Plus, an Inside Look at How the Team has Dealt with COVID-19 Restrictions

Like a small child on Christmas morning, Jevon Glenn arose from his bed in the early hours of Sept. 21 with a fire in his heart that had long lied dormant. On this day, he wasn’t rushing to a Christmas tree to see what Santa Claus had brought, he instead found himself racing to the grounds of J.D. and Alice Butler Stadium for the first day of live football workouts. Glenn did receive a gift, however, in the form of his cherished players making the trek to their home turf, meeting as a team for the first time in months.

The lives of coaches and their athletes are dictated by the methodical schedules of games and practices, long nights and early mornings. Ever since last year’s football season ended with a heartbreaking loss in the 8A state-semifinal against Christopher Columbus, Glenn and his players have been waiting for their chance to get back together to officially launch their next bid for Deerfield’s first state championship.

That reunion had been put on hold for the last several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but alas, the day had finally come. Now that the Broward County Athletic Association has put together a plan with specific guidelines for the return to fall sports, it is time for the joy of football to take hold once more.

This season is unprecedented in almost every fashion. The regular-season schedule, normally at least 10 games in length, has been reduced to just four. No longer will Deerfield Beach be competing for a state championship with the Florida High School Athletic Association. Likely for this season only, the Bucks will take part in a tri-county championship between the top schools from Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties.

For Coach Glenn, he’s just happy to finally be back: “We are fortunate enough to be playing.”

The return to fall sports has brought on many unique challenges for the football squad, chief among them being the adjustments needed to satisfy the new COVID-19 prevention protocols.

“It’s been difficult, but the guys are just so excited to be back here. They were prepared to deal with whatever restrictions or guidelines that were put in place. They just wanted to play ball again, so I think that the motivation of them just wanting to play helped them to adjust,” Glenn said.

“Practicing with the pandemic going on and the protocols we have to follow is a lot different than what we’re used to,” freshman quarterback Michael Merdinger said. “I think we have done a great job transitioning, mainly because of how badly we want to play.”

In the case of the football team, changes have been made to how the coaching staff has been providing water to the players and structuring workouts. Gatorade squirt bottles are typically found along the sidelines of any football field and are shared amongst the sweaty athletes for their hydration needs. Since the sharing of any commodities is strictly banned for safety reasons, Glenn and his staff have been venturing out to Costco every week to purchase 50 cases of mini water bottles for the players’ personal use. If anything, the major adjustment here is the sharp increase in Deerfield High’s recycling volume.

“We wanted to try to keep it as normal as possible. We’ve been wearing masks whenever we’re inside of the building and while we’re working out in the weight room. There are protocols that [the county] implemented that I do see the importance of and how they would help keep us safe,” Glenn said.

“Fortunately enough, and God willing, we have been able to stay COVID-free and we haven’t had any incidents. I think that is a testament to what the county has put in and our kids executing that plan.”

Adjustments to the team’s workout program include working with the “pod” system to keep the athletes more spaced out. The pod system separates the athletes into groups of 10 or less. The intention is for the athletes to remain in these pods throughout the day to reduce overall interaction with others. With over 100 players coming to practice on a given day, sticking to the recommendations has been essential to running smooth practices.

“We’ve been bringing our guys in, staggering them at different times with different position groups. We’ve been able to do it in different phases, like working with the pods, which have been really good,” Glenn said.

“We’ve had three different pods going at one time with three totally different workouts. We have been able to attack the different parts of the body while rotating the pods through these workouts. The guys have been able to maintain and build their strength. Stretching has been a big component of that as well.”

The four-game season will kick-off on Friday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. with a game against Stranahan. The game will take place at Inter Miami CF Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, the temporary home of the Major League Soccer team by the same name. 200 tickets for the game were issued to both schools and sold out within a day of becoming available.

The season schedule continues the next week on Nov. 6 with an away matchup at Dillard. The home opener for the Bucks will be on Saturday, Nov. 14 against Blanche Ely for the 8th annual McDougle Bowl. The abbreviated regular season comes to a close the following Friday with a home game against the Macarthur Mustangs on Nov. 20.

“I’m happy with the fact that we even have a season in the first place. Whether it’s four games or 10, we still have to play and perform. If I could, I’d make the season go all year long, but it is what it is. I’m excited about the tri-county playoff series. There’s going to be some good competition,” Merdinger said.

