CLEVELAND, Ohio — A starter in the St. Edward defensive backfield since his sophomore season, Bradley Eaton has played a significant role in two of the three Eagles state championship runs.
A former state wrestling champion, Eaton has been a sure tackler for the Eagles’ defense with more than 100 in both his sophomore and junior year respectively.
But this season, in his senior year, Eaton has added more to his plate.
On top of his duties at safety, Eaton, with no prior experience, has been starting at running back for the Eagles since the last few weeks of the regular season.
“I think the coolest thing about St. Ed’s is we got so many guys who can make plays everywhere,” Eaton said. “Sometimes your number gets called, you’re not expecting it, and you got to step into a role, but we got the guys to do it. I think that’s what’s special about special about St. Ed’s.”
Eaton stepped into the role of running back out of necessity.
Brandon White opened the season as the Eagles’ starter after earning the job last year, but he’s been out with an injury since Week 3.
Tyrese Buchanan picked up a lot of the slack in the weeks that followed before Eaton and Zack Hackleman found themselves taking the lion’s share of the carries.
Well, Hackleman went down with an injury too, and Eaton, as well as starting linebacker turned power back Nate Gregory, have stepped up in a major way in response.
“That’s senior leadership,” Eagles head coach Tom Lombardo said. “It’s their time. And you know, three year starters like that, Eaton, Gregory, and the others, Thomas Csanyi, they’re not going to go down.”
They certainly didn’t go down in Friday’s Division I, Region 1 final. The Eagles kept their four-peat hopes alive with a 13-7 win against Mentor in that one, and Eaton had himself a day.
He finished the night with 19 carries for 181 yards and TDs of 80 and 68 yards apiece, while playing nearly every offensive and defensive snap of the game.
“The line did great blocking in front of me, and once you get to the second level, it’s kind of gets into my hand,” Eaton said. “Gotta make a couple guys miss, and then just turn on the jets and bring it home for the team.”
Eaton went into the regional final with 80 carries for 427 yards and seven TDs, including a 157-yard three total TD day against St. Ignatius. He’s also got 124 yards and six receiving TDs on 13 receptions this season and that’s just offense.
Prior to the regional final Eaton had 74 total tackles (43 solo), nine pass breakups, two picks, a blocked punt, which was recovered for a TD, and the Eagles’ lone kick return TD of the season.
After losing three All-Ohioan on their offensive line it says a lot about the Eagles that they have made it back to this point of the year.
St. Edward went 5-5 in the regular season, but 4-0 this postseason is the only thing they care about.
“Coming into the playoffs, I felt like our team had a lot left to prove. I mean, we were 5-5, but we played one of the toughest schedules in the country, in my opinion, and I just felt like we have a lot left to prove,” Eaton said. “I still think we got a lot left to prove, but it’s starting to show on the field.”
With just one game separating the Eagles from a shot at the four-peat they have shown they’ll do what ever it takes.
“We’re just finding a way. It’s a resilient team. That’s what we said all year, just keep swinging. Yeah, the record’s not as good, but the competition we played prepares us for these type of games,” St. Edward head coach Tom Lombardo said. “We’re 4-0 and there’s 28 teams left in the state and that’s all that matters.”