Eastside changed head coaches this season, but the Eagles haven’t changed direction.
Jay Cawthon, who has been at the school for 17 years, moved into the head coaches’ office this season after his pal Troy Hoff left to become head coach at Woodstock. Cawthon, who has been the offensive coordinator for 16 years, isn’t changing much for a program that hasn’t had a losing season sine 2005.
“It wasn’t a big transition for our kids. They know me,” Cawthon said. “It’s probably been a harder transition for me, doing all the other stuff and not calling plays any more. It’s been fun to be back on the sidelines with our kids.”
No. 9-ranked Eastside opened the season last week with a 20-9 win over Winder-Barrow.
While Eastside runs the spread offense, the Eagles have relied more on the run because of their large offensive line. That includes guards James Amos (6-5, 250), a first-team all-region choice a year ago, and Jalen Farmer (6-5,310), a second-team all-region pick who is starting for the fourth year.
The experienced blockers help all-region running back Dallas Johnson produce big numbers; the senior ran 31 times for 205 yards and three touchdowns in the opener. Johnson ran for 1,466 yards as a junior.
“He’s a game-breaker,” Cawthon said. “He’s also a between-the-tackle guy who runs very tough. We try to get him the ball as much as we can.”
The defense is led by inside linebackers Christian Benson (6-2, 220), a team captain who blossomed after being moved from defensive end last year, and John Claude Joseph (6-0, 210), another quick, hard-hitter who is starting to get college attention.
“We’ve only got three returning starters on defense, so I’m happy about the way they played under the lights for the first time,” Cawthon said. “They responded very well. They played physical, they played fast and that’s all you can ask of them.”
The Eagles also have a weapon in punter/kicker Rodney Williams Jr.
The Eagles will be tested on Friday when they play Newton, one of their county rivals. Newton leads the series 9-7-1 and has won the last two meetings.
“Year in and year out they’re one of the most talented teams around and it’s going to be tough,” Cawthon said. “They have good athletes running around everywhere, so we’ll see if we can put a plan together and get the kids the chance to be successful.”
Here’s a look at some of the other top games in Class 5A:
Blessed Trinity at St. Pius: This has developed into one of the top rival games among private schools. No. 4 Blessed Trinity (1-1) played without all-state running back Justice Haynes last week and lost to Class 4A No. 2 Marist. St. Pius (1-1) knocked off Class 3A No. 5 Westminster, with versatile Jack Tchienchou running for 91 yards, catching two passes for 55 yards, making four tackles and intercepting a pass. St. Pius leads the series 7-5, but Blessed Trinity has won the last seven, including 28-10 in 2019.
Decatur at Greater Atlanta Christian: Decatur (2-0) posted an impressive 13-6 win over Class A Private power Wesleyan. Marquis Hood ran for 58 yards and had four tackles and quarterback Harrison Hannah threw for 113 yards and completed three passes to Mekhi Lloyd for 52 yards. The Bulldogs limited Wesleyan to 108 yards, with Cameron Wingo producing five tackles, two for loss, and Lloyd adding an interception. GAC (0-2) has struggled against outstanding opposition and lost last week 16-12 to Class 2A No. 8 Lovett.
Union Grove at Starr’s Mill: No. 7 Starr’s Mill (2-0) is 3-0 against Union Grove, but the games have been competitive and close. The Panthers prevailed 19-14 a year ago.
Chamblee at Eagle’s Landing: This was a quick replacement game. Chamblee had been scheduled to play KIPP Atlanta and Eagle’s Landing was expected to play Lovejoy.
Clarkston vs. McNair (Hallford Stadium), 5:15 p.m.: Clarkston ended a 21-game losing streak last week with a 20-19 win over Berkmar. McNair has lost 16 straight game, with its last win coming against Therrell in the final game of the 2019 season. McNair leads the series 11-1.
Cancelled: Peach County vs. Griffin, Alexander vs. Cartersville, Cedartown vs. Calhoun, Mundy’s Mill vs. Rockdale County, Stone Mountain vs. Duluth, Wayne County vs. Richmond Hill,
Click here for information and scouting reports about the Westlake-Creekside, Oconee County-Clarke Central, Baldwin-Ware County, and Woodward Academy-Marist games.
Fans: Please encourage your coaches to post their game statistics each week on MaxPreps. It will help ensure better coverage for your players and team.
About the Author
