East Lake spent the offseason watching players leave.
The Eagles still like what is left.
Transfers thinned a roster that went 8-3 last season and gave East Lake its first winning record since 2022. The losses hit both sides of the ball.
They did not empty the cupboard.
The biggest question is at quarterback, where Jace Delk takes over for Eli Millian, who graduated. Millian threw for more than 1,900 yards and 23 touchdowns last season, a bar Delk does not have to clear right away.
He should not have to. Brian Ford is back after rushing for 1,141 yards and 13 touchdowns, and a new quarterback learns faster with a back like that beside him. Ford gives East Lake a way to shorten games, stay ahead of the chains and let Delk grow into the job.
The line ahead of him is the strength of the team. Nicolay Petrushev, who holds multiple major college offers, anchors it. Roddrick Johnson lines up at the other tackle spot. Johnson is related to Isaiah Wynn, the former Lakewood standout who was a first-round NFL draft pick out of Georgia.
Tight end Tommy Clark helps both ways. He blocks, which matters for Ford, and he should do more in the passing game, which matters for Delk. Young quarterbacks tend to find their tight end first.
The defense also lost playmakers, but talent remains at the second and third levels. Linebackers Carter Arellano and Adrian Rutledge are back, and the secondary returns Kyle Grimm and Zaiden Blanch.
The schedule got harder, too. Gaither joins the district, adding another team East Lake has to beat to get where it wants to go.
“There’s going to be more competition this year and it will be more of a challenge,” Delk said. “But we’re bonding and coming together.”
That is the bet. Run the ball, defend the middle, let the quarterback grow into the job and handle the rest as it comes.
“We’re paying attention to details and just controlling what we can control,” Blanch said.