Calvert

New coach, same speed in Calvert

Trojans moving to more spread formations in 2021

ALEX MILLER

alex.miller@theeagle.com

A mix of new and old will define this year’s Calvert Trojans football team.

The Trojans head into the season with a new coach on short notice after Ja’Marcus Ashley took a job as an assistant at Bryan this summer. Calvert recently hired Jordan Weikert as its new head football coach, and he will get help from Trojans basketball coach Michael Thomas this fall.

“He’s getting in with it,and he’s learning the culture,”Thomas said of Weikert.“The reception is good because we make sure it’s good. I back him up on everything he’s doing.He’s got a growth mindset.”

Consistency is important for a smooth transition that occurred late in the offseason,Thomas said.

“Coach Ashley did a great job with them, and he left [the program] in a good position where the kids already know the skills,” Thomas said.“They already know the game plans.They know how to approach the game. Coach Ashley did a great job leaving it the way he left it. Wish it wasn’t so late, but the kids were able to bounce back, and they’ve been through a lot of adversity,so the kids’mindset will be good.”

Sophomore quarterback Kevondre Corona said the coaching change hasn’t been as hard on the players since many of them have close relationships from growing up together. He added the team knows Thomas well as a coach and believes in him.

“A lot of us, we’ve been playing with each other since Pee Wee and we’ve been through ups-anddowns with each other,” Corona said.“We grew up with each other, so we’ve been sticking with each other our whole lives, and we’re ready to face whatever we have this season.”

During the Trojans’ scrim-

MICHAEL MILLER, THE EAGLE Sophomore quarterback Kevondre Corona returns for Calvert after a breakout freshman season.

ROSTER

1 QB/C/MLB Antonio Porter, 5-9, 175, jr.; 2 SE/FS Gio Diaz, 5-6, 140, jr.; 5 WR/FS MJ Thomas, 6-7, 205, jr.; 8 RB/QB/DE Kevondre Corona, 5-10, 145, soph.; 21 RB/QB/DE Davarian Hurst, 5-7, 150, soph.; 22 SB/DB Cohan Thompson, 5-9, 155, jr.; 45 C/QB/MLB Ja’Carius Schells, 5-8, 225, soph.; 99 C/RB/NG Davion Allen, 6-0, 235, jr.

mages, Thomas said Weikert has been shadowing him but added he hopes Weikert will take full reign of play-calling by district play.The two also have talked with other prominent 6-man coaches to get mentorship.

“He’s been more than willing to learn the 6-man game,” Thomas said.“He’s not coming in and saying he knows it all. He’s more like, ‘How can I get better?’ That’s the motto we’ve been showing with the kids is ‘1% better’ and it gets done.”

On the field, Calvert loses five seniors from last year’s team, and the Trojans didn’t add any freshmen to this year’s squad.

“I would say the strength is not going to be in our numbers,” Thomas said. “It’s going to be in our talent and our execution. We have a lot speed as always, and that’s going to be our strength. We’re going to go more to a spread style and try to use our speed to continue being the Calvert Trojans.”

The Trojans have a small roster despite after adding two basketball players,includingThomas’sonMJ, who will play receiver at 6-foot-7. Thomas said time management and the fourth quarter will be pivotal to the Trojans’ success with players having few chances to take a breather.

“We only have one sub,”Thomas said.“It’s kind of like Texas A&M’s 12th Man, but we’ve got the ‘7th Man.’”

Offensively, Thomas said the Trojans will be ditching many of their old schemes.

“We won’t do so much tight formations because we’re not as big,” Thomas said. “We’ve got to use that speed. We’ve got to use a couple of guys’ skill work as far as catching the ball and running the ball.We only have one kid who ran the ball last year, so now we’ve got to get some more scorers because that’s the object of the game.”

Corona was the centerpiece of last year’s team, accounting for 35 total touchdowns (18 rushing, 17 passing) and earning Class A Division II freshman of the year and District 13-A-II offensive player of the year honors. Thomas said the Trojans will look to add new ball carriers and expects no team in their district will be able to match their speed.

On defense, Calvert brings back junior Da’Vion Allen, who had seven sacks and six forced fumbles in 2020.

Despite the coaching change and a small squad,Corona said Calvert has high aspirations this fall.

“We have a big goal this year,” Corona said. “We’re trying to really make it to state, and hopefully we do it.” (Last year’s result in parentheses) Aug. 28 %JCSA Lions (DNP) 7:30 p.m. Sept. 4 Emery/Weiner (DNP) 6:30 p.m. Sept. 10 at Bastrop Tribe (32-28) 6:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at Nueces Canyon 6:30 p.m. Sept. 24 Bye Oct. 1 at Coolidge (53-7) 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8 #Penelope (DNP) 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at Abbott (DNP) 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22 *at Chester (51-6) 7 p.m. Oct. 29 *at Apple Springs (DNP) 7 p.m. Nov. 5 *Oakwood (won by forfeit) 7 p.m. %-at Allen Academy; #Homecoming; *13-A Division II games

FACTS

Head coach — Jordan Weikert (first year) Assistant Coach — Michael Thomas Student assistant — Raymond Ramirez Jr. District — 13-A Division II 2020 record — 9-3 (2-0 1st) 2020 playoffs — bi-district: Dime Box, 52-0; regionals: Cherokee, 69-44; quarterfinals: Richland Springs, 34-48 Returning lettermen — 6 (2 offensive, 2 defensive starters) Key returners — QB/RB/DE Kevondre Corona, soph. (13-A Off. MVP, A-D at DE); C Antonio Porter, jr. (A-D); OG Keighen Green, soph. (A-D); DL Da’Vion Allen, jr. (A-D); CB Cohan Thompson, jr. (A-D); LB Davarian Hurst, soph. (2nd A-D) Key losses — Tre’Quitnton Green (Co-13-A MVP); LB/RB Davien Flentroy (13-A Def. MVP, A-D at RB); QB/DE Erwin Jones (A-D both ways); U/CB Billy Thompson Jr. (A-D both ways) All-time record — 586-379-34

Playoff appearances/record

— 34 (3-12-2 in 11 man; 34-20 in 6-man)

Playoff appearances (34) —

11-man: 1923, 1938, 1946-47, 1949, 1952, 1958, 1967-68, 1970, 1989-91, 1994; 6-man: 1998-99, 2001-11, 2013-20