BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
It was a season to remember for the Keystone Heights High School football team in 2021, but most of the starters from a team that went 10-2 and won the program’s first playoff game ever are gone, making inexperience an issue as well as the usual (in past years) lack of depth.
The Indians lost 15 players — six who were two-way starters — to graduation. Plus, several would-be returning players decided not to play this year, leaving Keystone
What it adds up for Head Coach Dickinson is a team that has less than a handful of returning starters on each side of the ball.
Keystone’s open date is during the first week of the season, which is something Dickinson wouldn’t normally like. This year, though, he thinks it’ll be beneficial for his team, which travels to Orange Park to play Ridgeview in a preseason kickoff classic on Friday, Aug. 19, at 7 p.m.
“I think for us, it’s a matter of getting experience under our belt. I’m actually thankful we have week one open,” Dickinson said, adding, “Now we’re able to regroup for a week and a half (after the kickoff classic) to get ready for our opening game against Eastside. I think that’s going to be a plus for us.”
Once again, Keystone is looking at having less than 30 players on its varsity squad. Dickinson said it looks like the team will consist of 26 players. Last year’s team consisted of 28-29 players.
“We’ve got to stay away from the injury bug, but with that being said, we’ve done what we’ve needed to do by being in the weight room and doing those things to get our bodies ready,” Dickinson said.
Dickinson said the six-quarter rule will be beneficial for Keystone. That rule allows a player to be able to play six quarters in a week, meaning a junior varsity player can play in a JV game one night and then also get some playing time in a varsity game that same week.
The rule was beneficial last year, giving experience to many JV players who’ll be counted on to step up this year.
“It shouldn’t be an issue going into a varsity football game. If it’s their first varsity football game, it’s really not their first varsity football game because they were with us,” Dickinson said. “Some of them played. Most of them got playing time.
“They got valuable experience last year.”
Keystone opens the regular season against Eastside at Gainesville’s Citizens Field on Thursday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m. The Indians’ first home game will be Friday, Sept. 16, against Impact Christian at 7:30 p.m.
Homecoming is Friday, Nov. 4, against P.K. Yonge at 7:30 p.m.
The Indians are in District 6 in the newly created 2S (Suburban) classification. The district also consists of Bradford, Palatka and Tocoi Creek.
Paving the way for new backfield
Most of Keystone’s experience on offense will be found on its line, which consists of returning starters Bo Overton (senior), Jayden Goodman (junior) and Tyler Duncan (sophomore), though Duncan is currently out with an injury. Dickinson hopes to have him back sometime in September.
The team will also rely on players such as senior Jordan Roe and sophomore Brayden Wester.
“I think our line’s got a chance to be OK,” Dickinson said, adding, “They know what we’re doing. They’ve been in the fight, so to speak.”
The Indians averaged 334 rushing yards per game last season, but none of its running backs return this season, whether due to graduation or the decision to not play. Dickinson said players such as Landon Hovsepian (senior), Bryar Schenck (senior), Cartez Daniels (junior) and Trey
Jeffries (junior) are in the mix to carry the ball. How those players progress will determine if Keystone operates out of a two-back set or a three-back set. It went with three last season because of its depth at the position.
“I told our kids the most important aspect of being running back, besides ball security, is carrying out fakes,” Dickinson said. “If we decide to stay and be a Wing-T type team, then we’ve got to be exceptional at carrying out our fakes.”
Though new to the backfield, Schenck is a returning starter, having lined up at tight end last season.
Keystone will have a new quarterback in junior Ben Ulsch, who was last season’s JV starter. Dickinson said Ulsch did some things well on JV that will be crucial at the varsity level.
“Last year, what I thought he did pretty good on JV was throwing play action passes. That’s a big part of our running game,” Dickinson said, adding, “You’ve got to be able to complete those play action passes to keep the defense honest.”
Dickinson said Ulsch was also good at running the ball for the JV team, which he hopes will carry over to the varsity team.
Defense loses a lot of its production
Keystone enters this season having lost its top six tacklers, who all graduated. That leaves nose guard Jeffries as the top returner. He recorded 27 tackles and had three fumble recoveries.
Dickinson said the qualities that make Jeffries a factor on defense are also why he’s in the mix in the offensive backfield.
“He has an exceptional, quick first step,” Dickinson said. “That’s why I think he can be good at fullback. If he stays at pad level…he’s going to be a load.”
Senior Tyler Anthony Rozier has a lot of experience on the line and will play one of the tackle positions. He had 26 tackles and two sacks last year.
“Hopefully, he’ll pick his game up this year and play even better,” Dickinson said.
Wester and sophomore Jackson Herman look to be contributors on the line as well.
No starters return at linebacker. Dickinson said that unit could consist of such players as Daniels, Hovsepian, Overton, Schenck and Ulsch.
“One of them has got to take charge and make sure we’re lined up in the correct fronts and making sure we’ve got the right calls and everybody understands what to do,” Dickinson said.
Despite the fact that every starter in the secondary last year was an underclassman, the only returner this year is senior Sam Ulsch. In 2021, Ulsch recorded 26 tackles and made an interception.
“I thought we’d have all of them back, but for whatever reason, they decided not to play or whatever,” Dickinson said, adding, “That’s the way it is. We know what we have. We’ve got to figure it out and make it work.”
Dickinson said the secondary will also consist of such players as Carson Eatmon (senior), Darrion Grady (junior), Vernell Jackson (senior) and Wyatt Van Zant (junior).
Weightlifting experience a plus
Weightlifting is such an important part of whatever success Keystone will have since so many players have to man multiple positions. Hopefully, it also helps cut down chances of injury on a team with little depth.
Dickinson said the good thing is that the players not only understand the importance of the work they do in the weight room, they embrace it.
“The kids want to do,” Dickinson said. “They’ve bought into it. They know this is what we’re going to do.”
Many of the players also compete as part of the weightlifting team, which is coming off its second straight state championship. Schenck won a state title in the snatch, while Jeffries was a state runner-up in both the snatch and traditional (bench press and clean and jerk) events.
The following players also earned medals at the state finals last year: Goodman (third place, snatch), Anthony Rozier (third place, traditional), Hovsepian (third place, traditional), Ben Ulsch (fourth place, snatch), Van Zant (fourth place snatch, fourth place traditional), Herman (sixth place, snatch) and Reid Begue (sixth place, traditional).
“Those guys know that the guy next to them is committed and has worked hard since last November,” Dickinson said. “I think that’s a big plus for us. The kids are not scared to work.”
