BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
As Bradford High School’s new head varsity football coach, Jamie Rodgers is working to build a winning culture, but that’s not to say expectations aren’t high his first year.
Rodgers inherits a team that’s composed of 22 seniors and almost as many juniors. Those players have had plenty of varsity-level experience and have experienced the postseason each year.
“We have a lot of guys who’ve played a lot of varsity snaps at a young age on this team,” Rodgers said, adding, “We have the players to win right now. That’s our focus.”
The Tornadoes have more than just experience. They have talent, with multiple players receiving college offers, including at the Division I level. Senior running back Manny Covey has already committed to the University of Cincinnati.
What goes into that culture Rodgers is trying to build is the best players serving as the example to everyone else. That’s what he’s seen. For example, Rodgers said Covey is one of the hardest-working players he’s ever coached. The coach said if he was a player, and he saw one of his teammates still putting forth maximum effort despite already committing to a college, he’d be inspired to follow that teammate’s lead.
There’s a similar drive in so many players, simply because of the fact they’ve played so many varsity games.
“We’ve got a bunch of young kids who are hungry,” Rodgers said. “Those young kids who had to play in the past, they’re older kids now.”
Bradford travels to Providence School of Jacksonville for a preseason kickoff classic on Friday, Aug. 19, at 6 p.m. The Tornadoes will play Impact Christian Academy for a half and then play Providence for a half.
The regular season begins Friday, Aug. 26, with a 7 p.m. road game against Baker County. The first home game is the following week, Friday, Sept. 2, against Baldwin at 7 p.m.
Homecoming is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 14, against Tocoi Creek at 7:30 p.m.
Bradford is a member of District 6 in the newly created 2S (Suburban) classification. The district also consists of Keystone Heights, Palatka and Tocoi Creek.
Talented backfield and an O-line with senior leadership
Covey, a senior, was the team’s leading rusher last season, gaining 558 yards and scoring seven touchdowns on 102 carries. Junior running back Willie Pollard was the third-leading rusher last year with 311 yards on 64 carries.
Rodgers described Covey as “the total package,” while saying Pollard goes “full speed off a cut faster than anybody I’ve ever coached.”
“That’s a tough two-back combination to deal with,” Rodgers said, adding, “I love being around both of them. They’ve always got a smile on their face. They love to touch the ball. They don’t get tired.”
Junior quarterback Dae’Jon Shanks is basically a third running back, Rodgers said. Shanks is coming off a spring game in which he rushed for 59 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries.
Rodgers said Shanks is “dynamic” in the open field and is rarely touched by the first defender in his vicinity.
“Listen, I’ve had years where I haven’t had one back as good as those three,” Rogers said of Covey, Pollard and Shanks. “I’ve also had teams where I’ve had two or three people who could tote the load like that. That’s a better situation. It’s tough to key on one person when you’ve got three of them who can really tote the ball.”
Blocking the way for whoever is toting the ball is a line that consists of seniors Jayden Luna, Elijah Williams and Easton Wynn. Rodgers said the three have made big strides in the weight room, including gains of 40-50 pounds in the bench press and the squat.
“It’s kind of like watching different people play,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers said junior Jorden Daniels brings experience to the line as well, while sophomore Dayton Roberts is looking to build off a spring that left his coach impressed.
“What he did in that spring game was phenomenal,” Rodgers said, emphasizing it was quite a performance from a freshman.
In looking at his line as a unit, Rodgers said, “If they’ll stay focused and do what they’re supposed to, Manny and Willie and Dae’Jon are going to reap the benefits.”
New QB is old QB
Amari Jones, who’s now at FIU, played quarterback last season, but Shanks is experienced, having played every snap behind center as a freshman. He completed 86 of 174 attempts for 1,343 yards and nine touchdowns in 2019.
Rodgers said the goal is to refine Shanks’ passing mechanics and to get him to avoid mistakes. Other than that, he’s already a leader at that position.
“The kids really gravitate toward him,” Rodgers said, adding, “They remember those days when he led them as a freshman. They’ve got complete confidence in him.”
Many options at WR
Who will Shanks throw to? Take your pick. Rodgers has a number of options to choose from, including last season’s second-leading receiver, Chalil Cummings. Cummings, a junior, caught 19 passes for 472 yards and six touchdowns in 2021.
Seniors Jarin Alexander, Gavin Cook, Ahman Covington and Jametrius Pringle will be factors. Rodgers likes every player in that group, but singled out Cook’s route running as a plus as well as Pringle’s speed.
“There’s a chance he’s the fastest kid on the team,” Rodgers said of Pringle, adding, “We’re going to throw it to him, get him out in space and watch him work. I think he’ll have a big year.”
Covey and Pollard will catch balls as well. In fact, Covey was the third-leading receiver last season with 27 catches for 399 yards and two touchdowns.
