The Chester High football team will be young this fall, but they are experienced
The Chester Cyclones are coming off an outstanding season, and have many starters returning to go with a good group of newcomers.
So veteran head coach Victor Floyd is optimistic about the fall.
“We are a young team again this year,” Floyd said. “We had seven sophomores and three freshmen who contributed a lot last year. If we work hard again this fall, we have a very good chance to be a better team than we were a year ago.”
The region has changed since last season, and the competition will be strong.
“We have been in that region in the past, and the competition is very tough,” Floyd said. “Every team in the region will be a challenge, and all of them are better than they were last year.”
The Cyclones offense starts with sophomore quarterback Trooper Floyd. He started four games last fall and gained valuable experience, while completing 54 percent of his passes.
“He is a passer first,” Floyd said. “He can run when needed. That gives us good balance....”
Shydem McCullough and Antonio Hopkins return to lead the running backs.
McCullough ran for 960 yards, scored nine touchdowns and added 420 receiving yards for six scores last fall. Hopkins had 301 yards on the ground with five touchdowns.
“We have very good speed at running back,” Floyd said. “They can run tough on the inside and get outside too.”
A pair of returning receivers lead that group. Senior Andre Evans, who had 262 receiving yards and four touchdowns, and junior Reggie Heath, who had 242 receiving yards and three scores, are the veterans.
“They have exceptional speed,” Floyd said. “They know how to run good routes and get open.”
It all starts up front for the Cyclones, and three starters return on the offensive line. Senior Jordan Land and juniors Travanti Weldon and CJ McCrae will anchor the line.
“Those three will provide excellent leadership for the young players that will be plugged into the open positions,” Floyd said.
The Cyclones have hung their hats on defense for years, and this fall will be no different.
Trajon Peay is back to lead the charge on the defensive line. The sophomore nose guard played in all 13 games last year and finished with 22 tackles.
Three linebackers provide Chester with great experience. Hopkins is the leader of the linebacking corps. He was tops on the team in tackles last fall with 152. There’s also senior Jaylon Moss, who finished 2021 with 32 stops, and junior DJ Stevenson, who recorded 29 tackles.
The defensive backfield is spearheaded by Heath, who has started the past two years, and junior Zeke Evans.
“We have good speed there also,” Floyd said. “They make good decisions, and they will be good leaders for the new players we put in the secondary.”
Austin Allen and Rayden Whaley are battling for the place kicking duties, and Trooper Floyd is penciled in to do the punting.
Depth is one weakness for Chester, but the coach is working to remedy that.
“Replacing a player here and there will not be a problem,” he said. “We are already working to find quality depth at some positions.”
The Cyclones have 34 players on the roster, and they plan to play four both ways.
“We will not play our lineman both ways, but we still need to be in excellent shape,” Floyd said. “We are quicker overall than we were last year, and we worked in the weight room in the off season, and that has made us stronger.”
The Chester tradition also comes into play when you talk about prospects.
“The players know we have high expectations,” Floyd said. “The new players have come up through our system, and they have bought into what we have been doing.”
Leadership is one of the keys to improve on last year’s 3-1 region mark and 9-4 overall ledger, which got them three playoff wins before being eliminated..
“We have only seven seniors on this year’s team,” the coach said. “They have learned how to lead, and they lead by example.”
The other keys are very simple.
“With our small numbers, we have got to stay healthy,” Floyd said. “We need to work hard and get better every day, and we need to stay focused on our goals.”
