GREEN COVE SPRINGS - Clay High coach Kyle Kennard will need a jump start to his 2023 to forget about a 3-7 season last year that did have its good and bad.

Against Bishop Kenny, Kennard's Blue Devils will see a very similar look with a solid coaching staff, tough, rugged football play and a little bit of cockiness from a squad last year that probably went deeper than expected.

Bishop Kenny, in the heyday of Clay's region playoffs under departed coach Joshua Hoekstra, now at Bolles, was a perennial power with the likes of NFLers John Wolford at quarterback and a historic 74-73 playoff game loss after an unbeaten season (11-0) to Clay back in 2013.

"These kids, I think, are finally understanding what it means to be a part of the Blue Devil football history," said Kennard, who finished a disappointing 3-7 last year after a region playoff finish two years ago (7-4) and a region final (10-2) three years ago. "I want to put that brand of football back on this field and I hope these guys can do that."

Bishop Kenny recently has moved from a few 1-8s to 8-3s with early region outs, but the Crusader following, after an epic 14-13 win over Bolles last year, is looking for another string of deep runs, just like Clay.

Clay had its time, went through a rough stretch under various coaches after Hoekstra left, but has seemed to right the ship with Kennard.

Clay has a returning quarterback, Merrick Rapoza, with a second quarterback, Landon Chadwick, who can shake the lineup up in a pinch, the best wide receiver around in Payton Dykas, and a few big linemen on offense as is required by Blue Devil fan and some pretty athletic kids in the secondary that may not read articles about enemy pass receivers and just play lock down ball hoping for pick sixes.

Bishop Kenny also has a returning quarterback, senior James Resar (1656 Yds, 15TDs) but loses two senior receivers that both caught 30-plus passes and both had four scores. Resar was also the top rusher at just 466 yards. Those pups in the secondary could be the key to this game; Vonte Burke, Antonio Thomas, DJ Williams, and even Dykas in a pinch in centerfield.

A solid win here gives Kennard some momentum to get back to regions as well as a showdown at Fleming Island High School in their opener.