The Rams are back: Eastside football improves to 2-0 after shutout against Keystone Heights

For the first time in a long time, it appears the winning ways of Eastside football is back.

When the Rams’ first-year head coach Harold ‘Gator’ Hoskins led his team out on the field on Thursday night, he returned to familiar turf — the grass of Citizens Field, where he once wore an Eastside uniform and put on shows for those in attendance at Milton Lewis Stadium.

“Honestly, it kinda feels the same,” Hoskins said. “My blood was boiling. I was ready to get out there like I was getting ready to play.”

Last week, Hoskins and the Rams won their first season opener in a decade.

And on Thursday, Eastside (2-0) kept its momentum, shutting out Keystone Heights (0-1) 26-0.

Here are three takeaways from the matchup.

Top games this week: Keystone Heights visits Eastside for first Gainesville matchup of Week 2

Live scoreboard: Gainesville area Week 2 high school football games

Power Poll: First top 10 rankings of the Gainesville area high school football season

No holding back Holden Johnson

When Hoskins took the job at Eastside, he brought with him a host of new assistants – including former Florida Gators wide receiver Willie Jackson Jr., who played wide receiver under Steve Spurrier at the University of Florida before going on to play for a number of teams in the NFL.

And Jackson, who serves as Eastside’s offensive coordinator, has the Rams looking vastly different than seasons of the past, which all starts at the quarterback spot, which is held by senior Holden Johnson.

In his first three seasons with the Rams, Johnson wasn’t a part of an offense that allowed him to showcase his skills. But the arrival of Jackson has Johnson thriving.

“He gives me confidence,” Holden said of Jackson. “He’s helped me dissect a defense and know where to go with the ball.”

For the second week in a row, Johnson tossed three or more touchdown passes in a game, with this week’s number being four.

Johnson connected with sophomore Davion Pugh (6 yards), junior Antoneo Wilson (89 yards), junior Antonio Hubbert (28 yards) and senior Jemall Dix (12 yards) for touchdowns in Thursday night’s win over Keystone Heights.

“He’s been preparing and we’ve been watching film,” Hoskins said of Johnson. “He’s just taking what the offense gives him and we’ve got some great weapons around him.”

Blunder shows culture change at Eastside

Keystone Heights didn’t attempt passing the ball much at all. But when it did, there was an Eastside defender right there to sniff out the play.

Junior Branden Perry nearly came away with what would’ve been a go-ahead Pick-6, but he dropped it.

After looking at his hands in disbelief, Perry climbed to the ground and repped out 10 pushups before the Keystone Heights offense snapped its next play.

While an odd spectacle midgame, it shows what the expectations are at Eastside and enforces accountability.

“We’re holding those guys accountable every single play,” Hoskins said. “That’s a Pick-6. That’s an opportunity for you to be a highlight on the news tonight. You’ve gotta take advantage of those opportunities.”

Keystone Heights still piecing together its offense

The ground game is Keystone Heights’ bread and butter.

In 2021, the Keystone Heights’ offense rushed for more than 4,000 yards, while passing for less than 300 yards. Granted, Keystone Heights had six talented running backs at its disposal last season.

However, this fall, that number has been reduced dramatically as Keystone Heights graduated its four top rushers from last season. And Thursday night’s loss proves that Keystone Heights’ head coach Charles Dickinson and his staff are still piecing together an offense that works with this year’s personnel.

“We’re trying to figure out what’s the best for us offensively… if it’s the wing-T or the wishbone,” Dickinson said.

Keystone Heights showed both formations against Eastside and had spurts of success with both.

However, a fumbled snap here and a missed blocking assignment there made it difficult for Keystone Heights to do what it does best: sustain drives.

“We’ve gotta move the ball,” Dickinson said. “Even if we don’t score, we’ve gotta get three to four first downs to shorten the game… We’ve just gotta get more consistent.”

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: High school football: Takeaways from Eastside victory in Gainesville