District 2-5A preview

District 2-5A


First Coast Bucs

Head Coach: Marty Lee

2008 Record: 7-4

Last time in playoffs: 2008

Key losses: Derald Jones (QB/WR), Austin Williams (DB), Nate Stephenson (LB), Jameel Franklin (SS), Adrian Williams (WR), Kendal Hobbs (DB), Cliff Johnson (DB), Aaron Stanberry (OL)

Key returners: Tavaris Barnes (Sr., DE/TE), Logan Falk (Sr., OL), Eric Beverly (Jr., RB), Chris Black (So., WR), Horace Glover (Sr., DB), Sammy Crawford (Sr., QB), Chris Terry (Jr., DL), Paris Parker (Jr., DL), Kadeem Perry (Sr., TE/DL), Kenneth Myers (Jr., WR), Daron White (Sr., RB)

News: A three game losing streak to end the season should help fuel the fire for the upcoming season for First Coast. A year removed from a 10-3 season and advancing to the school’s first ever Elite 8 appearance, the Bucs hoped to follow that record setting season with another one; however a 6-2 start quickly faded with a three game losing streak including a first round loss to Tallahassee Leon. Fast forward six months later as fall practice has started and First Coast is working on continuing its streak of consecutive district championships to five consecutive years. Lee returns five starters on offense including Beverly (1,000 yards, 10 TDs). Beverly will be helped with Crawford, White, Black, Perry and Myers. Defensively, Lee must replace five starters but returns Barnes (FSU commitment), Glover, Terry and Parker. From 1990-2004, the Bucs made two playoff appearances, yet the last four years the Bucs have made four consecutive trips under Lee, look for them to make it five in a row.

Fletcher Senators

Head Coach: Joe Reynolds (20th season)

2008 Record: 10-1

Last time in playoffs: 2008

Key losses: Lamar Scruggs (WR), Deschion Baskerville (RB), Andrew Stellato (TE), Marcus Berg (CB/WR), James Rominger (Sr., LB), Paris Lee (RB), Deshawn Green (WR), Aaron Levine (K)

Key returners: Jamal Christopher (Sr., LB), Jake Medlock (Sr., QB), Dylan Bostick (Sr., OL), Taron Johnson (Sr., LB), Jake Guisti (Sr., LB), Mitchell Hester (Jr., RB), Laquille Lawrence (Sr., WR), Zach Reynolds, (Sr., RB), Houston Brown (Sr., DB)

News: In Reynolds twentieth and final season, the veteran coach would like to go out with a bang perhaps a state title. Whether or not he does that will depend on how several newcomers develop as Reynolds will have to fill several major holes on both sides of the ball. The offense was hit the worst as Reynolds sees Scruggs (688 yards, 8 TD’s, 42 catches), Baskerville (1,531 yards, 20 TDs, 196 carries), Lee, Green and Stellato all gone. Reynolds does return Medlock (2, 813 yards, 28 TDs, 8 INTs), Bostick, Hester and Lawrence as well as defensive guys Guisti (133 tackles, 8 INTs), Christopher and Johnson. The retirement of Reynolds comes part of pact, seeing friends offensive coordinator Ricky Medlock and defensive coordinator Kevin Brown all retiring along with watching their sons Zach Reynolds, Jake Medlock, and Houston Brown all graduate.

Gainesville Buchholz Bobcats

Head Coach: Bob Godwin

2008 Record: 5-6

Last time in playoffs: 2008

Key losses: Kevin Prindle (QB), Jordan Weingart (OL), Ian Brown (OL), Antrwan Hughes (LB), Sean Redmond (OL), Andrew Banks (OL), Jordan Labby (RB), Cortreal Scott (DE), Richard Hagley (FS/SS), Reshard Norton (DB/WR), Kyle Oehlbeck (LB), Justin Keith (DT), Mikale Foster (DB/WR)

Key returners: Aaron Grant (Sr., QB), Marquis Noble (Jr., WR/DB), Louie Addazio (Jr., TE/DE), Wintrez Thomas (Jr., RB), Will Rathbone (Jr., OL), Ryan Thomas (Jr., OL), Kenny Harper (Jr., FB/LB), Brian Johnson (Sr., DB), Adrian Foster (Sr., DB), Cameron Dore (Sr., DB)

News: The mystique that once roamed over the state power Buchholz program has faded away over the last few years, Godwin hopes to get it back even though the once power hasn’t won more than five games since going 8-2 in 2004. If Buchholz is going to come back it will be with a lot of new faces as the Bobcats graduated 12 seniors including Prindle (Hamilton College), Oehlbeck (Ga. Southern), Keith (Ga. Tech) and Weingart (West Virginia). Godwin returns at least five part time starters on offense and three on defense. Buchholz will have to replace its top passer (Prindle), runner (Labby), receiver (Foster) and four offensive lineman. Grant shared snaps with Prindle last season and knows the multiple shotgun set offense well and will rely on veterans Noble, Thomas, Addazio along with the only returning offensive lineman Rathbone. In the Bobcats 4-4 defensive scheme, the secondary should be the strongest point with the return of Johnson, Foster and Dore. No starters return in the front eight but Harper, Addazio and Noble should provide two-way depth. A trio juniors defensive end Nathan Snodgrass, linebacker Stacey Williams and linebacker McKenzie Sims will help also.

Middleburg Broncos

Head Coach: Robbie Justino

2008 Record: 1-9

Last time in playoffs: 2003

Key losses: Troy Cannaday (QB), Alex Bradley (LB/FB), Ryan Balsan (OL), Trae Stephenson (RB/LB), Jonathan Delsoin (WR/DB), Aaron Cherry (OL/MLB)

Key returners: Greg Ramsey (Sr., OT), Jack Beote (Sr., QB/FS/WR/P), Cedric Davis (Sr., OL), Ryan Holmes (Sr., RB/LB)

News: Replacing three year starter Cannaday (82 of 175 for 915 yards) won’t be easy, but Beote is up for the challenge. Beote, who saw action at receiver and punter last season, will have two experienced lineman in Ramsey and Davis to work with. Who Beote throws to will be a big question mark after Delsoin (485 yards, 1 TD on 30 catches) moves on. One of those questions may have been solved as Justino picked up a huge weapon in the spring with the transfer of former Fleming Island athlete junior Austin Sweat, Sweat took snaps at quarterback although his primary position is receiver.

Predictions
1. First Coast
2. Fletcher
3. Buchholz
4. Middleburg