GAINESVILLE, Ga. - After a narrow 14-13 loss against the five-time reigning region champions, North Oconee, the Eastside Eagles avenged their loss with a 42-7 beatdown over the East Forsyth Broncos. Led by senior quarterback Payton Shaw’s four-touchdown performance, the win secures the Eagles a spot in the 2025 GHSA AAAA playoffs.
The game started as a defensive battle; both teams traded three-and-outs as the Eagles’ run defense stiffened the Broncos throughout the first quarter, only giving up two first downs. Led by running back Brooks Smallwood, the Broncos have averaged 205 rushing yards across their past three games.
After an Eagles punt, the Broncos worked the ball across midfield with under two minutes left in the first quarter, reaching the 40-yard line. After a stuffed run play on first down, Broncos quarterback Chase Rhoads found wide receiver Trent Polk for a 40-yard touchdown, eerily similar to the start of Eastside’s loss to Flowery Branch in September, where the Falcons threw four 40+ yard passes en route to a 32-28 victory.
It only took the Eagles 14 seconds to respond, thanks to running back Amond Sands, who returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards to the endzone, tying the game at seven.
Back on defense, the Eagles set the tone for the remainder of the game, forcing yet another Broncos three-and-out.
The offense answered with a sharp and punctuated drive, beginning with running backs Myles Mims and Tyler Solomon, the latter ripping off a 20-yard carry to put the Eagles inside the red zone. Another short gain put the Eagles on the 8-yard line with just over seven minutes left in the second quarter.
The offense went tempo, catching the Broncos disorganized as Shaw scampered in for his first rushing touchdown of the night.
After a touchback and another Broncos three-and-out, a short punt gave the Eagles prime field position, just outside the 40. Shaw kept the wheels turning, finding tight end Christian Seymore from 30 yards out, extending the lead to 21-7 with 3:18 left in the half.
On the very next drive, the Eagles sacked Rhoads, forcing a third and long for the Broncos and further asserting their dominance in the trenches. The next play, Broncos running back Jackson Norman fell short of the first down, forcing the Broncos to punt the ball away with 1:39 left in the half.
Short on time, the Eagles swiftly moved down the field thanks to two 10-yard carries from Mims, reaching the 39-yard line. Shaw then found wide receiver Chase Jordan for 15 yards, putting the Eagles just inside the Broncos’ 25-yard line with 20.2 seconds to go in the half.
Eastside Head Coach Jay Cawthon stopped the clock with a timeout, and Shaw capped off the Eagles’ drive with a 25-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jace Taylor, giving Eastside a 28-7 lead at the half.
The third quarter was very similar to the first, with both teams failing to move the ball. The Eagles found themselves relying on Shaw and Mims to drive into Bronco territory. Looking to shift momentum, the Broncos' defense made a stand, forcing the Eagles to attempt a field goal, which was subsequently blocked and recovered by the Broncos.
A 45-yard run from Smallwood pushed the Broncos into Eagles territory, but the drive fizzled out shortly after. The teams traded punts, and the score remained at 28-7 entering the fourth quarter.
The deadlock was finally broken thanks to a six-yard rushing touchdown from running back Josh Barr, his third of the season, with 7:49 left in the game. After another Eagles defensive stop, Shaw capped off the night with a 5-yard rushing touchdown, extending the Eagles’ lead to 35 and ending scoring for the night.
The victory leaves the Eagles with a 5-4 overall and 3-2 region record. With second-placed Flowery Branch’s 49-28 victory over Walnut Grove, the Eagles sit in third place in AAAA Region 8.
The Eagles will need to execute and win in their season finale on Thursday, October 23, 2025, against the Cedar Shoals Jaguars, and hope for consecutive Flowery Branch losses to secure the No. 2 seed in the region.
