For the last two years, Ribault has walked off the field hoisting the district trophy and with it the automatic bid to the playoffs, that could change this season.
Ribault lost 25 seniors off last years run and will look to several young guys to try to bring home its third straight district title. Which opens the door for Yulee or Suwannee to perhaps dethrone the defending champs.
Both Yulee and Suwannee appear to have the most experience and veteran teams and are the biggest threats to take down the Trojans reign.
While arch-rivals Paxon and Stanton enter the season with opposite aspirations but facing the same up hill battle as both are still in search for their first ever playoff berths.
Paxon Eagles
Coach: Steve Brown
Record: 2-8
Key Players: Chris Allen (Sr., LB), Darien Cross (Sr., FS), Michael Young III (Jr., RB/LB), Gabriel Border (Sr., LB/P), Alex Dyer (Sr., WR/TE), Brycen Blakeslee (Sr., OL/DL), Jaquan Jaudon (Jr., DB), Devon Dingle (Sr., OL/DL), David Ellers (Sr., OL/DL), Edward Dawson (Sr., OL/DL), Damari Massey (Sr., WR), Ethan Brigance (Sr., DE)
Newcomers: Bryce Tompkins (So., QB), London Richardson (So, LB/FB), Malcolm Seaburn (So., WR/DB)
Schedule
Aug 24 at Englewood
Aug 31 Wolfson
Sept 7 at Creekside
Sept 14 at Yulee *
Sept 21 OPEN
Sept 28 Ribault *
Oct 5 Fernandina Beach
Oct 12 at Suwannee *
Oct 19 at West Nassau
Oct 25 Stanton *
Nov 2 at Baldwin
Outlook: Brown begins his sixth season in the program and his expectations haven’t change of taking the Eagles to their first ever playoff appearance. The Eagles will heavily rely on the defense until the young offense has time to jell and grow up together. Eight starters are back on the defense including Border (102 tackles), while only three return on offense meaning several young guys including freshman and sophomores will likely be counted on.
Ribault Trojans
Coach: Kelvin Smith
Record: 7-4
Key Players: Chris Johnson (So., TE/DE), Devin Norman (Sr., WR/DB), Josh Roberts (Sr., RB), Keonta Jenkins (Jr., DB), tony Jenkins (So., OL), Ernest Ricks (So., DB), Matranius Mack (So., RB), Santana Jackson (So., QB), Darnell Wilson (So., LB), Zabian Wilson (Sr., DB)
Newcomers: Bobby Brown (Sr., DB), Shaun Evans (So., DB), Chris Calhoun (Fr., QB)
Schedule
Aug 24 Sandalwood
Aug 31 at Trinity
Sept 7 Baker County
Sept 14 Suwannee *
Sept 21 First Coast
Sept 28 at Paxon *
Oct 5 at Lee
Oct 12 OPEN
Oct 18 at Stanton *
Oct 25 Yulee *
Nov 3 at Raines
Outlook: The good news is Ribault is coming off its second straight district title and playoff berth and has ton of momentum heading into the new season. The bad news is they lost 25 seniors from last year and only return three starters back on both sides of the ball and will look to a ton of young guys to fill their roles. Among the new guys expected to have bigger roles on offense are Johnson, Mack, Calhoun and Jackson joining upperclassmen Norman and Roberts in an offense that struggled a lot to find an identity last season. The loss of Jhamaal Marsh and wide outs Mike McCray, Kenneth Channelle and Devon Matthews will be huge tasks to fill but the coaches are confident in their young guys and their capabilities. The defense lost the entire secondary as well in Nick Gardner, Jabari Jaudon and Matthews, filling those holes appears to be Norman and young guys Ricks, Wilson and Evans. Three-peating isn’t out of the ream for the Trojans, if the young guys can limit their turnovers and continue to play solid defense.
