Bring it: Bucs energized for new season

The Mainland High School football team is re-energized after suffering through seven minutes of video showing the state championship loss against Lake Wales last season.

  • By Michele Meyers
  • | 7:10 p.m. August 9, 2023
  • Ormond Beach Observer
  • Sports
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It was the first day of pre-season practice on Monday, July 31. Mainland football players scurried through drills as coaches’ voices rang out across the practice field.

A constant stream of football passes were peppered at receivers as running backs ran agility drills. Eventually, the team was called to a "skelly" — or skeleton drill — which Mainland coaches use to practice plays and player positioning.

Mainland head coach Travis Roland said he could feel the energy out on the field after subjecting his coaches and players to a viewing of the last seven minutes of the FHSAA Class 3S State Championship loss against Lake Wales.

“Dead silent, dead silent,” he said, describing their reaction to the video. “It started off, everybody was excited, because it’s football season. But that calmed down really, really fast once they saw it.”

Receivers coach A.J. Mallory sent a text to Roland after the video, telling him he did not like him and messaged the coaches, "Let’s go fellas" in a group chat. 

“That last seven minutes should give every single person who watched it fire,” Mallory said. “That brought a whole different type of mad energy that I’ve got to get back. I’ve got to do my best to get these guys back to that stadium.” 

That last seven minutes should give every single person who watched it fire. That brought a whole different type of mad energy that I’ve got to get back. I’ve got to do my best to get these guys back to that stadium.
— A.J. MALLORY, Mainland receivers coach 

Mallory is leading a slew of older receivers and said they brought great first-day energy to the field.

Senior captain and wide receiver Emmanuel Y'Israel’s is starting his third year on Mainland's varsity squad.

“Seeing that just brought back a whole new feeling of rage,” Y'Israel said. “Seeing the main call that really messed us up, and all the little mistakes that we could have corrected — we just need to come out with energy knowing that the mistakes we made cost us the two points. We have to be two points better every day. I would just like everybody to know that we’re coming.”

Y'Israel said he sees a lot of potential in the returning and new teammates. He is grateful the team got a head start with the new players, so they could start gelling as Bucs by their first official practice.

Junior Tyree Weatherspoon is one of the new names on the Mainland roster this season. The 6-foot-4 wide receiver transferred from Deltona High School in February and began practice with the team in the spring. In the two years he played on varsity with the Wolves, he scored two touchdowns as a freshman and finished his sophomore year with 333 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Weatherspoon appreciates the fact that his new team is held to a high standard on and off the field.

“I’m glad (I transferred to Mainland),” he said. “The standard here is amazing. It’s effort, hard work, dedication and discipline. I love it here. I was a little bit nervous my first time out there, but I’m ready to fully commit and put in the work for Mainland.”

Wide receivers coach Terrence Anthony has been working with Weatherspoon and bringing him up to Mainland speed. 

Recently, Anthony stepped into coach Snap Wood’s position, overseeing the quarterbacks. Wood was hired by Warner University, where he will be the running backs coach. 

As the offensive coordinator during the Buccaneers’ run to the state championship game, Wood was instrumental in working with quarterback Demarcus Creecy, who finished the season completing 232 of 334 passes with 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and also rushed for 513 yards with two touchdowns.

Roland would not point a finger at his next quarterback yet, but touted the athleticism of QBs D.J. Murray, Jordan Payne and Sebastian Johnson. The offensive line has talented shoes to fill with the departure of Creecy and running back Ajai Harrell, but Roland said his offensive line is going to be the strength of the team. 

Returning to the lineup is self-proclaimed head captain Jerard Bell, Christian Hudson, Jaelin Long, Madden Santiago, Johnnie Santiago and Elijah Walker. Hudson and Walker have had over 20 college offers between the two of them.

Bell calls himself the head captain because he said he leads the most, makes sure everybody is in place and brings the intensity and focus every day. After watching the end of the game before practice, he said the Bucs have to come out stronger this season and cannot let up — they have to finish.

“I am going to make sure we come focused every day, make sure we are working hard and we are playing at our level — not playing down to our opponent,” he said. “I’m going to keep them (teammates) up on their game — congratulate them when they're doing good, and when they’re down, make sure they still have a smile on their faces.”

 

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