Auburndale 'trying to build a competitive culture' in first scrimmage under new coach
It’s been a myriad of thoughts for first-year Auburndale football coach Antonio Thomas. But none bigger than the elation of seeing his players go out and perform in the annual Blue vs. Gold game under his tutelage for a first time.
In a game that featured starters on both sides, the Blue team ended up winning 19-9 on Saturday evening at Auburndale High School.
“I was excited to see the kids go out and compete. … We’re trying to build a competitive culture here. The guys that are 2s and 3s, we want them to be just as competitive as guys slated to be a 1,” Thomas said.
“Overall, we had a great experience. We had a great crowd to support us, and that’s something that I hope can continue to happen and we can continue to get that support from the community.”
For a large part of the game, it was the Gold team that was supporting each other, as they were leading 9-7 heading into the fourth quarter. Then Blue team quarterback Gunner Needham threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to J.R. McGough Jr. to take the lead.
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Then, cornerback Aiden Curry returned an interception for a touchdown on his way to being the Blue team’s Player of the Game.
Still, the Gold team had some bright spots: Both Gavin Hall and Chris Williams posted two interceptions each, while safety Jaysean Pritchard stepped up.
Gold’s defensive line unit played well, as did Blue’s. Gold’s Brentley Meyer registered three sacks.
Offensively for the Gold team, Jason McGough ran the ball effectively. And wide receiver Brittan Zealley caught a 5-yard slant for a score in the second quarter.
“I don’t know that (Zealley) made a lot of noise in the spring. But he stepped up in the game,” Thomas said.
Offensively, Blue team running back Charles Calhoun ran for 40 yards and scored a touchdown.
And on the defensive side for the Blue team, cornerback Cornell Carter racked up an interception, while cornerback Sammy Etienne made his presence known.
“Overall I thought all the kids played well,” Thomas said. “For them to come out there and compete against each other and it came all the way down to the fourth quarter. It was a battle. It was fun.”
It was even more fun for all his players to leave the scrimmage healthy, which was a goal for Thomas.
Next up for Auburndale is a scrimmage at 7 p.m. Thursday at Fort Meade. And there will also be a player community cleanup this Saturday.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Auburndale football scrimmage is on-field debut for coach Antonio Thomas
