The focus with the Eastside football team this season has been on finishing strong. The roster is loaded with experience, including three Division I commitments, but coach Jay Cawthon wants to make sure his guys are ready for the grind when it arrives.
“That’s been our mindset,” Cawthon. “We’ve talked about that a lot and we’re still learning to finish.”
The Eagles opened the season by beating rival Newton 26-15, which ended a five-game losing streak to the Rams, the No. 10-ranked team in Class 6A. The victory was enough to propel Eastside into the state rankings at No. 10. It is the first time the Eagles have been ranked since Sept. 29, 2022.
“I loved effort, the physicality they showed,” Cawthon said. “We’ve got a lot of players coming back and they showed the game wasn’t too big for them.”
Jayden Barr, a Georgia Tech commit, ran 12 times for 65 yards, caught a pass and had four tackles. Linebacker Christian Gass, a Tennessee commit, had 10 tackles and caused a fumble. Linebacker Bailey Benson, a Wake Forest commit, had five tackles and one for loss.
Eastside ran for 171 yards and quarterback Payton Shaw only threw six passes, completing four, for 25 yards. The Eagles took advantage of an experienced offensive line that’s led by senior guard Carlton Belgrave and Tagen Brown, a pair of three-year starters.
The defense also got some strong play up from, particularly from a pair of 240-pound ends – junior Xavier Joseph and sophomore Decorey Crumbley. Joseph caused a fumble and Crumbley had two tackles for loss.
Eastside has another test on Friday when they travel to play Hiram, a playoff team a year ago.
“These first four games have nothing to do with our goals,” Cawthon said. “We want to develop some depth and we’ve talked about finishing strong. I like the mindset with all the experience.”
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Ware County’s Strickland wins No. 150
Ware County coach Jason Strickland earned the 150th win of his career on Friday when the Gators defeated Appling County 40-10 in the season opener. Luke Hooks completed 6 of 8 passes and threw for 172 yards and four touchdowns to spark the victory
Strickland is in his sixth season at Ware County and has a 50-12 record with three region championships and the 2022 state title.
First with for new Lithonia coach
First-year Lithonia coach Kevin Barnes didn’t have to wait long to earn his first victory. The Bulldogs opened the season by beating Lithia Springs 31-28, which broke a seven-game losing streak.
Lithonia quarterback Jarmon Coggins threw for 296 yards and a pair of touchdown passes, one of them a 78-yard toss, another for 63 yards.
Lithonia recovered six fumbles, four in the second half, to spark the win. Zachariah Ramsey, Jamari Davis, Josias Dore and Tyrick Williams had the four second-half recoveries.
Jones County’s Chastain sets record
Mike Chastain became the winningest coach in Jones County history on Friday when the Greyhounds defeated Veterans 41-26. Chastain, in his sixth season, is 46-18, and moved past predecessor Justin Rogers.
The big play for Jones County was a 94-yard kickoff return by Jaivon Solomon that provided a 20-13 lead.
North Oconee wins Hog Mountain Bowl
North Oconee recovered three fumbles to beat rival Oconee County 21-10 and win the annual Hog Mountain Bowl. Justin Curtis, Landon Roldan and Maddox Brice all ran for touchdowns for the Titans. It was North Oconee’s third straight win in the series.
Marist opens with win over Jefferson
Marist outlasted a weather delay and the stiff Jefferson defense en route to a 23-7 opening win. The War Eagles scored on a 37-yard field goal from Drew Linnihan and led 3-0 at the half. Jack Euart, Chris Haertel and Trace Gaynes added touchdown runs for the War Eagles. The win allowed Marist to move to No. 1 in the Class 4A state rankings.
Top performers
Nate Russell threw for 154 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score in limited action to help Cartersville beat Columbia 40-0 in the season opener. Jamauri Brice caught five passes for 48 yards and one touchdown. … Ahmontae Pitts scored on two runs, including a 72-yarder, to help Blessed Trinity beat St. Pius 24-0. … Roan Dutta kicked a 26-yard field goal with less than a minute to play and lift Pace Academy to a 10-9 win over Chamblee. … Ra’Shawn Truell completed 10 of 12 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns and Kamari Maxwell caught seven passes for 117 yards and one touchdown and ran for a touchdown in New Hampstead’s 56-35 win over South Effingham. … Ahmad Gordon rushed for 115 yards and and one touchdown in Perry’s 35-7 win over Baldwin.
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