The Middle School Season officially kicks off Tuesday September 15th. The Highlands and Mandarin Middle School Jamborees were this past weekend, showcasing several teams from the city fine tuning their talents for the season. The jamborees provided a ground for many teams to see how they stacked up against other teams, and to work on plays that were being installed into practice. But now practice is over and season is here. We’ll preview each team going into the 2015 season, as each school looks to hoist the Middle School Championship.
Alfred I Dupont Middle School
2710 Dupont Avenue
Jacksonville
Duval County District
(904) 739-5200
Head Coach Marquis Lundy inherits a fairly young team in Dupont with the hopes of establishing his identity in year one. He brings Coach Britt over from highlands with him who has extensive knowledge on the offensive side of the ball. Dupont will look to surprise some teams this year who may underestimate them due to their record last year.
South
Arlington Middle School
8141 Lone Star Road
Jacksonville
Duval County District
(904) 720-1680
Arlington had a very successful season last year but missed the playoffs by one game. They’re divisional loss to Fletcher taught them a valuable lesson in football. You must win your divisional games! This year they’ve reloaded and will look to take it a step further.
East
Darnell Cookman Middle School
1701 N Davis Street
Jacksonville
Duval County District
(904) 630-6805
Darnell Cookman had a season worth forgetting in football last year. At 1-6 there’s only one way to go this year, and that’s up. The effort of the youth is matched only by the dedication of the coaches and parents.
South
Duncan U Fletcher Middle School
2000 3rd Street N
Jacksonville Beach
Duval County District
(904) 247-5929
Making it to the Championship game is a major feet for any program. But for Fletcher it was just the beginning. There’s unfinished business yet to complete at Fletcher and they know its going to take hard work. But they are up to the challenge. They are extremely well coached and the staff puts in alot of time and effort to get these young men ready. They’ll be good again this year.
Eugene J Butler Middle School
900 Acorn Street
Jacksonville
Duval County District
(904) 630-6900
Butler looks to rebound from a 2014 season that saw them win just two games. There will be more focus on the fundamentals this year. Something greatly needed if they want to compete, as their division is the toughest in the city.
North
Fort Caroline Middle School
3787 University Club Blvd
Jacksonville
Duval County District
(904) 745-4927
Ft. Caroline has big goals this year and one of those goals is to register a digit in the W column. This is something they failed to do last year, but with a new focus and a new agenda there’s nothing stopping this team from going worst to first.
East
Highlands Middle School
10913 Pine Estates Road E
Jacksonville
Duval County District
(904) 696-8771
Highlands felt like they should’ve represented their division in the playoffs last year. And they certainly had the talent to challenge for the top spot in the division. This year Highlands has added some size to its roster to go with the talent. With these additions, maybe this team will represent their divisions in November. It will take alot of hard work to get this done.
North
J E B Stuart Middle School
4815 Wesconnett Boulevard
Jacksonville
Duval County District
(904) 573-1000
Jeb Stuart didn’t have a bad season last year, they just competed against some very good teams in the western division. Stuart is hoping this year they can become one of those very good teams. They have the talent to do it.
West
James Weldon Johnson Middle
1840 W 9th Street
Jacksonville
Duval County District
(904) 630-6640
JWJ had an incredible athletics year last year. Their track team won the championship. Their lady basketball team made it to the playoffs, and their football team finished 6-1 in 2014. Still, James Weldon could not make the playoffs. They will look to do so this year, and extend the tradition of championships through every athletic department.
West
10. Jean Ribault Middle School
3610 Ribault Scenic Drive
Jacksonville
Duval County District
(904) 924-3062
Ribault scratched and clawed their way to a winning record last year. They possessed hard hitters on defense and tough gritty players on offense. They quite possibly could’ve been the second best team in the city. But as good as this team was last year, they were still only the second best team in their own division. They’ll look to become the first in 2015!
North
11. Jefferson Davis Middle School
7050 Melvin Road
Jacksonville
Duval County District
(904) 573-1060
Jeff Davis began the process of turning their 2014 season around the moment they ended it. Winning just one game last year motivated the team to adopt a new philosophy this year. They will play one game at a time, one play at a time, with strong emphasis on offense. After being shut out the last two weeks of the season a change was definitely needed. It will be a positive change for the program.
West
Joseph Stilwell Middle School
7840 Burma Road
Jacksonville
Duval County District
(904) 693-7523
Stilwell won their division last year and had some great players fuel their season. But those players are gone this year, and Head Coach Campbell knows that rebuilding is not an option in middle school. You must win with the players you have and his experience playing at the next level in college has helped him relay that message to his staff and team this year. They’ll be ready to go!
