EASONS MAKING METHUEN MATTER
Football a family tradition
As Methuen grows into one of the premier programs in Eastern Mass., one family is at the center of it all.
Courtesy of senior quarterback Drew Eason and younger brother, running back Shane Eason, Methuen is a Div. 1 favorite as the MIAA 2023 football season begins.
The sport has been featured within the Eason family for decades. Family patriarch P.J. Eason was a standout running back for Everett in the 1990s. He’s maintained that passion coaching both Drew and Shane in their Pop Warner days and ever since.
“My family is the definition of a football family. My dad taught us everything he knew growing up,” Drew said. “The love I have for football comes from him, and how as I have gotten better and better, it’s stayed with me.”
Drew’s athleticism has always been apparent. An early growth spurt tempted him to focus on basketball, but he elected to remain a multiple-sport athlete maturing as a quarterback through tackle and flag football as a member of the Salem Rams in 7th and 8th grade before moving on to high school.
As a freshman during the abbreviated “Fall II” pandemic season he worked as a backup while dabbling at defensive back. Over the last two seasons, Drew has filled into a six-foot 2-inch, 200 pound frame developing better pocket awareness, improving his quickness, while improving his processing abilities.
“When Drew was younger he would get nervous, but as part of the maturation process he really does not get rattled anymore,” Methuen coach Tom Ryan said. “He handles pressure well and has since the start of his junior year.”
Shane has been a running back since Pop Warner, with shiftiness and breakaway speed. In his first two high school seasons, Shane’s skillset has included being a reliable weapon in the passing game as Ryan opens up the offense. Defensively, he’s learned to adjust from being a linebacker to a defensive back.
“Over time I’ve watched more film and learned the value in helping other kids out,” Shane said. “I take a lot of pride in this and being able to play with kids I have known my whole life. We’re here to make something great happen.”
If the 2022 season is any indicator, the duo are in line to put up monster 2023 campaigns. Drew threw for 2,307 yards and 23 touchdowns while Shane rushed for 1,077 yards and 23 scores. The two’s proximity in
age has helped them form strong chemistry; they have ditched the customary spats between brothers for loving support.
“When we were younger, we used to rip on each other,” Drew said. “Now that we play together we’ve
learned to trust each other. That bond and trust in each other has really grown in high school.”
One season after falling short in the Div. 1 State semifinals, the Eason brothers
have the chance to get Methuen over the hump as catalysts of an offense that will go as far as the two take them.
“There is still a lot to work on and get better at
and our dad stays on us,” Shane said. “Whether it’s football or school, our parents are always there for us across the board. We want to make them proud.”