BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
This year’s Union County High School football team doesn’t have the depth or the overall returning starting experience that last year’s 8-3 state-semifinal team, but what it has is a bunch of guys who’ve been in the system who are now ready for their time to move into starting roles.
“We don’t necessarily have a bunch of superstars, so to speak,” Head Coach Andrew Thomas said. “Last year’s team — that senior class — we had a few who were really good. This team’s more about coming and getting the job done every day. We’re, I think, a closer group than we’ve been in the past.”
Union is having to replace approximately nine starters on offense and a handful of starters on defense, but Thomas said the Tigers have the “parts.”
“It’s going to be a learning experience, but it’s also guys who’ve been in the program,” Thomas said. “It’s not like trying to teach stuff totally new. It’s kind of like, ‘Hey. This is your turn. You’ve got to go out there and make it happen.’”
One player who’s already shown he can “make it happen” is senior linebacker Thomas Williams, who’s the leading returning tackler. His 51 tackles placed him third behind three seniors.
If there’s somebody who’s a “star” on the team, Thomas said it’s Williams, who’s a top player when you look at his strength, speed and ability.
“We’re definitely counting on him,” Thomas said, adding, “If we want to try to finish in Tallahassee (at the state championships) and win, he’s going to have to be there.”
Williams is a hybrid-type player who was more of a defensive back last year, with three seniors manning the linebacker positions.
“Thomas Williams is having to slide positions from what he was last year,” Thomas said. “Really, when you look at our backers, it’s all new guys in new positions.”
One of those linebacker positions looks to be occupied by a player Thomas described as one of the biggest surprises in his development from last year to this year — senior Johnte Nichols, who was primarily a backup/role player as a defensive back last season.
“He kind of finally figured it out,” Thomas said. “Sometimes it takes kids a while to figure it out. He’s a pretty strong and pretty good athlete. He’s been a secondary kid. We moved him to linebacker. That’s where he fits.”
The other linebacker will be junior Trenton Klein, who’s also the starting quarterback. Thomas said like Williams, Klein’s play will be a big factor in the team’s success this year.
“He plays with such a passion. You’re going to get his best,” Thomas said, adding, “How he goes is how we’re going to go.”
The defensive backfield features a pair of returning senior starters who Thomas said have the potential to play in college — Dayquan Diston and Gavin Jenkins.
“Experience is crucial at the corner,” Thomas said. “When you haven’t been under those lights, and you’re out there on an island, it’s tough. Those guys have played in some big-time games. They’ve got a lot of experience. Both of them have started for two years.
Thomas said senior Brycen Boney has a lot of experience in the secondary and will be a factor as well, along with fellow seniors Deonte Jones and Blake McCoy.
Looking at the defensive line, Thomas said it’s the Tigers’ deepest unit when you look at players with experience, including senior Jimmy Cox, who was fourth on the team in tackles last season.
“Jimmy is not really a vocal guy, so to speak, but he’s the leader of that bunch,” Thomas said. “He’s just a tough, hard-working kid. Real physical.”
Jackob Jenkins, a senior is another returning starter. Erich Seager, a senior, and Connor Bresee, a junior, are basically returning starters because of how often the team rotated players last season.
The Tigers may have lost leading tackler Markus Strong, who’s now part of the University of Oklahoma football program, as well as another returning starter who transferred, but Thomas likes his defensive line.
“We’re so deep,” Thomas said. “We’ve still got a lot of guys who’ve played a lot.”
Flip to the other side of the ball, and you have an offensive line that consists of two returning starters in seniors Tucker Baynard and Dylan Lane.
“A lot of experience, with Tucker being a four-year starter,” Thomas said. “Dylan is a two-year starter, but he’s been playing a lot of varsity ball for three years.”
Other players who’ll step in and who have plenty of experience include seniors Adonis Duenas and Clayton Poppell and juniors Reece Hendricks and Maddox Wheeler.
Garrett Jackson, a junior, is the number-one guy at tight end right now, though Cox and Seager could also see time there.
