Coach: Jerry Rutherford, 31st year
Last season: 11-1, 7-0 NBC
Retuning letter winners: 12
Returning starters: Offense 3, defense 4
Schemes: Wing-T/5-2
Top players: Seniors Isaiah Conkle, 5-11, 168, RB/LB. Skyler Dierker, 5-10, 161, RB/S; Blake Kohring, 5-11, 172, TE/DE; Adam Wolf, 5-11, 193, OG/DT; Derek Snowden, 5-10, 172, K. Junior Jake Schmeltz, 5-11, 165, QB/CB.
Outlook: The Eagles won the first NBC title, earned a spot in the playoffs and beat Ottawa-Glandorf in the first round before falling to Columbus Bishop Hartley.
Rutherford installed the Wing-T offense for the first time last season and believes that a year of experience should pay dividends.
"The first thing was knowledge of the system. We are far ahead of where we were a year ago," he said.
He said special teams and the defensive secondary should be very solid.
"We have a nice backfield and an experienced quarterback that played 12 games," he said.
Schmeltz connected on 29 of 49 attempts for 620 yards and nine touchdowns.
Conkle earned All-NBC first team after rushing for 1,190 yards on 103 carries (11.6 average) and scoring 24 touchdowns in the regular season.
Kohring will move from defensive back to defensive end. Wolf was a two-way starter last year and earned all-league second team.
"Our linebackers are inexperienced but should be pretty good," Rutherford said.
Inexperience on the lines could be a point of weakness early on.
"Our lines could be pretty good but there are a lot of new faces in there. They will continue to improve," Rutherford said.
The key to a successful season is being able to run the ball and stop the run on defense.
"We hang our hat on that," Rutherford said.
2012 EASTWOOD SCHEDULE
Aug. 24-Patrick Henry
Aug. 31-at Clyde
Sept. 7-at Oak Harbor
Sept. 14-at Lake
Sept. 21-Elmwood
Sept. 28-at Rossford
Oct. 5-Fostoria
Oct. 12-Otsego
Oct. 19-at Woodmore
Oct. 26-Genoa