North Florida Christian seen here in last years Class 2A state title game is poised for another state title run again.

Big Bend seeking encore performance
By Corey Davis  

TALLAHASSEE-Twenty-two teams from across the Big Bend area got together to talk to media earlier this week at the Second Annual 4QuartersOnline High School Football Media Day at the Holiday Inn in Tallahassee.

Much of the talk was about the surprising run last season, which saw Madison County, North Florida Christian, Jefferson County and Wakulla all advance to state, with NFC and Jefferson bringing home state titles.

Can the area duplicate that success this season and will area powers Lincoln and Godby join them after disappointing playoff exits?

Coaches and players from Marianna, Rickards, Liberty County, Chiles, Maclay, Robert F. Munroe, Godby, Florida High, Franklin County, Aucilla Christian, FAMU, Port St. Joe, John Paul II, Madison County, North Florida Christian, Leon, Jefferson County, Wakulla, East Gadsden, West Gadsden, Taylor County and Lincoln took turns talking to local and statewide media about the upcoming season. 

Reloading again
You lose 24 seniors, including six Division I-A signees, most teams would have to rebuild again, not at Goby.

Godby, which walked into the media room sporting new black uniforms with APG  (Amos P. Godby)  across the chest,  is coming off a disappointing season based on their own standards losing in the first round of the playoffs.

Losing quarterback Dennis Andrews (Georgia Tech), defensive back TJ Davis (Auburn),  tight end Laith Harlow (Oklahoma), wide receiver Brandon Holifield (Missouri), linebacker Kadeem Poncho Thomas (Kentucky), linebacker Jakarri Thomas (Vanderbilt) will hurt a lot but third year coach Ronnie Cotrrell sees no reason his team won’t be in the mix for another district title and long playoff run.

“Our kicking game and red zone offense need a lot of improvement, we need both to go far in the playoffs,” Cottrell said. “Replacing those six guys will be tough especially the quarterback, but we feel like we have enough other guys to replace them.”

Replacing those guys will lie in the hands of several players including Kentucky commit tailback Khalid Thomas and free safety Lester Thomas, who led the Big Bend area with 8 interceptions and has an offer from Florida Atlantic according to Cottrell.

Cottrell was also excited about the addition senior tailback/wide receiver Tim Longmire from Leon and inside linebacker Luke Helms from NFC, whom both players stated their new teammates accepted them both with open arms.

“We lost a lot of talent, but these new guys along with the veterans having been pushing hard in the off season and buying into the system,” Cottrell said.

Unfamiliar territory
Two years ago, Lincoln was king of the Big Bend area celebrating its third state title with a shocking win over nationally ranked Armwood.

A year later, with several of those players back Lincoln expected another long playoff run, unfortunately a stunning first round loss to Fleming Island handed the Trojans their earliest playoff exit since 1997.

This year’s team has set extremely high goals and looks to put Lincoln back in the state title mix again.

“We are very talented and have a chance to be very successful,” Lincoln coach Yusuf Shakir said. “ It’s up to them how special they want to be.”

According to the media, one national publication named Lincoln’s receiving core the best in the nation led by Florida commit senior Reggie Davis and senior Taj Williams, whom is coached by former University of Florida great receiver Jacquez Green.

“This is my first class who came through the program all four years (ninth through twelfth),” Shakur said. “We have eight senior offensive line, which is the strength of our team as is our wide receiving core which is a very deep group.”

Like every other team across the state, Lincoln has been quite busy in the off season sending its players all across the state to camps.

“Reggie competed in Oregon at The Opening against some of the nation’s top players,” Shakur said. “We competed in a 7-on-7 tournament at Valdosta State University and won it, the first 7-on-7 tournament title for Lincoln in school history. We sent some kids to Stetson for the Down and Dirty lineman camp, all these camps give our kids exposure and put them up against some of the state’s best players and also bring us together closer as a team.”        

The goal of getting back to Orlando remains the top priority but not the only goal in mind according to the players.

“Hard to believe Lincoln has never gone 15-0 before, we are trying to be the first team to do that,” Davis said.

Huge target
Two years ago, Wakulla snuck into the playoffs as district runner-up with a young team and rode the momentum into a second round playoff appearance.

The surprisingly run carried over into last season as the War Eagles (11-3) stunned Godby in the regular season to clinch the district and knocked off Godby again in the playoffs on its way to the Class 5A title game.

An inexperienced Wakulla playoff team was overwhelmed in the title game falling 38-0 to Miami Norland.

If Wakulla is going to make another run again seniors lineman Chris Griffith, senior athlete Dequon Simmons, tailback/safety Mikal Cromartie and quarterback Caleb Stephens will all play big parts according to seventh year coach Scott Klees.

Klees likes his teams chances in the district but also complemented Rickards, Godby and Suwannee.

“Suwannee will be back again even with a new coach, Rickards looked phenomenal in the spring game and Godby will reload again, “ Klees said.

Klees stated his team got back to work in January as soon as Christmas break ended and was already looking forward to this season. 

 “We know we won’t be sneaking up on anybody this season and we have to take it one game at a time, what happened last year was last year,” Klees said. “We have a bunch of new guys to replace a lot of guys and they have a new attitude, this is a new team.”