Leonard, ground game lead Eagles to scrimmage win over Woodmont

Eastside tight end Baron Leonard made several huge receptions in Friday’s scrimmage against Woodmont.

After Friday’s 13-6 scrimmage win over Woodmont, there was an unmistakable sense of elation on the Eastside sidelines.

Players hugged one another and posed for celebratory pictures. Head coach Andre Woolcock walked onto the field and patted each of his players on the helmet. Eagles wide receiver James Odom IV smiled and screamed into the air.

It might not have made sense to some. It was just a scrimmage, after all. The game didn’t even count toward the Eagles’ official record.

But for a program that—as Woolcock admits—has struggled to find much success the past few seasons, closing out pre-season camp with a win meant everything.

“It’s no secret that the last few years of Eastside football have been rough as far as win-loss record goes,” said Woolcock. “What we saw out there Friday was a breakthrough. What we do here is we treat our players and teammates like family, and when you’re a family, you’re proud to see a breakthrough occur.”

GROUND GAME DOMINANCE

The Eagles were carried, in large part, by their potent rushing attack. Kalvin Banks put on his typical show, breaking off several big runs, including a second-half 12-yard touchdown to cap the game’s scoring.

Banks may have some extra help in the backfield this season, too. Sophomore running back Scooter Foster had a first-half touchdown run of his own.

Foster took an outside handoff down the left sideline and outraced several Wildcat defensive backs for a 30-yard score.

Sophomore running back Scooter Foster is lifted in the air after scoring Eastside’s first touchdown of the game.

“A lot of people don’t know about Scooter. He was a freshman on varsity last year, but he was injured,” said Woolcock. “But we knew what we had in him. Scooter comes to work every day with a smile on his face wanting to get better… He’s a kid that we’re excited about for years to come in our program.”

‘A QUARTERBACK’S BEST FRIEND’

Another Eagle who had his name called often Friday? Baron Leonard. The senior tight end consistently found gaps in the Woodmont defense. He was the favorite target of quarterback Jaden Page all game.

Leonard found himself on the end of several crucial receptions, including an 11-yard first-down grab at the end of the game that essentially sealed Eastside’s win.

“There’s no dead plays with Baron on the field,” said Page. “If something goes wrong, just escape the pocket, get out and find Baron. He’s always open somewhere.”

“I feel like every quarterback needs that guy to count on,” said Leonard. “We’ve been working together a lot this summer. Jaden knows he’s got me anytime he needs it.”

For Leonard, who pulls double duty for Eastside as both tight end and linebacker, experience playing on defense has helped him see the field in a way most can’t. He calls out coverages before the ball is snapped. He tells Page when he’ll be open and on what part of the field.

He is, as Page puts it, “a quarterback’s best friend.”

“When we line up, I’ll look at the defense for a second and I’ll look back at Jaden, and I’ll be like ‘Alright J, This is going to be open,’” said Leonard. “Or ‘Alright J, I’m going to take three people with me on this play, so this guy’s going to end up being open.’”

“All the coaches, they tell me sometimes that I know the offense and defense better than anybody else on the field. I think it really helps playing both sides of the ball.”

Woolcock spoke not only on Leonard’s leadership and vision on the field but what the senior does for the Eagles behind closed doors, as well.

“It’s easy to put the film on and notice what he does. What people don’t know about Baron is what he does for our locker room,” said Woolcock. “He’s a bright spot in our program. He has no issue calling you out when you’re wrong, but at the same time, if you call him out when he’s wrong, he’ll shake your hand and say thank you. It’s his accountability that’s huge for us.”

LOOKING AHEAD

Eastside’s wire-to-wire win over the Wildcats brought an end to a preseason that has seen the Eagles take massive strides. The work’s not done, however. Woolcock sees plenty of room for improvement ahead of Friday’s Week 0 clash with J.L. Mann.

“I want to see a lot more out of us on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball,” said Woolcock. “We have to be more physical on both sides. On offense, I want to see our blockers destroy people. Sometimes guys just block and get in the way. I want to see us finish blocks. I want to see people driven into the coolers.

“J.L. Mann’s a good football team. Coach [Steve] Watson has done a heck of a job over there. If you go up against a Coach Watson team, you better be physical. That’s something we’re well aware of.”

Eastside will host J.L. Mann on Friday, August 18. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.