3 challenges facing Glades Day football after last year's breakthrough success

Zach Threlkeld prefers to focus on what's ahead. So even though the Glades Day School football program is coming off a breakout season, the fourth-year coach doesn't plan to dwell on that success.

"Last year was huge in terms of the direction we wanted the program to go," Threlkeld said. "But at the same time, I don't talk about last year a whole lot with this year's team because it doesn't matter.

"Every year is a different team; every year you have to prove your stripes."

After two sub-.500 seasons, the Gators went 8-1 in the 2021 regular season and won a Class 2A playoff game for the first time in three years. Even after a playoff loss to state power Hialeah-Champagnat Catholic, the season was a cause for celebration.

But Glades Day faces an uphill battle in trying to sustain that success. Threlkeld lost his co-MVPs from last season -- one who graduated, one who transferred -- and the state's revamped playoff format left him with two difficult choices in trying to determine the best path forward for his program.

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Here are three challenges facing the Gators:

1 . New quarterback

Dylan Wilkins was "one of the best quarterbacks in Palm Beach County" last season, Threlkeld said. Wilkins, a two-year starter, passed for 16 touchdowns and ran for 11 in leading an offense that averaged 36 points a game.

Now that Wilkins has graduated, the job falls to an untested freshman, Jyron Hughley.

"He played on last year's (varsity) team as an eighth-grader," Threlkeld said. "He was a very effective player at free safety and receiver. He's a very talented kid, a good leader,  has a lot of upside. He's going to do a lot of good things for us this year."

Hughley took a few snaps at quarterback last season but really began to assert himself during spring practice. He beat out junior Marquis Clarke for the starting job, but Clarke is expected to be a big contributor at wide receiver and cornerback after missing all of last season with a knee injury.

Threlkeld said he builds his offenses "around what the quarterback can do," so expect the Gators to employ a more run-oriented attack to take advantage of Hughley's speed.

2 . Lack of depth

With only 27 players on the roster, Threlkeld will have many of them playing both ways.

"Depth is always a factor here, just being such a small school," he said. "That's something we're used to dealing with. You do the best with that you have."

The Gators took a big hit this summer when two-way star Jenorris Wilcher, who shared MVP honors with Wilkins, transferred to Pahokee. As a sophomore last season, Wilcher accounted for more than 900 yards rushing and receiving, scored 11 touchdowns and made 86 tackles on defense.

"It is a big loss," Threlkeld conceded. "At the same time, that's the way it goes and you have to develop kids to try to fill that void."

Among those counted on to pick up the slack are junior wide receiver/cornerback Marvin Curry and senior linebacker/tight end Ryan Hale, a three-year starter.

3 . New classification

The Florida High School Athletic Association's massive overhaul of the state playoff system put the Gators in a difficult position.

The state divided schools into metro and suburban divisions, and shrank the number of classes from eight to four. Glades Day landed in the metro division because it's in Palm Beach County. Even if the Gators had been placed in the smallest class, however, they would have been grouped with schools such as Cardinal Newman and Benjamin.

"We'd be playing a lot of schools that it would have been tough to compete with, just because their enrollment is two or three times the size of ours," Threlkeld said. "I was trying to get us the best situation to be competitive."

Threlkeld chose his other option -- the FHSAA's rural division (formerly Class 1A), made up mostly of small North Florida schools. The Gators will be joining Lake Okeechobee neighbor Pahokee in Region 4, which stretches all the way to the Gainesville area.

The top six teams in the 10-team region, based on power rankings, qualify for the playoffs. The Gators won't be playing any regional rivals during the regular season, but their daunting schedule includes King's Academy, Fort Pierce-John Carroll and Miami-Dade Christian.

"We do have a tougher schedule," Threlkeld said. "That was by design. We can find out what our team makeup is and go from there. ... I'm excited about this year." 

Glades Day 2022 schedule

Aug. 19: at Immokalee (kickoff classic)

Aug. 26: Somerset-Canyons

Sept. 2: Fort Pierce-John Carroll

Sept. 8: at Jupiter Christian

Sept. 16: King's Academy

Sept. 23: at Fort Pierce-Westwood

Sept. 30: BYE

Oct. 6: Moore Haven

Oct. 14: Miami-Dade Christian

Oct. 21: at Fort Lauderdale-Archbishop McCarthy

Oct. 27: at Palm Beach Christian Prep

Nov. 4: Frostproof

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Glades Day football: 3 challenges facing the Gators in 2022