Coach Tom Eshenbaugh looking to change culture in Quaker Valley football program

By: Ray Fisher
Tuesday, August 12, 2025 | 6:01 AM

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Previous Next

First-year coach Tom Eshenbaugh is looking to restore the Quaker Valley football program to the land of respectability.

And the mending process begins now.

The crown jewel for QV football was the 2017 season when the Quakers won their first and only WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A championships and finished 14-1 overall.

After that historic season, the program has gone on a decline, posting a record of 8-45 over the past six years.

“We have a great group of core players,” Eshenbaugh said. “We are in the process of changing the culture. The jury is still out but I think we will turn a few heads this year.

“Football is a privilege. Give us your all while you’re here, and hopefully walk away being community leaders, great students and respectful young adults.”

The 45-year-old Eshenbaugh has replaced Jason Cappa as the Quakers’ field boss. Cappa served as coach for three seasons.

Eshenbaugh returns to the QV sideline after working as special teams coordinator and position coach for running backs, tight ends and defensive backs at Freedom.

“I am extremely thrilled to return to what has always felt like home,” he said. “The support of the community has been positively overwhelming. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but we’re already seeing positive results.

“We’re going to build a team that is resilient, disciplined and plays with heart.”

Eshenbaugh and his staff of coaches — offensive coordinator Scott Lazarus, defensive coordinator Jack Martha and assistants Paul Mulbah, Adam Cross and Smith Johnson — are looking to play both varsity and junior varsity schedules in 2025.

“I’ve been spending a lot of my time reaching out to students within the school to help build our roster size,” Eshenbaugh said. “We have 41 players on the roster, and our goal is to get close to 50. Ultimately, I want to play a full JV schedule this year. It’s part of the process of building a successful program.

“We have installed new offensive and defensive schemes,” Eshenbaugh said. “Offensively, we will operate the Wing T. Defensively, we have started to install an odd-front 3-4. This will allow us to better utilize the players who are on our roster. Both Scott and Jack have being doing a great job teaching the boys and installing.”

QV has nine returning starters, including seven seniors: Atticus Barr, Logan Benedict, Ben McHenry, Ronnie Berry, Ty Popowich, Rex Fatur and Kris Brown.

Barr is back at the quarterback position.

“We are heading in the right direction and making significant leaps to improving this team and program from what it has been,” Barr said, “especially with the new staff of coaches pushing us to be the best possible team we can be.

“We’ve been putting in tons of work throughout the spring and summer, and I think we are starting to create a tighter bond as a team as we continue to build on our chemistry with a new offense and defense.”

Barr has lofty goals for himself and for the team in 2025.

“I have pretty high expectations for this season and am doing my best to push myself and our team to meeting them by constantly putting in the work,” Barr said. “Our strength this year is having pretty much all of our skilled position players returning and a majority of them being seniors and guys with lots of experience that will help lead to explosive plays.

“My goals are to definitely make all-conference and for the team to have a better record than the previous years I’ve been here, hopefully leading to a playoff run.”

Barr aspires to eclipse 1,500 yards in the passing department with 15 touchdown tosses.

“I’m hoping this season leads to me getting my name out there to more colleges and allows me to play football at the next level,” he said. “I also play basketball for QV and I’m looking forward to getting back out there. I’ve been grinding and working incredibly hard this offseason and can’t wait for it to pay off and show people what I can do and what we’ve been working toward as a team.”

Barr, 17, stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 195 pounds. He also is expected to play defense this season.

“Atticus Barr is a smart young man,” Eshenbaugh said. “He has 4.26 GPA, and he is really a sponge. He potentially will play linebacker for us depending on our depth.”

Benedict is one of the Quakers’ skill players who won’t be coming off the field much during games.

“Logan returns as an ‘athlete’ for us,” Eshenbaugh said. “He’s playing on both sides of the ball at an offensive skill position and at defensive back.”

Other integral players on offense include McHenry, Berry and Fatur. Berry and Fatur are linebackers on defense; McHenry is a defensive back.

“I anticipate Ben McHenry, Logan Benedict, Josh Odom and Ronnie Berry to be our defensive leaders this season,” Eshenbaugh said.

Popowich returns at center while Brown starts on both sides of the line.

Two other returning starters are Odom (OL/LB), a junior, and sophomore Tyler Cunnard (OL/LB).

“Tyler is a second-year starter,” Eshenbaugh said. “He will be the staple for our line. He works hard in the weight room, he’s really adapting well to the new offense and will start on defense, as well. His work ethic and coachability are what stand out to me.”

The Quakers want to turn things around this season on the strength of a basic, three-pronged strategy.

“We want to control the clock,” Eshenbaugh said, “and maintain positive physical offensive series with disciplined disruption on defense.”

The QV coach has coined a unique phrase for the type of football he expects the Quakers to play.

“On the field, we will play fast and physical or, as I like to call it, ‘Organized Chaos,’” Eshenbaugh said. “Off the field, I expect the players to be people first, students second and players third. We want our players to leave us being great young adults.”

Quaker Valley

Coach: Tom Eshenbaugh

2024 record: 2-7, 1-5 in Class 3A Western Hills Conference

All-time record: 245-385-14

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.22 Freedom, 7

8.29 at Keystone Oaks, 7

9.5 Freeport, 7

9.12 North Catholic*, 7

9.19 at Valley, 7

9.26 Hopewell*, 7

10.3 at Avonworth*, 7

10.10 at Central Valley*, 7

10.17 Beaver*, 7

10.24 at McGuffey*, 7

*Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Atticus Barr

77-157, 779 yards, 4 TDs

Rushing: Jack Diemert*

141-589 yards, 12 TDs

Receiving: Dominic Cox-Giles*

23-223 yards, 3 TDs

* Graduated

FAST FACTS

• Quaker Valley is a member of the Class 3A Western Hills Conference along with Avonworth, Beaver, Central Valley, Hopewell, McGuffey and North Catholic. Avonworth, Beaver and Central Valley tied for the conference championship in 2024. QV ended up sixth with a 1-5 record.

• Three of QV’s first four games are at the newly renovated Chuck Knox Stadium. After kicking off the season Aug. 22 at home against Class 2A Freedom and on the road Aug. 29 against Class 2A Keystone Oaks, the Quakers host Freeport on Sept. 5 and North Catholic on Sept. 12 in their conference opener.

• A native of East Palestine, Ohio, Eshenbaugh was QV’s junior high coach and varsity assistant from 2017-22 and previously served as president of the Quaker Valley Football Boosters and youth football organization. He also coached middle school softball. Eshenbaugh’s son, Gavin, is a former gridder for the Quakers.

• A year ago, QV defeated Valley, 34-14, in Week 4 and McGuffey, 33-10, in Week 9. Barr passed for 103 yards and a score in the season finale against McGuffey. His 17-yard TD toss to Benedict in the first quarter gave the Quakers the lead for good. QV scored four times in the first three quarters against the Highlanders, capped by McHenry’s 35-yard interception return in the third quarter to give the home team a 28-6 advantage.

• Along with holding a receiving position last season, McHenry rushed for 76 yards, picked up 481 yards on kickoff returns, returned punts and, on defense, ranked among the team leaders in tackles. He also picked up 110 yards on four interception returns. Benedict and McHenry combined for 35 receptions for 350 yards a year ago.

Tags: Quaker Valley