Fair, 52°
Weather sponsored by:

Devils unveil new weapon

By Randy Lefko
Posted 8/10/17

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – With Colin Wilson gone to Louisville and Bilal Ally up at University of Massachusetts, Clay High’s running back choices centered around Christian Swilley, Spencer LeSage, …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Don't have an ID?


Print subscribers

If you're a print subscriber, but do not yet have an online account, click here to create one.

Non-subscribers

Click here to see your options for subscribing.

Single day pass

You also have the option of purchasing 24 hours of access, for $1.00. Click here to purchase a single day pass.

Devils unveil new weapon


Posted

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – With Colin Wilson gone to Louisville and Bilal Ally up at University of Massachusetts, Clay High’s running back choices centered around Christian Swilley, Spencer LeSage, Cedric Brown, Josh Colson and others as coach Joshua Hoekstra had a good crew to pick from for a Saturday scrimmage.

On Saturday, in an intrasquad scrimmage just three weeks before the epic showdown with Fleming Island High School, a new battering ram showed out.

Back up to the past spring and realize that Bradford County High School lost a head coach in former Orange Park and Fleming Island high school coach Corey Green and a near total exodus of players from a depleted coaching staff of the seven win, two loss program headed by Green.

Aundre Carter, a 225 pound power back for the Tornadoes with 26 touchdowns, 1281 yards rushing for the district 3-4A Tornadoes is now at Clay High. Carter, a guy who runs much like Herschel Walker or Earl Campbell battered the inside of the Clay starting defense for about a 40 yard scamper in Saturday’s scrimmage, then went right sweep about 25 yards to set up a touchdown around left end by Swiller.

“He’s strong, but he has downfield speed,” said Hoekstra.

Beyond the intrigue of a power back with speed that maybe has 15-20 pounds on Wilson, Carter smiles a lot.

On the field, Hoekstra did not display much on his passing game with senior quarterback Caleb Eason pretty much running misdirection fires to Carter, LeSage, who had two nice end runs for 10-plus yards and a touchdown strike to wideout Ajay Belanger.

On defense, without defensive end Cody Devore, middle linebackers Marcaun Robinson and Raequan Williams showed some dominant play on both ends of the line of scrimmage. Nose tackle Colby Butler was also absent, but another Bradford transfer, defensive end Josh Griffis, put plenty of chaos in the backfield against Eason and the second stringers that only portends to lots of sacks for him and Devore. Colson also did some damage on defense.

In the secondary, senior defensive back Dakari Augustin made an outstanding pass breakup on a vertical pass from Eason to Belanger.

On the all important offensive line, with junior Mike Carns at center, Colin Dumas at a guard, Jason Brooks at a tackle, but junior Jordan Collins on the sideline with an ankle boot, Clay’s offense was efficient with Eason getting an occasional chase from Griffis on his rollouts, but Carter getting enough daylight to blast upfield.