hill head coach Steven Perry said. "Only three of the 20 Pee Wees have ever played football. For a first year team they are doing exceptionally well."

Trailing 20-0 to the Rams - the team that has made an appearance in the past three year's Super Bowls and has won the last two - at the half proved too much for the Eagles to overcome, but with a split record six weeks into its first season the team has things to look forward to. Riley Hill's three wins have come over South Granville, Franklinton and Holly Springs Blue.

"We're still in this thing, but we've got to come out as a team and we've got to come out with a purpose," Perry told his group after the game. "We lost focus because of a lack of experience, but we can still make playoffs, we're still going to work hard, play hard and get better."

Getting better is something Perry thinks will come naturally with time for Riley Hill in the seasons to come. He said the team had to limit the amount of players on each of the three teams (Mini Mites, Mighty Mites and Pee Wees) due to limited funding for uniforms, but next year the team will start the season with 60 uniforms already purchased, so advancement can begin immediately.

"I think a lot of serious talent has come out of the Riley Hill community, and where those kids might not have had the opportunity to play or had transportation to practice and games in the past, now they can walk to practice," said Perry, who holds practices at his house in Riley Hill where he, too, grew up.

The reigning Super Bowl champion Rams (5-1) have only lost to Zebulon thus far this year -- déjà vu from last year's regular season. This year's game ended 20-13, Zebulon,on a last-second pass, but things will continue to mirror last year's season if coach Len Boykin gets his wish. Last year the Cougars and Rams met for a rematch in the Super Bowl game, and Wendell got its revenge.

"We've got a solid team, just played a little sluggish tonight," Boykin said. "We're always looking for a three-peat, but there's a lot of games and a long ways to go before that happens."

Boykin said Knightdale's Pee Wees will be a big test when the teams meet at the East Wake High School field on Oct. 31.