“Don’t be surprised if you see Dae’Jon out there some at wide receiver, too,” Rodgers said of his quarterback. “His hands are fantastic.”
Shanks was the third-leading receiver last year with 30 catches for 382 yards and four touchdowns.
Experienced DBs
Rodgers said he hated to single out any unit on defense that stands out more than the others, but he can’t help but like the secondary, which consists of all seniors with the exception of Cummings. Cummings, though, is like a senior with the amount of experience he has. Plus, he’s received multiple Division I college offers.
“I think our DBs have a chance to be really good,” Rodgers said.
Cummings created four turnovers (two interceptions, two fumbles) last season. What makes him a good receiver also makes him a good defensive back.
“He doesn’t drop many balls,” Rodgers said. “He knows how to high point balls. Everything you’re looking for in a defensive back and wide receiver, he does really well. That’s why he makes so many plays. It looks so easy for him.”
Cummings and Pringle, who had a 100-yard interception return in Bradford’s 51-13 win over Newberry in the first round of last year’s playoffs, will man the safety positions.
At corner, the Tornadoes have Alexander, Cook and Covington, a Bradford kid who was playing at Gainesville. Covington led GHS in tackles (72) last year as a linebacker. Cook and Alexander had one and two interceptions, respectively, last season, with Alexander also recovering a fumble. Cook made 49 tackles last season, which was second among secondary players.
Rodgers said the defensive backs have been showing up early before practices and stay late, putting in their own work to get better.
“That’s very rare these days,” Rodgers said. “You don’t see that as much as you used to. They push themselves. They go run routes and cover themselves and do drills on their own.”
Top tacklers return at linebacker, D-line
The linebacking corps returns junior Chason Clark, who led the team in tackles last season with 76. Eight of those were behind the line of scrimmage. Clark had a team-high three sacks, caused two fumbles and recovered a fumble.
Juniors Bryson Bowen and Devon McBride, who had 48 and 30 tackles, respectively, return as well.
“Our guys are aggressive,” Rodgers said of his linebackers. “They get downhill. They fill the holes the way you want to see it done. They’re not shy about contact.”
Like the defensive backs, those players have taken it upon themselves to put in extra work as well as watch game videos outside of practices.
“Your linebackers have to be the leaders (of the defense),” Rodgers said. “That’s why I think Chason and those guys got together and said, ‘Hey, let’s come an hour before practice and watch film.’ That’s huge. When the other guys see that, they’re going to want some of that, so they’re going to start showing up early, too.
“I’m looking for a lot of leadership out of that group. That’s the way it should be.”
The defensive line returns junior Torin Brazell, who was third on the team in tackles with 60. He led the team with 14 tackles for loss as well as causing a team-high five fumbles.
Rodgers said Brazell possesses a rare skill set in that he’s fast at 6-2, 240 pounds. In fact, you’ll see Brazell also display his athleticism on offense — something he wanted the opportunity to do.
“What’s set him apart for me was his willingness to say, ‘Coach, I’d like to play both sides of the ball.’ He’s a really good blocker,” Rodgers said. “You look for guys who can play that position of H back, tight end — whatever you want to call it. What they have to do is go block linebackers and go block safeties and skill guys in space. He’s a guy who’s 6-4, 240 who can go do that. That’s very rare at our level.”
The line also gets a boost with the return of senior Dejon McBride, who played at Ocala Vanguard last season. McBride is 6-3, 315.
Rodgers said McBride possesses the same type of athletic ability as Brazell, saying the two players have that combination of size and speed that allows players to play collegiately as well as professionally.
“His explosiveness in his lower body and his explosiveness with his hands — it’s a rare combination,” Rodgers said of McBride. “I’m glad to have him back. The kids love him.”
Lineman Trenté Jenkins is just a sophomore, but he’s already made an impact for BHS. Last season, he recorded 11 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and had 41 tackles in all. He also caused two fumbles and recovered one.
He’s put himself in good position to improve upon what he did in 2021.
“Trenté Jenkins may have had the best summer of any kid I’ve ever had in 20 years of watching this,” Rodgers said. “He made every workout. He’s only going to be in the 10th grade, but he’s going to be a force to be reckoned with on the defensive line.”
PK Hughes returns
Hayden Hughes, a senior, made a mark last year as place kicker, converting on 34 of 36 extra-point attempts as well as making four of eight field-goal attempts.
Hughes struggled in the team’s spring game, but Rodgers isn’t concerned, citing the work Hughes has been putting in and the fact that kicking and special teams simply wasn’t a priority in the spring for a new coaching staff coming in.
“We didn’t practice it a ton in the spring because we were trying to get new systems in,” Rodgers said. “We’ve practiced it a lot more now. I feel very comfortable with it. (Hughes) is going to do a great job on kickoffs and he’s going to knock the ball through the uprights. I have no doubt about that. If he doesn’t, he understands it’s just one kick. He’ll go and make the next one.”
