If the Eagles are going to make it back to the playoffs and make a run at a region championship, they'll have to do it without starting running back Alex Smith.

Smith fractured his right arm Friday in the first play of the game for Eastside during their 38-15 win over Alcovy and will miss the next 6-8 weeks according to head coach Rick Hurst. Smith had surgery Tuesday and will be in a cast while recovering.

"I just hate it for the kid," Hurst said after the game. "He’s worked so hard and had a good offseason, but things like that happen. It’s just part of the game."

Smith suffered the injury while trying to plant his arm on the way down during a running play. He came off the field with his wrist badly displaced before receiving medical treatment on the sidelines. Smith was taken to Newton Medical for X-rays.

With Smith out, the rushing load falls on senior Chavis Griggs’ shoulders the rest of the way. Griggs showed more than capable of carrying the bulk of Eastside’s rushing duties Friday as he ran for a game-high 105 yards and two touchdowns. Griggs’ impressive debut as Eastside's No. 1 so-to-speak back was just what the team needed after Smith's injury.

"That was a great night for him (Griggs), and really good to see a guy who isn’t the feature back, come in and have a game like this," Hurst said. "We knew he had it in him. He showed tonight he can be a feature back."

Eastside will also turn to Jomandi Smith and Nick Broadwater to carry the ball in the backfield. Jomandi Smith missed Friday’s opener with a shoulder injury. Broadwater, a freshman, also looked good in his debut, rushing for 73 yards in nine carries.