RED ELEPHANTS HAVE THE PIECES TO COMPETE FOR STATE TITLE

BY BILL MURPHY bmurphy@gainesvilletimes.com

First-year Gainesville High coach Josh Niblett wants City Park Stadium to be the most attractive Friday Night Lights experience in the entire state.

With the product the Red Elephants will put on the field in 2022, that vision may come to fruition sooner than later.

“We want it to be an unbelievable environment at City Park,” said Niblett, who guided Hoover High to six Alabama state titles from 2007-21. “We want it be hard anywhere else in the state to rival what’s going on here in Gainesville.”

Already an electric environment for high school football with the high-definition scoreboard and immaculate natural-grass playing surface, Gainesville’s new coach is intent on getting fan-base interest back to the level when the team won a state championship in 2012.

It’s safe to say that’s already happened.

With the infusion of talent at Gainesville, it is squarely in the conversation as one of the Class 6A state title contenders this season.

The offensive skill players will lead the way for Gainesville, which finished 4-6 last season and missed the postseason for the first time since 1999.

However, Gainesville’s defense is also filled with elite playmakers.

Red Elephants senior middle linebacker Jeremiah Telander, who committed June 26 to play at the University of Tennessee, will be the leader on that side of the ball. Telander was previously the Region 7-3A Defensive Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons at North Hall and recorded more than 130 tackles in 2021.

“Jeremiah does an unbelievable job as a leader,” Niblett said. “He plays the game the way it’s supposed to be played.”

On offense, Gainesville is going to be stocked, possibly more than ever before, with elite playmakers to compliment junior quarterback Baxter Wright, who threw for more than 1,000 yards in 2021.

At wide receiver, the Red Elephants will feature Darius Cannon, who caught passes for almost 800 yards last season at White County, and Tre Reece, who rushed for almost 700 yards in 2021 for Jefferson.

Also, Gainesville has reliable playmakers at wide receiver with Ja’Quez Sims and Ellis Pitts both returning this season, and young players such as Travien Watson and Phillip Williams.

At running back, the Red Elephants are also set with senior Naim Cheeks, a four-year starter who topped 1,000 yards last season.

“Naim is a dynamic running back,” Niblett said. “He can take it the distance but also stop on a dime and make defenders miss.”

Adding depth at running back, senior Marquis Ross is a returning piece for Gainesville who had solid production last season.

Playing a hybrid between blocking back and tight end will be junior Sky Niblett.

Up front, Gainesville’s coach said it will rely on junior three-year starter Noe Covarrubias, a junior, who will move to center from guard.

The Red Elephants will also be starting Stacy Hopkins at left tackle, who is a leader on defense, too.

Other linemen expected to contribute for Gainesville are Jamel Jones, Ethan McCusker, Ethan Couch, Alex Payne and Will Turner, among many others.

On the defensive front, the Red Elephants expect to primarily feature Hopkins, Jarrious Harris, Julius Columbus, Erick Willock and Adarian Cheek.

Joining Telander at linebacker, Gainesville will also start Luke Cooper, Carmelo Byrd, Nasir Summerour, Samaj Brown and Aveion Young, in different combinations.

At cornerback, returning starters Dre Raven and Elias Ballard are expected to start, while Trent Jones is an emerging talent at the position.

At safety, Zyrion Harrison and Summerour will be counted on for the Red Elephants.

Cash O’Callaghan and Zander Lipscomb will also see playing time in the secondary.

On special teams, John White and Eric Guerrero are the two kicking candidates for Gainesville.

In kick returns and punt returns, the Red Elephants will have a handful of contributors who also play skill positions.