At the recent preseason football Media Day hosted at Fountain Inn High School, GreerNews.com had the opportunity to catch up with several Greer-area football teams ahead of the 2026 campaign.
Eastside football was the first program GreerNews.com caught up with. Head coach Andre Woolcock, entering his eighth season at the helm, says he’s excited about what the Eagles bring to the table this year.
“Obviously, we graduated an incredible class last year,” said Woolcock. “But guys like [former players] Peyton Schrader, Lucas Tankersley, and MJ Posey, they didn’t just leave the cupboard empty. They invested into the guys below them, and helped build the foundation for what’s to come.”
The Eagles brought three of those rising star players to Friday’s media event: RB Ke’lyn Durham, OL John Donovan, and DB Christian McDowell.
McDowell, Woolcock says, has emerged as a leader for the team — both on the field and in the weight room.
“Pound for pound, he’s one of, if not the strongest, guys in our weight room,” said Woolcock. “He’s wearing the No. 1 jersey this season, and that’s not something that’s given. That’s earned. That was decided between the previous wearer of the jersey [former QB Peyton Schrader] on who deserves to put that on as our leader.”
“Since I was younger, I’ve always been a bit undersized, and I think that’s motivated me in terms of how hard I work,” said McDowell. “I want the guys around me to see how hard I work and be motivated. I want to lead the team in that way.”
Coming off a season where the Eagles finished 4-7 overall but 1-6 in an extremely stacked region, the Eagles believe the team has a chance to surprise some people in Class 5-A in their brand new region.
“Throughout this summer, at our 7-on-7s and other events, we’ve seen so many good things from so many different people on this team,” said Donovan. “From our guys up front, to the secondary, to the quarterback behind me, it all has been working together really well.”
“This year, every time we step on the field, it’s different,” said Durham. “It’s like there’s just something understood between all of us. We’ve got this one common goal to win, and we’re going to go all out to get it done.”
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