Today’s interviewee is Eastside coach Jay Cawthon, whose team defeated Newton 26-15 last week for the Eagles’ first victory over their cross-county rival since 2018. Cawthon, a Newton graduate, joined Eastside’s staff in 2005 and became head coach in 2021.
1. What was the difference in Friday’s game? “The big key was we were able to run the football and keep their offense off the field, and our defense played lights out. We gave up a late touchdown on a kick return with about a minute to go. I’m just proud of the effort of our kids. They did a good job controlling both lines of scrimmages. That’s where you win football games. I guess if you could say there was a key moment, they had a fourth-and-4 on about our 35 or 40 and went for it, and we got pressure on the quarterback and they were unable to convert. We were leading 19-9.” [Eastside scored the clinching touchdown after that turnover on downs.]
2. What did the game mean to the team, and what was the reaction after you won? “We haven’t beaten them since 2018. I’ve been here 20 years. It was pretty big for our senior class. They’d lost all three years. So this was good for our school and administration and community because it’s an in-county rivalry game. As for the players’ reaction, they were excited, but these first games have no bearing on our reaching our goals, so we gave them a 48-hour window to enjoy, and now we’ll move on.”
3. You’ve got lots of good players, but three in particular are well known because they are committed to Division I schools – Jayden Barr to Georgia Tech, Christian Gass to Tennessee and Bailey Benson to Wake Forest. What makes them stand out? “Jayden is our running back and safety. He committed to Tech as a safety. He does everything for us. We try to give him the ball as much as possible. He had offers from Boston College and Pitt as a running back. He’s a four-year starter and a dynamic player who brings a lot to the table. Christian is one of my linebackers, and he’s long and physical. The thing about Christian is that it’s only his second year of varsity football. The ceiling is very high. He was all over the field Friday night. He’s learning and will tell you that, but his athletic ability makes up for some of the mistakes. Bailey has really come on strong. Our defensive line played a heck of a game, and our linebackers ran free, and he made a lot of tackles. He’s 6-2, 215, and can run. All three are good students and are early enrollees.”
4. Why have you stayed at Eastside so long, and was your goal to become a head coach? “I never wanted to be head coach. I’m from here. I went to Newton and graduated in 1990. What kept me at Eastside is community and administration. We are the smallest school in the county. We’ve been pretty successful. We’ve made semifinal and quarterfinal runs. We’re trying to make the playoffs for the ninth straight year. We’ve only missed four years in my 20 years. The players work hard and know our standards, and it feeds down to the young kids. It’s just a great place to be.” [Cawthon and two current assistants, Troy Hoff and Frankey Iverson, joined the staff in 2005 and remain together. Hoff was Eastside’s head coach from 2015 to 2020 and returned in 2023 after two seasons at Woodstock.]
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