Meet your student athlete: Hockey’s Jack Eastabrooks
Frozen Four in the forecast?
Jack Eastabrooks plays for Battle Mountain hockey.
That seems like a simple sentence, except for the salient detail that Eastabrooks is will be graduating from Eagle Valley this spring.
While Battle Mountain’s hockey program has always been open to student-athletes from all local high schools, acceptance of Devils, Gore Rangers and Saints — primarily Devils — was not a given in the early days of the squad.
Not only is Eastabrooks a senior blueliner — the defense is the strength of the Huskies — but he has the assistant captain’s A sewn on his sweater.
And it’s a good thing, too, because Eastabrooks eats, drinks and sleeps hockey. What’s more Battle Mountain hockey has big plans for 2021
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For the lowdown of Eastabrooks, read on.
Birthday: Jun. 7, 2003.
Parents: Mike Eastabrooks and Kim Scavone.
What’s fun about hockey? “I like being around all my friends all the time, always having laughs and arguments. I like just how fast paced the sport is. There are not a lot of breaks. You have to be on all the time. … I had tried out soccer and baseball and it wasn’t really it. Hockey was never dull.”
When did you start? “I think I was like 7 or 8. … I started skating on the pond in Eagle. It was rough ice.”
OK, what’s the best ice in the Mountain Conference :“Aspen, even though I’m not fond of them, and (the) Eagle (Ice Rink & Pool).”
Best moments in hockey: “Usually, the overnights. Last year, we probably had the most fun in the hotel just waiting to play the next game.”
Most embarrassing moment in hockey: “Multiple times, I’ve been skating backwards with someone from the other team skating toward me and I’ve tripped over the blueline and watch him go right past me.”
What’s coach Derek Byron like? “He likes everything about winning and hockey. It’s hard to tell if he likes anything else.” (Editor’s observation: It’s not hard to see how Byron and Eastabrooks do fine together — hockey, hockey and more hockey.)
How pumped are you that hockey season is here? “Very excited. Looking at it before the season started, I didn’t think we were going to have any games. I’m excited to see that we have a busy schedule and don’t have to go to Denver.”
Goals for the season: “Obviously, win state and just make it there. I mean I’d like to make it to the Frozen Four. We (the current players) have never gone there.”
Are you OK wearing a Battle Mountain sweater? “I think it’s always a little weird. I’m not a big guy when it comes to, ‘I want to play for them or this team.’ I don’t care if it’s weird. I play for Battle Mountain and go to Eagle Valley.”
Favorite subject: Auto shop.
College plans: Colorado Mesa University.
Career plans: “I’m going to study energy. I want to work on power lines.”
Favorite social media: TikTok.
Favorite website: YouTube.
Favorite food: Pasta.
Favorite pizza slice: Green olives, sausage and onions.
Other sports you do: Snowboarding.
Favorite team: Colorado Avalanche.
Favorite players: Patrick Kane and Dustin Byfuglien.
Favorite music: Rap or country.
To what are you listening these days: Eminem and Ice Cube.
Powder day — where do you go? Beaver Creek. (Eastabrooks rightly did not disclose his powder stash.)
If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be? Pine tree — “They smell as good as any tree.”
If you were ruler of the world for one day, what would you do? “Probably take all Democrats and Republicans and make them work as one so we wouldn’t have political fights.”
COVID-19 is gone and you can travel anywhere. Where do you go? Bora Bora.
