Eason returns for his second season as Central football head coach after great first year
Central has new head coaches for volleyball, girls basketball in Hartley, McManus
Pageland – onathan Eason returns for his second season as the football head coach at Central High School. Eason’s first go-around at his alma mater was pretty good. The Eagles finished with a 10-3 record and reached the quarterfinals of the AA state playoffs.
Eason is a 2006 graduate of Central. His coaching career began at Central, where he was from 2011 through 2015. He was the offensive coordinator as well as the offensive line coach during that time. He was the head coach at Chesterfield before returning to Central.
Eason has his two coordinators back in Kyle Pollard and JD Sellers. Pollard is the defensive coordinator and the strength coach, while Sellers will handle the offense while coaching the quarterbacks and the running backs.
The other varsity assistants are defensive line coach Cornelius Chambers, linebackers coach Trent Stickland, and offensive line/special teams coach BR Hatcher. Paul Tomberlin is the only newcomer to the staff even though he has coached at Central previously. He will handle the defensive backs.
Dieon Mason is the JV head coach and will help coach defensive backs on the varsity level. Darius Gladden will call the defense for the JV and help with the varsity defensive line, and Jacob Aldridge will be the JV defensive coordinator and coach wide receivers and tight ends for the varsity.
Central will have two new head coaches on its varsity staff for the 2025-26 school year, but neither will be a newcomer to the school.
Hannah Kirkley was recently hired as the volleyball head coach, and Jarvis McManus will take over the girls basketball program.
“We welcome Hannah Kirkley and Jarvis McManus into their new roles at Central,” said Eagles athletic director Mitch Leaird. “Neither are strangers to Central High School. Hannah has taught English for the past five years at Central but was just recently introduced as our new head varsity volleyball coach. Jarvis has been the head JV (junior varsity) boys basketball coach the past five years before recently being named our head varsity girls basketball coach.”
Kirkley owns some varsity head coaching experience. She was in charge of the Andrew Jackson High program for two years.
“I am looking forward to working with our student-athletes, and I am excited for all of the opportunities to come with our volleyball program,” Kirkley said.
All of the other head coaches will remain the same. Desmond Sowell is again the boys basketball coach. He guided the Eagles to am 18-11 record as they reached the quarterfinals of the state playoffs.
Strickland is the baseball coach, Steve Middleton the softball coach, Chris Rollings the boys golf coach and Billy Blakeney the boys track and field head coach. Joel Dale is the girls track coach and the boys and girls cross country coach.
Stephanie Rivers is the cheerleading coach.
“I am very excited that most of our coaching staff returns from last year,” Leaird said. “We certainly have one of the best coaching staffs in the entire state and our student-athletes will certainly agree with that. Great things are in store for Central High School athletics for the 2025-2026 school year.”
