GIRARD — For those of you keeping a checklist of all the program firsts for the Conneaut Area Senior High School football team, get your pencils out.

The very first victory for Conneaut? That happened Friday night as the Eagles won their 2012 season opener over Girard, 36-16.

“Yes, it was the biggest night of Eagle football ... so far,” said Conneaut lineman Jace Pardee. “It’s a great feeling to win with my boys and I love ’em. I love ’em.”

The win was also the first tangible vindication for head coach Pat Gould and his crew, whose job it was to bring together players from what used to be three different schools, rival schools (Conneaut Lake, Conneaut Valley and Linesville), and turn them into a single winning football team.

“This is real nice for the school,” said Gould. “We wanted this to start the first year. You feel the pressure. I think there was pressure all summer, to get it organized, to get the kids there, to get the kids to play. We know that it’s a new program. We know that we’re going in a different direction. There’s a lot of pressure, in my opinion.

“But I hope I’m doing a good job with the program. I hope we’re going in the right direction. I know it’s going to take some time. But it was nice to win this one.”

Last night’s game included numerous other firsts. For instance, Conneaut’s first-ever touchdown was scored by quarterback Jon Onderko. It was Conneaut’s second drive of the game. Eagles defensive back Brennon Miller intercepted a pass by Girard’s Joe Dunn, giving the Eagles the ball on the YellowJackets’ 32-yard line. Six plays later, with just under six minutes to play in the opening quarter, Onderko took a delayed keeper up the middle four yards to put Conneaut’s first ever points on the board.

After that, however, came a not-so-positive first for the Eagles: The first-ever time that they trailed.

Girard was getting nowhere with the rush, so Dunn went to the air. He didn’t strike often. But when he did, they were big. For instance, late in the first quarter he connected with tight end Brian McNally on a 48-yard screen pass, which got the ’Jackets down to Conneaut’s 21. Four plays after that, Girard kicker Ryan Barlow booted a 33-yard field goal through the uprights, making it a 7-3 game.

On Girard’s next offensive possession, the YellowJackets were faced with a fourth-and-eight when Dunn hooked up with receiver Kendall Bonnett on a 38-yard pass that ended up in the end zone, putting the ’Jackets on top 10-7.

Then right near the end of the half, Dunn found receiver Bryan Dividio alone down the sidelines and delivered a 55-yard strike for another TD. Girard went into halftime leading 16-7.

Conneaut went in and got its collective head straight.

“We weren’t done,” said Onderko. “It was still a game. We had to keep trying. We couldn’t quit.”

The success of Girard’s passing game merely set the Conneaut side up for another program first — the team’s first-ever comeback.

Girard fumbled away two of its first three possessions of the second half. The second fumble set Conneaut up on the YellowJackets’ 33 and gave the Eagles the momentum boost they needed.

Facing a third-and-three at the 25, Onderko faked the handoff to running back Elijah Anderton, then angled off the right side of the line all the way into the end zone, trimming Girard’s lead to 16-14.

Conneaut’s next offensive series lasted nine plays and traveled 41 net yards, finishing up with another touchdown trot by Onderko, this time on a 12-yard keeper.

That drive also featured another first — Conneaut’s first completed pass for positive yardage.

Onderko wasn’t having a great game in the first half, completing 1-of-7 pass attempts for minus-4 yards while getting picked off twice.

“I couldn’t connect with the receivers,” said Onderko. “A little bit (jittery). But my teammates stayed behind me.”

Now, during that second-half scoring drive, Conneaut was faced with a third-and-18 from Girard’s 46. And Onderko finally connected downfield to Jarred Hannold for a 17-yard pass, which made it fourth-and-one.

“That pass, that got us going,” said Onderko.

Anderton made up the one yard (after a measurement) to give Conneaut a new set of downs. Six plays later, Onderko was in the end zone. And following that up, he connected with Chris Richardson for the two-point conversion, pushing the Eagles’ ahead 22-16.

Conneaut was rolling from there on out. On the Eagles’ next possession, Onderko found Hunter Merritt downfield. And Merritt spun into the end zone with a defender on his back for an 18-yard TD completion.

So, Onderko ended the day 3-for-12 for 31 yards and one touchdown passing, and added 86 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

Conneaut tacked on its final touchdown of the night late in the fourth quarter when Anderton barreled through the left side for 33 yards and a TD.

That currently stands as the longest play in Conneaut history. And Anderton finished the game with the Eagles’ first 100-yard performance, rushing the ball 33 times for 149 yards and a touchdown. (A school record, as if that needed said.)

For Girard, Dunn finished the day going 12-for-27 for 225 yards passing.

“We had trouble getting to their quarterback,” said Gould. “We really struggled getting to him. He was getting a deep drop. He was doing a good job of getting away. And we weren’t identifying the screens as well as we could have.”

Yet, the YellowJackets had just 69 yards on the ground.

Girard also had five turnovers, including two interceptions by Dunn and three second-half fumbles.

“And really, our guys caused those turnovers by hitting,” said Gould. “A lot of gang tackling and ripping the ball loose.”

Notes: The game also marks the first time that Conneaut showed up in the wrong clothes. The team’s uniforms didn’t show up until Thursday. And the only ones that arrived were the home blacks. So that’s what the team wore to Girard last night. ... Conneaut running back Brandon Sherman did not play due to a shoulder injury suffered in the Hickory scrimmage. He said he expects to be back next week for the Lakeview game.