Impact player on and off the field, Lake Wales' Richardson top big school defensive player

Johnquae Richardson began making an impact on varsity during his sophomore season, but he had a breakout year in 2022 as part of Lake Wales’ state championship defense.

Context is key when comparing his two most recent seasons. During his junior year, Richardson could just go out and do his job as one of the top linebackers in the county. He was surrounded by seniors like Terrell James and Jaremiah Anglin Jr., who could provide leadership.

This season, however, as one of just three seniors starting on defense, Richardson had to be an impact player on and off the field. And while he was even better defensively — seemingly around the ball on every play — head coach Tavaris Johnson couldn’t talk about Johnson’s play without talking about Johnson’s impact as a leader.

Richardson is The Ledger’s Big School Defensive Player of the Year.

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Make no mistake, the 5-foot-11, 208-pound Richardson knew his role was different this season. He made his impact on the field and as a leader of a defense that recorded five shutouts and allowed 10 or fewer points in nine of 13 games.

“I had to step up and be a leader and help the young guys,” he said. “You had to get their brains developed and get the read to go play varsity.”

His teammates responded from the start. The defense set a high standard from the start, and after Lake Wales’ 7-0 victory over Sebring in September, Johnson talked about how the defensive players fed of Richardson’s leadership.

"We also talked (before the game) about just having a sense of urgency tonight," Johnson said. "I believe Johnquae swallowed that pill. And then what I explained a sense of urgency meant is you got to mix a little bit of hustle with execution. Execution means that I don't care what happened if I don't start to play, right, I still, I need to make sure I win the play. That's Johnqaue Richardson. So that's what he means to us, and he's not obviously a one-man team. But he brings the morale, he brings that competitiveness, he brings that spirit. They believe in him."

Richardson developed that competitive spirit growing up and playing in the yard with older brother Johnny, who was The Ledger's 2019 Big School Offensive Player of the Year when he rushed for more than 2,000 yards.

Johnny was helping his little brother improve as an athlete and as a future tough, hard-hitting linebacker just by playing together as brothers do.

“We used to play in the yard and wrestle each other and hit each other,” Richardson said. “One day he hit me, and I started crying and stuff like that. It just made me tougher. My dad just told me to get up.”

With Johnny being older, it was just when he was heading off to college when Johnqaue was just starting to be able to hold his own against his older brother.

Richardson soaked in all the knowledge he could watching Johnny player for Lake Wales.

“He taught me a lot,” Richardson said. “With me going to games in the eighth grade when he was playing as a senior, it really motivated me to do better.”

Those games in the yard were good preparation for when he started playing youth football, as he always was on the defensive side of the ball, mostly at linebacker but also on the defensive line.

Richardson got some carries at running back in his final year of youth football, but he had no desire to follow his in his brother’s footsteps and play running back at Lake Wales.

“I really like linebacker more because I can run down the field and hit someone,” he said.

Richardson developed more as a linebacker during his early years of high school and credited Mulberry coach Brad Metheny, a former assistant coach at Lake Wales, with really helping him develop a love for the game as he learned a lot from Metheny.

“He just helped a lot with the schemes when he was at Lake Wales, and I just got better and better and better.”

By the time he was a senior, his knowledge of the game and his physical skills came together to make him a devastating force at middle linebacker.

“I was just able to react faster and get to the ball, always in pursuit running to the ball,” he said.

Although his heart remained on defense, Richardson had no problems when called to help out in the backfield. He scored nine touchdowns on just 34 carries, often coming at running back on the goal line. He still, however, averaged near 10 yards per carry as he rushed for 336 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown run against Bartow. It was one of two scores that helped Lake Wales turn a 7-3 lead into a rout. He also had a 42-yard touchdown run for the only score in the Highlanders’ 7-0 win over Sebring. In both games against Bartow and Sebring, he led Lake Wales defensively, too.

Richardson was primed to be the No. 1 running back after Jordan Henderson transferred to Lakeland, but Rashad Orr took over those duties after he transferred from Victory Christian.

“I’m glad he came over because I didn’t want to play on both sides of the ball,” he said. “But if they need help getting into the end zone or anything, I can help.”

Richardson has a handful of offers, including Marshall, and hopes to sign with a school on signing day in February.

Although disappointed that Lake Wales didn't repeat as state champions after losing to Ocala Vanguard in the region finals, he looked back fondly on his senior season.

“It was fun being around my brothers and trying to make a run at another state championship,” he said. “We didn’t get that far, but we had fun.”

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lake Wales' Johnqaue Richardson made impact on and off the field