Tonopah junior invited to participate in showcase

A Tonopah football player was honored by a nationally acclaimed football camp.

Senior Brendan Eason was invited to play in the 10th annual Offense-Defense Bowl at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The game is an all-star football game showcasing 80 of the top high school players in the country.

This is all part of a week-long series of events, which starts on Dec. 28 and culminates with the game on Jan. 2.

The game has featured current NFL pros such as Cam Newton, Joe Haden, Earl Thomas and Dez Bryant, among others, before they were collegiate and later professional stars.

The Muckers football player is five-foot-ten at 175 pounds and plays tight end and linebacker for the Muckers.

Eason was singled out for the honor from a group of young athletes numbering in the hundreds of thousands from across the country for his play representing Tonopah.

"I will be taking my mother with me and am currently busy fundraising to go to Florida," Eason said. "This game is huge for me. It will be a learning process. All the players will have to adapt too because we have to learn the plays in a four-day period."

The young player will be playing tight end at the all-star game but was also known for his defense for the Muckers. During the regular season he led the Southern region in tackles with 107, according to Nevadapreps.

Eason went to the Offense-Defense Football Camp held in Northern University, in Flagstaff, Arizona during the summer.

Eason led his team in tackling with 55 solo tackles and 52 assists. Tonopah finished the season 7-3, defeating rival Beatty and making the Division IV playoffs.

"This year on defense I learned to tackle better and explode through the hole," Eason said.

Most of the players played both ways because of the size of the team and Eason was no exception.

As a tight end he had 2 receptions for 13 yards. He also ran the ball for 66 yards in 11 carries.

Eason said he hopes to play football in college, but has not made up his mind on which position he will play.

"I play three sports in high school but football is my favorite sport," he said. "I want to major in biology in college."

The junior athlete is playing basketball now.

"I am not an outside shooter," Eason said. "I am more of a defensive player in basketball."

In the spring he runs track.

-Contact sports editor Vern Hee at vhee@pvtimes.com