Sherwood Christian Academy announced at their annual football banquet they will move up to traditional 11-man football beginning in 2026.

The Eagles have been one of the most successful programs in the state over the past five seasons in 8-man football, posting a 48-9 win-loss record with four region championships and three state championships. The team most recently defeated Westminster-Augusta 20-14 in the 2025 state title game.

Head coach Doug Eason, who joined the program before the 2024 season, will continue to lead the team through the transition.

“Man, I’m thrilled. I can’t be... I can’t express to you how excited I am just to see the growth of our team, the excitement of moving to 11-man,” Eason said. “Some challenges are going to be along the way, but I believe we’re up to it. I just can’t wait to get started.”

Eason acknowledged the primary challenge will be roster size.

“Anytime you go from 8-man to 11-man, the biggest challenge is numbers. Football’s a number game. And making sure we have enough players,” he said. “Along with that, you know you’re going to have some injuries. So having enough bodies for practice, for games, and then having a younger team, it’s a big deal. I truly believe this younger team will have the building blocks to be successful in the future.”

The 2026 season will kick off in mid-August.

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