West
Julia E Landon Middle School
1819 Thacker Avenue
Jacksonville
Duval County District
(904) 346-5650
There’s only one thing for the Lions to do this season after experiencing a 3-4 season last year. “Just win baby” as the late great Al Davis once said. Just winning is what turns a 3-4 season into a 6-1 season. There are three more games the Lions just have to win to get to the top of their division this year. Just win.
South
Kernan Middle School
2271 Kernan Boulevard, S
Jacksonville
Duval County District
(904) 220-1350
Kernan will look to increase their win total from last year to this year. They must do this by trusting the process of which winners are built. Building team chemistry is very important and will sure to be a main focus going into the season.
East
Kirby – Smith Middle School
2034 Hubbard Street
Jacksonville
Duval County District
(904) 630-6600
It will be another grinder of a season for Kirby as they gear up to take on the best the city has to offer. Players know when they go to Kirby Smith that they get to play the best of the best in the city. Look for Kirby to bring their best each game .
North
Lake Shore Middle School
2519 Bayview Road
Jacksonville
Duval County District
(904) 381-7440
Lake Shore won four division games last year setting up for a shoot out between Lake Shore, Stillwell and James Weldon Johnson. And even though Lake Shore did not win, they showed tremendous fight during the season to get themselves in position for a division title. They will try not to make it that close this year in their division to ensure a trip to the playoffs is achieved.
West
Landmark Middle School
101 Kernan Boulevard N
Jacksonville
Duval County District
(904) 221-7125
Landmark didn’t lack the effort last year. They didn’t lack the heart or will either. What the Seahwaks lacked last year was size. They lacked the size to be able to go toe to toe with teams who clearly had a size advantage over them. But they still faught hard which is why they achieved the record they did. Getting bigger was no doubt a focus this off season.
East
Mandarin Middle School
5100 Hood Road
Jacksonville
Duval County District
(904) 292-0555
Coach Fennel has been a mainstay at Mandarin for quite some time. A history of big games and big moments comprise his resume, making he and his coaching staff equipped to take any team to the playoffs. The division champions from last year will attempt to repeat as champs even though they only return three starters.
South
Matthew W Gilbert Middle School
1424 Franklin Street
Jacksonville
Duval County District
(904) 630-6700
The defending Middle School Champions return with new play makers at key positions. At Gilbert they don’t rebuild they simply reload, and that process began early this year for Coach Dorsey and coach Holloway. Fresh off a season that saw them win 60 games in a row, they surpassed that number in route to their undefeated season and 2014 title. They are the clear front runners this season, and until someone can knock them off look for the Panthers to Prowl once again.
Mayport Middle School
2600 Mayport Road
Atlantic Beach
Duval County District
(904) 247-5977
Mayport is a team that could go from middle of the pack to top of the hill this year. A 4-3 season was very impressive from the team last year. They reintroduced the method of “bullies on the beach” last year playing most of their opponents extremely tough and physical. That’s a recipe for success.
Northwestern Middle School
2100 W 45th Street
Jacksonville
Duval County District
(904) 924-3100
![IMG_1248[1]](https://www.duvalsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/IMG_12481-e1412133987295.jpg)
Northwestern showed alot of promise last year, but could not close games out to win. The team will emphasize playing four quarters of football this year to compliment their physicality. Win or lose, the opposing teams will know they played the Bulls the next morning.
North
Oceanway School
143 Oceanway Avenue
Jacksonville
Duval County District
(904) 714-4680
Oceanway was caught going the wrong way through a revolving door last year. Losing several key people on both sides of the ball made it difficult for them to compete in undoubtedly the most competitive division in middle school football. But Coach Jimenez is a veteran and will have his team ready to compete this year. They’ve got some great side over there.
North
Southside Middle School
2948 Knights Lane E
Jacksonville
Duval County District
(904) 739-5238
Remember when southside ran the southside in middle school football? Nobody wanted to play them. Well now everyone wants to play them. But that makes for a great opportunity for this team to make a new name for themselves. They have tradition and history behind them!
South
Twin Lakes Academy Middle School
8050 Point Meadows Drive
Jacksonville
Duval County District
(904) 538-0825
Twin Lakes went 4-1 in their division last year and was just a game away from making the playoffs. This might be the best opportunity for them to make the playoffs seeing that many division rivals must reload this year. They’ll be determined.
South
