Evan O'Connell is all about the Eagles.

O'Connell needs just to finish paperwork to become an Eagle Scout. He has planned another big project for this fall, working with a different group of Eagles as a senior member of the St. Joseph football team.

O'Connell was one of three captains selected by his teammates. It's an honor that might please O'Connell as much as his accomplishments in the Boy Scouts.

"I was ecstatic when they picked me," O'Connell said. "I tried to get it last year, and I was kind of upset when I didn't get it. It means so much to me. It means that my teammates care as much about me as I care about them, and that they like what I'm bring to this team."

The 5-foot-7, 220-pound senior will start at offensive guard and defensive tackle. New head coach Blake Evans expects O'Connell to be a leader, and not just for the linemen.

"He has excellent leadership skills," Evans said. "He's a captain, and he kind of runs the group. He seems comfortable in the role. There's some kids that don't want that role, or they just want to be a leader by example. He can be a vocal leader and a leader by example."

Evans watched video of last year's games and he arrived at St. Joseph in time for spring workouts, so he had a scouting report on O'Connell. Perhaps it was because of his stocky build, but O'Connell surprised Evans with his speed during preseason drills.

"He's not very big, but he's a playmaker," Evans said. "He gets down the line. He was pulling on a play at practice the other day and I told him, 'Holy cow, you're a lot faster than you look.'"

St. Joseph is one of the smaller schools in TAPPS Division III. Some of St. Joseph's opponents have a big enough roster to use players exclusively on either offense or defense, but O'Connell is one of several Eagles who will start both ways.

"It's frustrating, but pretty much every team we play has more players than us," O'Connell said. "You've just got to condition yourself and be able to keep going, even if it is against a new guy.

"I like defense a lot more. I like to get down and dirty with the big guys down there. But I'm probably a better offensive lineman. I enjoy both of them."

O'Connell recruited several players from the St. Joseph varsity football team to help when he organized a football camp for elementary school kids during the summer. About 15 boys participated in the camp, which was one of his projects to become an Eagle Scout.

When it was time to talk to the campers about the importance of being a leader, O'Connell was able to speak from his heart.

"There's a lot of times that it goes through my head that I could just give up, but you've got to tell yourself that you've got 20-whatever guys looking at you," O'Connell said. "If you're going to quit, then they're going to quit. There's a lot of responsibility that goes with being a team captain."

St. Joseph's other captains are quarterback Alex Castilleja and lineman Michael Rathbone. They have helped to smooth the transition after Evans replaced former coach Randy Hollas.

"If I could have picked three captains, those are the guys I would have picked," Evans said. "Evan is a great all-around football player, a great kid. It's not just what he does on the field that makes him stand out: It's what he does off the field, too."