Class 2A Blog: East Jackson looks to continue non-region success into region play

East Jackson has had a historic start to the season. For only the third time in the school’s history, the Eagles are 5-0. The Eagles have an extremely tough non-region schedule.

The Eagles are led by senior Army commit Drew Richardson. He is a true dual-threat quarterback. In 2024, he threw for nearly 1,200 yards and nine touchdowns while rushing for 1,200 more and scoring 16 times on the ground. He is one of, if not the, biggest recruits to come out of East Jackson’s nearly 25 years of existence.

Friday night may have been the best game of Richardson’s career. In the Eagles’ 52-38 victory over East Hall, Richardson created nearly 500 yards of offense. Through the air, he was 15 of 20 for 362 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, he rushed for over 200 yards and two touchdowns. He had rushes of 69 and 87 yards to help lead the Eagles to victory.

Wide reciver Branturan Callahan also had a great game, catching seven passes for over 150 yards and two touchdowns. Along with him, Denim Cooper also had a great game, catching five passes for 74 yards and two touchdowns.

The Eagles will now head into region play. Region 8-2A will be a tough test for East Jackson. This week, the team will face off with Hebron Christian. The Lions are the defending A-3A private champions and is once again one of the top teams in the state and will be a tough challenge for the Eagles. Along with them, games against Prince Avenue, Franklin County, and Stephens County will be a gauntlet that will put every aspect of the team to the test. However, the Eagles have shown the ability to be a pesky team that finds ways to win.

Overall, East Jackson under coach Cameron Pettis has been growing in every aspect year after year. If they can continue to grow as the season goes on, the Eagles will be in position to host a playoff game and have a chance to win just their second-ever playoff game.

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