Klein steps in as starting quarterback, replacing A.J. Cortese, who accounted for more than 1,900 yards passing and rushing in 2022. Sophomore Nelson Tambling and freshman Bryan Tyson are also taking snaps.
Thomas said as the season goes along, you could see a mix of those guys playing quarterback, dependent upon game situations, but for the most part, it looks to be Klein playing the majority of the time.
“Trenton’s our leader right now,” Thomas said, adding, “He’s also a kid who’s been in the system for three years — four years, really, since middle school, doing the same stuff. We’re going to lean a lot on him and his leadership.”
Union lost running back Rayvon Durant to graduation. Durant accounted for 1,554 of the team’s 2,931 rushing yards in 2022. He also led the Tigers in touchdowns with 17.
Williams, who got some carries last year, will be one of the players the Tigers rely upon this year. He’s coming off a spring game in which he gained 50 yards on 10 carries.
“He’s going to get a lot of totes,” Thomas said. “He’s probably our lead guy coming back, but he didn’t play a lot there last year because we had a little bit more depth, and he was so important on defense, which he’s going to be this year as well.”
Some other players who’ll be factors at running back/fullback are senior Bobo Woodall, junior Cole Austin and sophomore C.J. Ivey. Woodall was the leading rusher in the spring game with 70 yards on four carries, while Austin had 43 yards on five carries.
Diston and Nichols could also get carries. So, too, could Drew Simmons, who’s just a freshman.
“He’s kind of been our player on middle school the past couple of years,” Thomas said of Simmons. “He’s going to be a heck of a football player, but he’s a freshman. He’s going to get totes, and he’s going to get more as the season goes along — if he learns.”
Boney and junior Ashton Newsom will be involved as well at the wing position. Thomas said they’re good blockers who can also make things happen with the ball in their hands.
“In the past, the guy in that position hasn’t really been as good of an athlete to run the ball,” Thomas said. “Now, they’re a little bit of a threat.”
Jenkins is the leading returning receiver. He caught 20 passes last year for 406 yards and four touchdowns.
“Gavin Jenkins is the playmaker,” Thomas said, adding, “He’ll definitely change things offensively with the threat he is at receiver.”
Jones and senior Riggs Davis will be in the mix at receiver, too.
Avoiding injuries will be a key this year, with many players being important on both sides of the ball.
“There are more guys we’re going to have to ask to do things on both sides of the ball than we had last year,” Thomas said, adding, “We’ve got some tough games early. I know we’re going to get better — if we stay healthy — as the season goes along.
The Tigers travel to Macclenny to play Baker County in a preseason kickoff classic on Friday, Aug. 18, at 7 p.m. The season begins in earnest with a home game on Friday, Aug. 25, at 7:30 p.m. against an Interlachen team that went 10-0 last year.
Union’s first three opponents (including Columbia, a Final Four team in Class 3S) went a combined 26-8 last year.
“We’re going to go out and try to win every game,” Thomas said, “but we’ve got some tough ones early.”
The Tigers have qualified for the playoffs six straight years, including the last three under Thomas. They played for a regional championship in Thomas’ first two years before winning one last year in advancing to the state semifinals.
Thomas is eager to see how things play out for this year’s Tigers.
“It’s been a fun team to coach so far,” he said. “It’ll be exciting — once we get into the season and start competing — to see how we can handle things. There’s going to be adversity. We’ll see how this bunch will be able to handle it.”
2023 UCHS Varsity Football Schedule
Aug. 18 at Baker County (KC) 7 p.m.
Aug. 25 Interlachen 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 1 at Columbia 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 8 at Walton 7 p.m.
Sept. 15 P.K. Yonge 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 29 Orlando Christian Prep 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 6 Hollis Christian (HC) 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 13 at Hawthorne 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 20 at Santa Fe 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 27 at Dixie County 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 3 Ambassador (SN) 7:30 p.m.
KC Preseason Kickoff Classic
HC Homecoming
SN Senior Night