Stanton Blue Devils
Coach: Michael Healey
Record: 6-4
Key Players: Tyler Bass (Jr., QB), Roy Blizzard (Sr., WR/DB/P), Chris Jackson (Sr., OL), James Dawson (Sr., OL), Earl Brown (Sr., SS/WR), Jordan Bowen (Sr., RB/DB), Aiden Nole (Jr., LB), Kerry Darelus (Sr., RB/LB)
Newcomers: None
Schedule
Aug 24 at Wolfson
Aug 31 OPEN
Sept 7 at Trinity Ctholic
Sept 14 Baldwin
Sept 21 at Fernandina Beach
Sept 28 at Suwannee *
Oct 5 Hawthorne
Oct 12 Yulee *
Oct 18 Ribault *
Oct 25 at Paxon *
Nov 2 at Jackson
Outlook: Coming off historic run and schools first ever winning season, the Blue Devils have a ton of momentum heading into the season. Healey has done a remarkable job inheriting a two win team and guiding them to five wins two years ago and a school record six wins last year. Sustaining that success will be challenging with just two starters back on offense and three on defense. Darelus is a dynamic player and appears to be the go to guy replacing the departed Laterrian Moore. Expectations are still to keep the momentum going and to win seven games and possibly earn the schools first ever playoff berth, something that nearly happen last season.
Suwannee Bulldogs
Coach: Kyler Hall
Record: 5-6
Key Players: Carlton Hall (Sr., RB), Josh Braun (Jr., OL), L;ance Gamble (Sr., LB), Isaac Henry (Sr., WR), Keandre McKay (Sr., DE), Jaquez Moore (So., QB), Tyree Taylor (Jr., QB), Jay Williams (Sr., DE), Billy Duchaj (Sr., DE), Dustin Konvalinko (Sr., NG)
Newcomers: Reagan Berry (Jr., OL), Dawson Chitwood (So., OL), Antonio White (Jr., DE)
Schedule
Aug 24 Fort White
Aug 31 at Columbia
Sept 7 Hamilton
Sept 14 at Ribault *
Sept 21 OPEN
Sept 28 Stanton *
Oct 5 at Chiles
Oct 12 Paxon *7
Oct 19 at Yulee *
Oct 26 Madison
Nov 2 Taylor
Outlook:
Hall said for his team to be successful they must be able to throw the ball and get defenses out of the box. Defensively eliminate the big plays and win the fourth quarter in close games. The Bulldogs look to rebound after a tough season, which ended with a win over Mosley in a bowl game at home. Braun (6-7, 300) and
Berry (6-4, 260) will open up holes for playmaker Hall. Coach Hall hadn’t decided on a quarterback as of the first day of practice between Moore and Taylor, both saw playing time last season. Duchaj and Williams man the defensive line and should have a field day on opposing offenses. Despite a lot of uncertainties, Suwannee has a realistic shot at taking the wide open district and automatic playoff berth.
Yulee Hornets
Coach: Josh Burch
Record: 4-6
Key Players: Cole Richardson (Sr., RB/TE), Jordan Richo (Sr., LB/RB), Bryson Williams (So., LB), Antwuan Alexander (Sr., RB/DB), Ian Myers (Sr., WR/DB), Josh Glover (Sr., DE/LB), Malik Brown (Sr., DL/OL), Gavin Knight (So., DE)
Newcomers: Austin Barber (So., OL/DL), Sanchez Abbertie (Jr., WR/DB), Cam Jordan (Jr., DL), Jalen Holmes (So., DB/RB), Khamari Barksdale (So., DB/RB), Kyle Lee (So., QB), Jaheim Robinson (Sr., FB/DE), DJ Littlejohn (So., WR), Javari Williams (Fr., RB)
Schedule
Aug 24 at Palatka
Aug 31 OPEN
Sept 7 at Menendez
Sept 14 Paxon *
Sept 21 at West Nassau
Sept 28 New Smyrna Beach
Oct 5 Bishop Kenny
Oct 12 at Stanton *
Oct 19 Suwannee *
Oct 25 at Ribault *
Nov 2 Fernandina Beach
Outlook: In a year where the district seems totally up for grabs, expect Yulee to be in the mix again and possibly win it. For that to happen, Burch says they must play smart and be discipline and create drives on offense and cause more turnovers on defense. The pieces are there with the return of playmakers Richo and Richardson on offense, along with Williams, Glover, Brown and Knight on defense. Depth was added with the addition of seven transfers including Jordan from Hilliard, Littlejohn and Williams from Ribault and Holmes, Barksdale, Lee and Robinson from arch-rival Fernandina Beach. The recipe for a district title and playoff berth are there they just have to fill it with the right ingredients.
