Lovejoy Football’s Top Returners For The 2021 Season
Last season, the Lovejoy Wildcats finished with an overall record of 8-3, and managed to beat some of the more underrated teams in the entire state to be able to achieve this record. Along with this, the Wildcats also displayed…
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Continue ReadingLast season, the Lovejoy Wildcats finished with an overall record of 8-3, and managed to beat some of the more underrated teams in the entire state to be able to achieve this record. Along with this, the Wildcats also displayed a ton of promise due to the team’s young talent, and up and coming players. While this will be a big factor for them going into next season, the team will most likely want to erase any memory of their playoff loss last year from fan’s minds. Last season, they fell to Valdosta in the first round of the playoffs as they lost 52-14, and witnessed plenty of their key players play their last high school football game. This will make it even more crucial for the young talent on the roster to step up this upcoming season. Some of the future stars and leaders of the Wildcats are listed below, and we think that they can eventually play a big part in the teams potential success in 2021.
Seneca Daniel- RB
Daniel, who is transferring in from Dutchtown high school, is one of the players that Wildcats fans are most excited to watch this upcoming season. When watching him play, he brings a ton of talent to the table, as he has great speed, agility, and twitch with the ball in his hands. Along with this, he also does a good job pairing his vision, with hie feet, allowing him to be able to change direction, and burst up the field on a dime. Daniel also has good long speed, as he is easily able to turn a small play into a big gain if given the chance. Next season, expect him to be a key player in the team’s offense, and also look for him to attempt to add some weight and size to his frame, because this will kick his game up a notch.
Stephen Craig- QB
While Craig still has time to develop into the QB position next year, one of the knocks on his game would be his ability to process his reads, and get the ball out in a good amount of time. Sometimes, he can hold the ball too long, and it can cause plays to fall apart. Nevertheless, as the leader of the offense, he shows flashes of being able to play at a high level. Not only his ability to be a dual threat dangerous, but the fact that he can consistently hit on the deep ball is big time for his offense. Craig does a good job of keeping his eyes downfield, even if he has to move outside of the pocket, his placement when making these kinds of throws is usually pretty good. His overall mechanics can be a bit shaky, but that can certainly be improved in the off-season. With this, he also does a good job of making intermediate throws as well, and his ability to escape pressure makes it hard for defenses to account for his mobility. Next season, look for Craig to begin to improve in some of the areas we listed above, and if he is able to make leaps and bounds in this area, expect the Wildcats to continue to dominate some of their competition.
Jakurri Ponder- RB
Even though Ponder was only a freshman last season, he managed to see some time at the Junior Varsity, and Varsity level of play. Overall, it can be said that Ponder is a big bodied back, who has great balance. He runs behind his pads, and allows for his weight and lower body strength to help him gain positive yards on the ground. Ponder also does a good job of using his explosive ability to help him get out of his cuts, and to juke out defenders. As he will be looking to further develop next season, we would like to see him improve with his overall speed, and footwork. If he can do this, we would not be shocked if he slowly picks up some small school offers in the coming years.
Michael Brooks- LB
Brooks, who saw a little bit of time at the LB position last year, does a good job of using his wide body, and developmental frame to help deliver a pop on contact. While we would like to see him roll his hips a bit better, we also understand that consistency will come over time as he begins to play more. Brooks also needs to improve with the speed of his feet, and his lateral movement skills to make tackles in pursuit, but at this point of time, he uses his understanding of the game, and vision of the field to help him put himself in good position to make plays. Along with this, Brooks shows upside in the way he takes decent angles and finishes tackles. Next season, if he can continue to piece his game together, he will certainly see a jump in his production.