From homes to bars and in between, Sunday evening in Lancaster County belonged to Eagles fans hoping for a playoff run to the Super Bowl.

The Philadelphia faithful remained fixed on the action on screens large and small as the Eagles took a big first step, beating the Minnesota Vikings, 26-14, after narrowly making the playoffs a week ago.

Randa Bills served drinks to a small but loyal crowd at the Ritz on Main in New Holland while sporting a pink Brian Dawkins jersey.

The bartender from New Holland said she was "stoked" to see the Eagles in the playoffs again. Rooting for the home team has always been a tradition in her family, she said.

"I don't know if I became a fan by choice or if it was the way I was raised, but I'm an Eagles fan," Bills said.

Bills has been a bartender for the past 10 years and said she's torn when the Eagles game is on because she has to continue to work.

She said she can tell when something big happens because people start cheering. After work she goes home and watches a recording of the game.

"Thank goodness for TiVo, but then I always know the outcome," Bills said.

Kevin Messner of Fivepointville was at the Sheetz service station on Route 23 filling up a can of kerosene for his heater when he decided to head down to the Ritz for some chicken wings and clam chowder and to watch the game on the big screen at the former movie theater.

Although he's a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, Messner said, his second-favorite team is the Eagles, and he was transfixed by the action during Sunday's game.

Messner said when he was growing up in the 1970s, his brothers watched the Steelers. He followed their example, rooting for Terry Bradshaw and the "Steel Curtain" and became a big football fan.

"You've got some athletes on the field there that make it an elite group," Messner said. "And the punishment that they take — there's not a lot of us that can do that."

Some die-hard fans chose to watch the action from the comfort of their own homes.

Travis Kopp is a plumber's apprentice at Mervin Zimmerman Inc. in Lititz. But when he's not working, he lives for Philadelphia sports.

His room in Lititz is a shrine to Philadelphia teams, with newspaper articles about the Eagles from a decade ago.

When Eagles running back Brian Westbrook scored on a 71-yard screen pass late in the fourth quarter, Kopp jumped into the air, hitting his hand on the ceiling of the living room and leaving an impression.

Kopp said he remembers the excitement of watching sporting events with his family from an early age.

To get ready for games, Kopp sits in the same chair, plays Gary Glitter's song "Rock and Roll, Part 2" and waves a rally towel.

Now he's hoping the Eagles will go even further.

"I've been there. I've seen all of this. Where's the (Super Bowl) ring?" Kopp said. "Three more wins to go."

E-mail: myoder@lnpnews.com