By Marshall Tempest
Reporter
We are just a week away from Apopka’s spring football game against Jones High School, which will take place at Jones on Friday, May 23.
In an interview this week, head coach Jeff Rolson said the team is starting to come together.
Rolson said that practice has been physical, and the team is starting to make strides in the right direction. He said that it seems like the work matters to the team members. From the energy shown at practice to the effort shown, he says there is an obvious difference from last year.
“Last year we didn’t have a season that we wanted,” Rolson said. “It takes a long time to build something up, but you can tear it down in about 10 seconds. And I think they realize that just because we’ve had success in the past, just because we’ve made runs in the past, nothing is guaranteed. We’ve got to go out and earn it every time.”
Rolson said one of the most significant problems with the team last year was the culture. The lack of accountability, responsibility, and effort to be the best was evident on the field last season. Now, he said, it’s beginning to look like the glory days of Apopka football again, when accountability was a pillar of the program.
“I think it’s people,” he said. “I don’t care if it’s a kid, I don’t care if it’s coaches holding themselves accountable to the standard. And then it is the same groupings, coaches and kids holding each other accountable. If you don’t have that, you don’t have anything.”
Another problem for the team last year was the offense. The Blue Darters scored just 127 points last season, the lowest number of points scored by the team in over 20 years. To remedy that, Rolson has simplified and built the offense to work around the personnel they have instead of forcing players to fit a game plan.
It’s been a tough transition, but Rolson says it’s going well considering what they have against them: a short staff. He said that the focus for the offense this year is being effective at moving the ball efficiently. He said the throwing game right now isn’t what they want it to be, but it still shows promise. Rolson said the offense will include single-wing, under-center concepts, and more, but they need to figure out the fundamentals first.
Rolson said he can’t do much with the passing game for two reasons: the offensive line and the receivers both limit him. If Rolson can’t protect the quarterback, then the team can’t throw the ball. If the receivers don’t know their routes, they won’t be open.
“We’re limited,” Rolson said. “We can have more in the passing game, but you’ve got to be able to protect it. I want vertical concepts, but if you can’t protect the pocket, you can’t get open… If they want those things, and I want them too, they will have to show they can do.”
Rolson confirmed that many of the skill position starters have not yet been decided. He said the team is thin in some places and thick in others. One place they are very well off is in the backfield. Rolson said he has a handful of guys who look really good and provide different looks for the team.
Rolson said he’s got smaller, elusive backs who are quick on their feet and contact-hungry backs who like forcing their way through the first-down line. He went on to say that he even has some guys who played linebacker last year who look really good in the backfield.
“We’ve got three kids over there that can do it and do it well,” he said. “Then we got a bunch of linebackers going over there and playing it, and they’re good too. So, we’re going to have depth at the back position.”
Rolson said the list of receivers gets thin on those who can really do the job. He said the problem is that guys can’t remember the right routes, so he’s still looking for a fourth receiver.
The defensive line is also thin, but the offensive line is stronger. Rolson said they are already better off now than they were last year. He said the interior looks good, but he’s waiting to find out which two tackles are going to step up in the coming weeks.
“There are a lot of guys that we feel good about,” Rolson said.
Rolson has been leading the work on the offensive line this spring, which is a bit of a change from his normal defensive mindset. He said that the team is short when it comes to coaching staff, so he has to be in multiple places at once. But Rolson said that working with the offensive line is the best place for him to be for the team.
“I just want our kids to have success,” he said. “We’re doing some good things overall, but we’re not getting the minutia, or the small details done that we want to, but it’s spring.”
Rolson also said he needs to find some full-time coaches who can be 100% invested.
“You don’t sweat it too much, but we’ve got to find a coach or two that can add to our group,” he said. “Otherwise, we’re going to have to coach it both ways. That limits what you can do if you don’t have guys to coach it.”
Rolson said senior quarterback Tyson Davison looks excellent and has had a great spring. Davison is in his fourth year as a starting quarterback for the Blue Darters and has journeyed through hills and valleys over the past three seasons. He has been to a state championship game, losing to Columbus High School 16-13 in his freshman year. Then he made it to the state championship tournament in his sophomore and junior seasons.
After a tough junior season ending with a loss in the first round of the playoffs, Davison is set up for a revenge tour against every opponent this upcoming season.
Before the spring game next week, the team will have their annual blue and white scrimmage. When Rolson talked about the scrimmage, he said it would be a fairly even matchup. It won’t be the starters vs. the second string or bench guys. Rolson wants this to be as competitive as possible to prepare for Jones.
Jones went all the way to the state championship game last year, falling 41-31 to the American Heritage Patriots. The Tigers always have elite talent, and this year’s spring game matchup will be no different.
“They feel good about what they got going on,” Rolson said. “It’ll be a good test for us. You know what, it’s going to be interesting, because we’ve done some good things in practice. But we’re going to see if we are doing good things because we’re going against a limited group in some areas. Or are we actually making some headway? So, I think we’re making some headway, but it’ll be good to go against somebody else and a good quality opponent.”
