CLEVELAND — St. Edward High School is set to take on Mentor High School in the OHSAA regional football finals. 

What You Need To Know

  • St. Edward lost one of their best players early in the season due to an ACL tear 

  • Head Coach, Tom Lombardo, said players like senior Bradley Eaton stepped up to fill the role 

  • The team motto this year has been "just keep swinging" 

It hasn’t been an easy season for the seven-time state champions as one of their best players got injured. St. Ed’s head coach, Tom Lombardo, said the team motto this season has been “just keep swinging."

“When you lose a player of the caliber of Brandon White, goes out with an ACL third game of the year, kid who loves football, who was a key person for us last year, gaining almost 2,000 yards on the ground and a great kid. That hurts, one of your leaders,” Lombardo said. 

He said it was players like Bradley Eaton who stepped up this season to help. 

“Had to get in better shape, had to learn the entire offense, it was a lot, but it was what the team needed, so I was there for the team,” Eaton said.

The senior said he wasn’t nervous and that he would do whatever the team needed.

“I’ve played offense in the past, and I know I got speed and stuff, so I just kinda had to have the confidence to do it,” Eaton said.

Coach Lombardo said he’s really proud of the way Eaton and other players stepped up this season. For Eaton, he knew it was an easy choice.

“I knew there was big shoes to fill, but couldn’t worry about that, just had to go and do the best that I could do,” Eaton said.