Eastern reloads ahead of highly anticipated 2025 season
By: Ty Carpenter
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BEAVER, Ohio (WOUB) – In 2015, Scott Tomlison began the varsity football program at Eastern High School. A decade later, the Eagles are no longer newcomers — they’re contenders.
Under Tomlison’s tenure, Eastern has checked off milestones year after year. They notched their first winning season in 2020, an undefeated regular season and playoff win in 2023 and last year, their first appearance in a regional final.
But after 13 straight wins last season, the Eagles were outmatched by Danville, 40-6.
That loss still lingers for Tomlison.
“Losing that game and getting our tails handed to us… It was a bad taste in our mouth,” he said. “But now we’re hungrier. We were right there. We tasted it. We wanted to get to Canton.”
The players haven’t forgotten the feeling either.
“We think about it a lot. It hurt in that endzone,” said sophomore running back Jack Montgomery. “I’m ready to go back and make it farther this time.”
Eastern graduated only four players from last year’s squad, returning their entire offensive line and several key positions. With that experience, Tomlison believes this team is ready to make a run.
“They know what we expect,” said Tomlison. “They know the culture that’s been laid down from the seniors in the classes before them. It’s an expectation.”
Leading the way is senior quarterback Eric Manley Jr., who made his mark last season with 42 touchdowns and 3,214 total yards. That was despite a rough start in the season opener against Miller, where Manley only completed 39% of his passes with no touchdowns.
“Week one last year, I didn’t feel I played my best,” said Manley. “It showed on the stat sheet. I didn’t want to do that anymore. So I decided to lead our team to a 13-1 record.”
Manley has only been playing football for three years, but his commitment is clear:
“All you can do is outwork everybody. That’s what I try to do.”
Even with their talent returning, Eastern’s path to Canton is much more difficult.
After this year’s OHSAA realignment, the Eagles now find themselves in the same region as Marion Local — the most dominant program in the nation, posting a 64-game win streak and four straight state championships.
Coach Tomlison says the competition does not scare them.
“No excuses,” Tomlison said. “Who cares? We’ve got to see them in the final four anyways. Who cares when we see them? We want that. We want to play the better schools.”
For Eastern’s seniors, the challenge is the motivation. For lineman Brewer Tomlison, the coach’s son, this season means more.
“It’s never been done here,” said Brewer Tomlison. “I really want to put my footprint, and my team’s footprint… Take my team somewhere we’ve never been.”
Eastern’s rise has not been an accident. Practices are intense, and Tomlison’s message is consistent.
“We don’t get comfortable,” said Coach Tomlison. “We’re always pushing. Always pushing to get better, always pushing to work hard.”
The Eagles’ identity is built around more than just talent — it’s grit.
“We want to win a state championship,” said Brewer Tomlison. “But also to be known as one of the toughest teams out there. It’s great to make the big plays, but it’s toughness at the end of it.”
“Here at Eastern, we really do love football,” he added. “We always have high energy… you just gotta have love for the game.”
With experience and leadership, Eastern has all of the requirements for another deep run. But this time, the road will be harder — and the expectations even higher.
“The momentum is there,” said Coach Tomlison. “We fully expect to be better this year than what we was last year. Just got to keep working.”
If the Eagles have their way, they will not only make their return to the regional final — they will check off another milestone.
Eastern’s season kicks off at South Point Aug. 22.