Added Glenn: “I was a little disappointed [with the four-game schedule] because we wanted the opportunity to go play for a state championship, as that is the norm around here. This will be the first, and maybe the only, South Florida championship. We want to go out and be the inaugural champion of that one and only [title].”

“Our goal is the same as always: to be recognized. If you can win and be the champion of South Florida, that automatically establishes you as one of the best teams in the country. South Florida football is some of the best in the world, everybody knows that. We want to go out and play for the prestigious honor of being the best in South Florida.”

The tri-county playoffs are set to begin on Dec. 4 and will conclude on Dec. 18. The structure of the playoffs, including all of the participants, is currently unknown. The playoff format may include bowl games.

“I am excited about [the tri-county playoffs]. As I said, this is the best brand of football in the country here in South Florida so we’re happy to be able to put on a showcase. There were a couple of teams from Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties who decided to stay with the FHSAA that I wish stuck with us to make the tri-county championship more competitive,” Glenn said.

“However, it is still the best football around, so I am excited to represent South Florida. I do that every time I leave this [stadium], so this is another opportunity to represent Broward County to the fullest.”

With the graduation of superstar running back Jaylan Knighton and quarterback Michael Pratt, along with several other members of Deerfield’s talented 2019 squad, the Bucks will be looking for some of their veteran players to step up and take the lead.

One option is junior running back Jaziun Patterson, who ran for 393 yards on 53 carries last season, scoring 8 touchdowns. While acting as the understudy of Knighton, who is currently gaining recognition for his play at the University of Miami, Patterson gathered 30 offers from top Division-1 schools including Alabama, Florida, Louisville, Texas A&M, and North Carolina, according to his Twitter account.

“We’ve got some guys that have been waiting in the wings who have had some great off-seasons. It’s their time now. We’ve been waiting on the return of Patterson, who has been playing behind Knighton the past couple of years. He has been primed and ready for this opportunity,” Glenn said.

Glenn also brought up 6’3’’ 310lb junior Alton Tarber, who he expects to anchor the defensive line for the next few years. Tarber has garnered 17 college offers, according to 247sports.com. Senior Isaiah Bunn will act as the main roadblock on the offensive line, helping to protect whoever gets the starting nod at quarterback, which is a battle between the freshman Merdinger, junior Naseem Singleton, and senior Marquis Pierre, who is the most likely candidate to earn the job.

Glenn expects large contributions from senior cornerback and Navy-commit Tyler Gaskin as well as Auburn-commit Phillip O’Brien at defensive back. On the offensive side of the ball, senior wide receivers Jamarion McDougle, brother of Maryland wide receiver Deajuan McDougle, as well as Florida Atlantic-commit Fred Eaford will look to be the prominent playmakers.

Eaford, a senior transfer from Hialeah High, is the younger brother of former Bucks lineman Ge’mon Eaford, who now plays at Fort Scott Community College in Kansas after beginning his college career at Oregon. Ge’mon was also an Under Armor All-American in 2018. With all of these brotherhood ties, one can see how much of a family affair it is to be a part of the Deerfield Beach program.

Merdinger is extremely excited about the Bucks’ potent squad. “Our team is super talented this year. We have multiple Division-1 guys in all three phases of our team. Going up against my own defense in practice has helped improve my game as a quarterback.”

“We’ve got a lot of guys that played last year, now it’s their time to be the men who lead this team. The great thing about our program, even our junior varsity program that played well last year, is we are just covered in stock. The world may not know some of these names yet, but that’s how it was with Jaylan [Knighton] and some of those other guys who were here. They didn’t know them [when they first got here], and now that they’re gone, everybody knows them, so I expect the same from this group,” Glenn said.

This season is shaping up to be one for the history books. Coach Glenn and his Beach Boys will look to pen a positive first chapter to the 2020 campaign this Friday night against the Stranahan Mighty Dragons and stake their claim as a force to be reckoned with in Broward County. The ePathfinder will have you covered throughout this season, chronicling the latest efforts of the men in scarlet and gold.

Written by Ethan Eibe | Graphic Designed by Tyra Baisden

Staff Writer Richardson Cesar contributed to this report

Published October 30, 2020 | ePathfinder | Sports