PASCAGOULA -- Receiver Matthew Eaton is set up for a strong
senior football season after injuries hindered his junior campaign, his
first at Pascagoula High School.
The 6-foot-4, 190-pound Eaton received a scholarship offer from the Naval Academy this summer, the first of what should be a handful of Division I offers.
His family moved to Pascagoula last year from the U.S. Territory of Guam, where his father was stationed in the Navy.
After the family moved to Pascagoula in July of 2012 and Eaton quickly had to re-adjust to life on back on the mainland after developing into a football standout early in his high school career in Guam. He is originally from Virginia.
"Coming over from overseas, it was a big difference," Eaton said. "I guess the high schools here are a lot more competitive than back in Guam. I had to come here and get adjusted to the system and get adjusted to the guys, buy into the program here."After the adjustment period, Eaton became an important part of the Pascagoula offense before he was injured in the fifth game of the season at Long Beach. He returned to play a limited number of snaps late in the year, but he mostly watched from the sideline as the Panthers rolled to the Class 5A South State title.
"I took that pretty hard," Eaton said of the ankle injury. "One, because Mississippi State was looking at me before I got hurt. That hurt me pretty bad.
"To see these guys win a bunch of games that we weren't supposed to win and having to sit out and watch them, it hurt pretty bad."
He ended the 2012 season with 12 catches for 158 yards and three touchdowns and didn't return to full health until well into the boys basketball season, when he helped the Pan
thers' hoops team make a run to the Class 5A state semifinals.
Eaton decided to give up basketball in the offseason to focus more on football, and Pascagoula football coach Lewis Sims has watched him grow as a player in recent months.
"He really became a sponge in the system and tried to soak everything in," Sims said. "In the spring, you saw maturation from learning everything on the fly to now being confident that I know what's going on. Now, I just don't have to worry about learning the system. Now, I can work on little things like catching ball at the top end of a route and working on different things."
Pascagoula is set to have a strong receiving corps in 2013 with Eaton, junior Jalen Smith and senior Jerry Jackson expected to lead the group. While quarterback Stacy Warren has graduated, Pascagoula has Andrew Dunn and Jaylen Glaude as quality options as passers.
"This year, we're planning on doing big things," Eaton said. "Jalen is tremendous receiver and we've got a couple of younger guys coming up and Drew, I don't feel like he showed what he could do last year. This year, we're working hard and grinding."
A big senior season could go a long way to attracting more Division I scholarship offers for Eaton, who attended camps at Southern Miss, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Louisiana-Monroe.
Eaton recently made a visit to Navy.
TIM ISBELL/SUN HERALDPascagoula receiver Matthew Eaton appears destined for a big senior season.
The 6-foot-4, 190-pound Eaton received a scholarship offer from the Naval Academy this summer, the first of what should be a handful of Division I offers.
His family moved to Pascagoula last year from the U.S. Territory of Guam, where his father was stationed in the Navy.
After the family moved to Pascagoula in July of 2012 and Eaton quickly had to re-adjust to life on back on the mainland after developing into a football standout early in his high school career in Guam. He is originally from Virginia.
"Coming over from overseas, it was a big difference," Eaton said. "I guess the high schools here are a lot more competitive than back in Guam. I had to come here and get adjusted to the system and get adjusted to the guys, buy into the program here."After the adjustment period, Eaton became an important part of the Pascagoula offense before he was injured in the fifth game of the season at Long Beach. He returned to play a limited number of snaps late in the year, but he mostly watched from the sideline as the Panthers rolled to the Class 5A South State title.
"I took that pretty hard," Eaton said of the ankle injury. "One, because Mississippi State was looking at me before I got hurt. That hurt me pretty bad.
"To see these guys win a bunch of games that we weren't supposed to win and having to sit out and watch them, it hurt pretty bad."
He ended the 2012 season with 12 catches for 158 yards and three touchdowns and didn't return to full health until well into the boys basketball season, when he helped the Pan
thers' hoops team make a run to the Class 5A state semifinals.
Eaton decided to give up basketball in the offseason to focus more on football, and Pascagoula football coach Lewis Sims has watched him grow as a player in recent months.
"He really became a sponge in the system and tried to soak everything in," Sims said. "In the spring, you saw maturation from learning everything on the fly to now being confident that I know what's going on. Now, I just don't have to worry about learning the system. Now, I can work on little things like catching ball at the top end of a route and working on different things."
Pascagoula is set to have a strong receiving corps in 2013 with Eaton, junior Jalen Smith and senior Jerry Jackson expected to lead the group. While quarterback Stacy Warren has graduated, Pascagoula has Andrew Dunn and Jaylen Glaude as quality options as passers.
"This year, we're planning on doing big things," Eaton said. "Jalen is tremendous receiver and we've got a couple of younger guys coming up and Drew, I don't feel like he showed what he could do last year. This year, we're working hard and grinding."
A big senior season could go a long way to attracting more Division I scholarship offers for Eaton, who attended camps at Southern Miss, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Louisiana-Monroe.
Eaton recently made a visit to Navy.
TIM ISBELL/SUN HERALDPascagoula receiver Matthew Eaton appears destined for a big senior season.
TIM ISBELL — SUN HERALD
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