Water Valley Team Preview

YOUTH HAS TURNED

INTO EXPERIENCE AS WATER VALLEY EYES A RETURN ATOP CLASS 3A

By JAKE THOMPSON

Since winning their first state championship in over 25 years, Water Valley’s football program has experienced growing pains with turnover and a young roster.

That youth has turned into seasoned veterans — even the juniors — and the Blue Devils have the look of a team that could find their way back to the MHSAA Class 3A state title game come December.

While summer workouts and preseason camp is not a true barometer for how the regular season will go, head coach Brad Embry is cautiously optimistic about his roster.

“It’s hard to say. Every team’s different and every team has to find their own way,” Embry said. “I think we do have some good athletes and I think we have a lot of potential. It’s just that, though. You’ve got to go realize that and as coaches you’ve got to put all the pieces of the puzzle.”

As with all teams, Water Valley managed to have spring practices, a jamboree, full summer workouts

1 Keke Rucker Jr. WR/RB/DB 3 Que Carothers Jr. RB/DB 4 CJ Telford Jr. QB/DB 5 Sasa Freeman Jr. WR/DB 6 Hayden Eubanks Sr. WR/DB/SN 7 Marion Morgan Sr. WR/DB 8 Jaden Morgan So. QB/DB 9 Chris Harris Sr. RB/DB 11 Dre McCray Dr. RB/LB 12 Jy Williams So. WR/DB 13 Tyler Richardson Fr. QB/LB 14 Colby Lafayette Sr. WR/DB/P 15 Demarious Rucker Sr. WR/DB 16 Taylen Johnson So. WR/DB 17 Dylan Moore Fr. WR/DB 18 Daylon Vaughn Jr. WR/DB 20 Chance Dewberry Sr. RB/LB 21 Reid Burress Fr. WR/LB 22 Eli White Sr. RB/DB 24 Jonathan Love So. RB/DB 25 DJ Liddell So. WR/DB 26 Brayden Buford Jr. RB/DB 27 Quinton Cox Fr. HB/LB 28 Ty Pritchard So. WR/DB 29 Anthony Butler Fr. WR/DB 31 D’antwon Holmes Fr. WR/DB 32 Walker Tedford Jr. RB/DB 34 Shaun Campbell Jr. RB/DL 36 John McMinn Fr. HB/LB 37 Caleb Ferguson Fr. HB/LB 41 Jon Surrette Sr. WR/DB/K 42 Jeremiah Griffis Jr. HB/LB 44 Isaac Phillips Sr. TE/DE 45 Kaleb Buford Fr. TE/DL 47 Laine Burns Fr. TE/DE 49 Will Embry So. RB/LB 50 Zakari Gatlin Fr. OL/DL 51 Jamerious Jenkins Jr. OL/DL 52 Bradley Tedford Sr. OL/DL 54 Ky Cooke Fr. OL/DL 55 Keith Lloyd Jr. OL/DL 56 Dez Campbell Fr. OL/DL 57 Donalvin Wilson Fr. OL/DL 58 Aulton Phillips Sr. OL/DL 59 Calvin Alford Jr. OL/DL 60 Khamauri Rogers Fr. OL/DL 61 Jamalachi Jones Sr. OL/DL 62 David Rojas Jr. OL/DL 64 Bubba Sprouse Jr. OL/DL 65 Josh Griffis Sr. OL/DL 70 Marqualyn White Sr. OL/DL 71 Hayden Schurr Fr. OL/DL 72 Jacob Driggers Fr. OL/DL 74 Brandon Turner Jr. OL/DL 75 Ken Hervey Sr. OL/DL 76 Marshall Phillips Fr. OL/DL 77 Jason Carothers Jr. OL/DL 78 Jack Woodard So. OL/DL 79 Trabian Torrance So. OL/DL 80 Jakori Thomas So. WR/DB 84 Matthew Osman Fr. WR/DB 85 Isaiah Webb Fr. WR/DB 89 Will Sanford Jr. TE/DE

and the preseason camp. This time last year, all teams were just now finding out about one another and learning their identity with COVID-19 taking away all the offseason preparation.

Having the reps from spring and summer under their belts, it has felt more line a normal offseason cycle to Embry, which is only a positive for a team that was led by mostly sophomores in 2020.

“Our roster’s balanced out better than it’s been in a long time,” Embry said. “A few years ago we were real top heavy, juniors and seniors and not a lot of kids below. Now we got good numbers through all four grades.”

Leading the offense at quarterback to start the season will be junior CJ Telford. During his sophomore campaign, Telford threw for over 840 yards and five touchdowns and also threw five interceptions.

Entering preseason camp and the regular season, Telford appears poised to be under center again for the Blue Devils, but Embry said

he has some options at quarterback if pieces need to be moved around.

“(Telford’s) had a good summer,” Embry said. “We’ve had a freshman come in, which is doing a good job working and doing what he’s supposed to do. He’s a freshman, so you don’t want to put too much on anybody too soon. But I feel comfortable with him there if he needs to be. We can always do some package where we stick a running back there. CJ’s had a good summer. He’s worked hard, been dependable and he throws the ball hard.”

When it comes to the Blue Devils running game, Embry might have something that many high school programs might not have, at any classification — a running back committee. With a handful of players Embry feels confident in handing the ball off to, it allows for depth to take over at a position that becomes vital in the late stages of the season and a push towards the postseason.

Jaden Morgan and Telford were the two major workhorses in Water Valley’s rushing attack in 2020, both combining for nearly 1,100 yards on the ground and 13 touchdowns. The duo is still expected to be the major threats in the rushing attack, but with a couple more players Embry is keen on joining the mix, the Blue Devils add another dimension to their offense.

“We moved a couple kids around, and it sounds crazy, but right now I think we’ve got five kids that could be effective high school running backs,” Embry said. “As the season goes, somebody may rise to the top. That’s fine, too.

We’ll let it play out. We may play five running backs, or six, all year. Or we may cut it back to one or two.”

On defense, there are a few more question marks when it comes to starters. There are some who know they will see the field in the opening game in week one and there are other positions Embry and his staff are still evaluating.

The Blue Devils have several productive players from 2020 returning this season. Que Carothers, Marion Morgan, Dre McCray and Ty Kukyndall all recorded at least 43 tackles each last season.

When it comes to who the first 11 will be on the first defensive series of 2021, Embry was not set at the start of preseason camp. He also acknowledged he has a good problem with plenty of players who he is confident in.

“We have a few kids that have solidified themselves as starters, but not many,” Embry said. “That’s a good thing. I’m not saying that in a bad way. I’m saying I think we have depth. I think a couple kids in the secondary have really positioned themself. ...Linebackers, I think that’s still up in the air. We’ve got numbers there. I just don’t know (yet).”

When it comes to special teams, Jon Surrette returns as the placekicker for field goals and extra points. Last season, Surrette converted 24 of 24 extra point attempts and his one field goal attempt.

In other areas of the special teams unit, Embry acknowledged there was room for improvement this season.

“We’ve got to get better at punting,” Embry said. “We’re working on punting and we’ve got some kids who I think can do it. We’ve got to find a little more consistency.”

Water Valley opens the 2021 season on the road at Independence on Aug. 27.

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