COVINGTON, Ga. — After last year’s conclusion, the Eastside Eagles celebrated eight of its seniors who signed scholarships to play at the next level. In total, the Eagles graduated 16 players from last season’s squad. 

As a result, head coach Jay Cawthon is looking to the younger players to step up and fill crucial roles on the roster. 

“We lost a good crop, but we feel like we got some good young kids coming back with some experience,” Cawthon said. “We’ll see how they react playing under Friday night lights. We play a tough schedule. Our non-region schedule is tough and our region is very, very tough. That’s what we like is to go out and compete and see how we’re going to react.” 

Eastside has five returning starters on defense and four on offense. Even so, it isn’t like the Eagles’ will have brand new players out there. 

Away from the starters, the Eagles have players who have had significant playing time in varsity action. Plus, they’ve had the past offseason to prepare for the new season ahead. 

“At Eastside, I think we do a good job of coaching our young kids and developing them,” Cawthon said. “By the time they are ready to be out there on Friday night, they’re ready to go.” 

Over the last few years, Eastside’s M.O. has been running the football. Players like all-state Dallas Johnson and now Kennesaw State Owl Kenai Grier are the most recent featured backs. 

Now, junior Jayden Barr seems to be the leader for the running back corp. He had 30 carries for 287 yards and two scores. Barr is a big time contributor from his defensive back position having 59 tackles and one tackle for loss a season ago. 

Assisting the running game will be the play of the offensive line group. It will be led by junior guard Tagen Brown who is one of two returning starters. Carlton Belgrave is the second. 

This position group received a change, too, in the offseason when former Eastside head coach Troy Hoff returned to be the offensive line coach. 

Following E’Sean Arnold’s graduation, sophomore gunslinger Payton Shaw has been given control of the Eagles’ offense. He started the final two games for Eastside last season, which featured a road game at Jefferson and the Class AAAAA playoff matchup at Calhoun. 

Shaw appeared in seven games in which he completed 61 percent of his passes and threw for 201 yards and had one interception.

Cawthon is eager to see how the offense operates in the upcoming year. 

“From year to year, your identity changes. The last couple of years, we’ve been really run heavy,” Cawthon said. “I personally think you’ve got to run the football to be able to win. That’s what I’m looking forward to is seeing what our identity is going to be.”

Returning on defense is junior Bailey Benson who recorded 61 tackles last year along with 13 tackles for loss — which was second-most — five sacks and one pick-6. Sophomore Xavier Joseph — who is Jean Claude Joseph III’s younger brother — will be back as linebacker. Joseph registered 47 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks.

Elijah Davis, a junior, rounds out the younger returners for the Eagles’ defense. He finished last season with the second-most total tackles with 85. 

One of the squad’s 10 seniors, Jacorey Jackson will be back on defense, too. As a junior, Jackson recorded 77 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and one sack. 

Over the summer, Eastside has gone through team workouts, participated in a plethora of padded camps and more. It is all in preparation for the 2023 season. 

The Eagles’ 2022 campaign ended with a 23-21 loss at Calhoun in the state playoffs. According to Cawthon, the players still remember that game well. 

“Last year with a 6-5 record was not our standard. We got put out in the first round by Calhoun and had every opportunity to win that ball game,” Cawthon said. “I think these guys are feeding off that game here in the offseason.” 

Eastside’s season begins on Aug. 18 at home versus Luella. The two weeks after, the Eagles will face in-county rivals Newton and Alcovy at Sharp Stadium. 

On Sept. 22, the Eagles will go to Flowery Branch to kick off Region 8-AAAAA play. 

Cawthon believes that, in-game experience, will only make this young core better. 

“You only get better by playing the game. Practicing can only go so far,” Cawthon said. “Game reps is where you learn if you belong out there.”

This article will be included in The Covington News' Preseason Blitz that will be in the Aug. 19-20 print edition.