- December 23, 2024
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FPC rising junior Marcus Mitchell could be carrying a heavy load for an inexperienced offense this fall. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC coach Daniel Fish talks to his players after practice on May 11. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Mike London Jr. throws a pass in a team drill at practice on May 11. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Defensive end Ethan Laupepa and defensive tackle Charley Perry. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Rising freshman Mike London Jr. has been taking first-team snaps at quarterback in practice. Photo by Brent Woronoff
With a coach manning every position, Daniel Fish is able to walk around to different areas. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Marcus Mitchell rushed for 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Marcus Mitchell was dressed for practice but has been held out of drills with a strained hamstring. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler Palm Coast running back Marcus Mitchell pleaded to athletic trainer Ron Steinwehr, being as dramatic as can be, with a big smile on his face.
“Put me in for one play,” Mitchell said during team drills on Thursday, May 11. “Just one play.”
Steinwehr shook his head.
The trainer knew Mitchell was joking. Mitchell had a strained hamstring and was sitting out, which simply goes against his grain.
The rising junior will have plenty of opportunities to carry the ball this fall. The 5-foot-8, 200-pounder bulldozed his way to 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns last season while playing with an injured ankle.
After losing four starting offensive linemen to graduation and now quarterback D.J. Murray — who has informed administrators he plans to transfer to Mainland after this weekend's state track and field championships — the Bulldogs will likely rely heavily on their star running back.
Linebacker Rodney Hill, defensive back Ely Gilyard and defensive lineman Tra’vel Adams have already transferred to Mainland.
They were my boys. But they got to do what’s best for their future, so I understand where they’re coming from.” — MARCUS MITCHELL
“They were my boys,” Mitchell said of his former teammates. “But they got to do what’s best for their future, so I understand where they’re coming from.”
With school choice, it’s not unusual for some players to transfer when a new head coach is hired. Daniel Fish, who replaced Robert Paxia as the Bulldogs’ football coach on March 29, said some players are also likely to transfer to FPC this summer.
Mitchell, who expected to return to practice this week, said he will be up to the challenge of taking on a heavier workload.
“I can jog on it right now,” he said of his hamstring. “I’ll definitely play in the spring game (May 25 at Jacksonville Riverside). My ankle’s feeling great. I actually hurt it at the start of last season, and I had ankle problems the whole year. It definitely hindered my ability to play.”
Mitchell is excited about playing for new offensive coordinator Jake Medlock, who has been with the team for about three weeks.
Medlock played quarterback at Florida International University and at Valdosta State and has coached at Shorter University, Missouri Southern State and Catawba College. He also has high school coaching experience at Jacksonville Sandalwood and South Cobb in Georgia.
“He’s a great offensive coordinator and a really cool guy,” Mitchell said.
Medlock and Fish became good friends when they were teammates at Valdosta State.
He saw I got the job and called me up, and I never in a million years thought I’d have a chance to get him, but I did.” — DANIEL FISH on new offensive coordinator Jake Medlock
“He played (high school football) at Fletcher (near Jacksonville Beach), so he’s from the area,” Fish said. “He saw I got the job and called me up, and I never in a million years thought I’d have a chance to get him, but I did.”
For Fish, having both an offensive coordinator and a defensive coordinator (Norris Lightsey) seems like a luxury. In his three years as Father Lopez’s head coach, he also took on one or both of the coordinator roles.
“I was defensive coordinator every year I was there and sometimes I was offensive coordinator,” he said. “You kind of have tunnel vision when you’re doing that. Now I have a position coach for every position. I can walk around. I can help wherever I’m needed.”
Fish said the Bulldogs don’t know who will replace Murray at quarterback. Murray accounted for 2,315 yards of offense with 28 total touchdowns last season.
Incoming freshman Mike London Jr. has been taking first-team snaps.
“You never know who’s going to pop in or who’s going to pop out,” Fish said. “Right now, Mike London Jr. has done a great job. He’s obviously young; he still needs a lot more development.”
With the losses of Hill and graduating senior Ashton Bracewell, the Bulldogs are thin at linebacker, but defensive line is expected to be a team strength with Colby Cronk and Ethan Laupepa manning the defensive end positions and taking on leadership roles.
Cronk, who fractured his femur against Nease and underwent surgery, led the Bulldogs in sacks (eight), tackles for loss (15) and quarterback hurries (45) in eight games last season.
“Those dudes are animals,” Fish said of Cronk and Laupepa, who added six sacks and five tackles for loss. “They’re causing a lot of chaos for our younger offensive linemen. They’re awesome in the pass rush, and they can contribute on offense as well in our big packages.”
Cronk, a rising junior, already has six Division I college offers, including one from Pittsburgh of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
“I’ve been going to a couple of camps, trying to get my name out there,” he said. “Right now, I’m just trying to get myself better.”
Fish said sometimes Cronk has to be reigned in.
“You have to beg him to stop sometimes,” the coach said. “He comes out here during our team periods, our inside periods, and we got to take him off the field, because sometimes the offense can’t get the work they need, because he’s so dominant.”
Free safety Zyquan Neal also has been a standout this spring, Fish said.
“I love the teamwork, the energy that Coach Fish and Coach Medlock bring, and I’m very excited about the season,” Neal said.
Neal will probably have multiple roles this season, Fish said.
“He’s making plays, flying around, getting his hands on the football. He’s also hopped over to the offensive side and made plays there,” Fish said. “We’re going to lean on him a lot. We’ll use him in the return game, we’ll use him as a receiver as well.”
The returning players know there are some big shoes to fill on a team that won district last season, but they have confidence in their teammates and coaches.
“Since there were a lot of guys that left, people think we’re going to be bad,” Laupepa said. “I think we’ll be good. I think this season is going to be new experiences and a lot of young guys filling in, and I believe they can do it and we'll be successful.”
