BURGAW—  Head football coach Tom Eanes of Pender High School is leaving his post there to become the head coach at Ashley High School in Wilmington.

Eanes has guided the Patriots for the last seven seasons and this year helped lead Pender into its first North Carolina High School Athletic Association state championship football game. Pender dropped a 21-7 decision to Albemarle in the 1-AA championship at Kenan Stadium in December.

Pender has made it into the third round of the 1-AA playoffs for each of the last five years.