Seniors, depth and facilities: 3 reasons to like Wellington football in 2022
WELLINGTON -- When Danny Mendoza replaced Tom Abel as head football coach at Wellington early last year, there were legitimate questions about the change's effects on the program.
Abel had, after all, been coaching for the Wolverines for 14 seasons and the head coach for nine, amassing a 51-36 record with four playoff appearances, plus district championships in 2014 and 2016. Yet his coda was a frustrating, COVID-19-shortened 3-4 campaign in 2020.
Mendoza put Wellington back on a winning course last season and hopes to build upon that 7-4 record in 2022.
"We're replacing a few offensive linemen from last year," he says, "and trying to get them to learn to play together. If we can do that, with our solid schedule, we could make a nice run."
Following the first day of 2022 classes, Mendoza and his assistant coaches run the team through practically every drill imaginable, including punting, punt returning, shovel passes, and fumble recoveries. It's the summer dog days, and the heat is extreme, even as the practice shifts from late afternoon to early evening.
"I need an ice bath," a player shouts from within a huddle.
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It also happens to be the head coach's 33rd birthday. Hip-hop music blares from the football field's PA speakers, giving an air of a party, but Mendoza and his large staff -- 13 coaches overall -- are all business.
And one gets the impression that there's no place the Orlando native, who came to Wellington from Apopka, would rather be.
"It's always a beautiful day in Florida," Mendoza says with a grin.
Senior captains
Notable even among Wellington's impressive 2023 seniors -- all 29 of them -- are the Wolverines' offensive and defensive captains.
Starting quarterback Ryan Anthony is a dual-threat who racked up more than 1,000 yards passing and 800 yards rushing last season, and is also a lacrosse star. Starting safety Wolali Ahlijah leads a suffocating defense, and plays rugby for an area club team.
"I've talked to Holy Cross and Lehigh," Ahlijah says of the universities who've expressed interest in him. "Our senior class is strong this year, so we have a lot of chemistry. Things are slowly coming together."
As for Anthony, practically every pass -- short, intermediate and long -- is on the money. His running ability likens him to current NFL star QB Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, while his 5-foot-11 height makes him reminiscent of former Canadian Football League and NFL dual-threat Doug Flutie.
"With his arm, Ryan plays like he's 6-foot-3," says Mendoza.
"I've talked to Lehigh and Monmouth, and decided to concentrate on only football in college," says Anthony. "Coach Mendoza is the best. He came in here and changed the energy of the whole town."
If they end up playing together at Lehigh, he and Ahlijah could do the same for Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
A deep, winning program
As other area schools struggle to maintain a full roster, Wellington's practice has in excess of 50 players on the field, which explains, in part, why there are also so many coaches.
The squad's wealth of seniors also includes wide receiver Bryant Walker, defensive back Zachary Favors, and running back/linebacker Garrans Catul.
But assistant coach Jose Sime, who handles the defensive line and running backs and is also the school's junior varsity and freshman head football coach, points out a couple of starting sophomores to watch.
"There are two young guys who are going to be studs," he says. "Jaymin Blake can play both offensive and defensive tackle, and Romando Johnson could be a great defensive end."
Blake exudes size, technique and strength on both sides of the ball; Johnson is a tall, lean speed rusher who piled up sacks on opposing quarterbacks last season as a freshman.
Top-shelf facilities
The first thing anyone is likely to notice when attending a Wellington sporting event is that its facilities more resemble a college than a high school.
There are multiple fields in the sports complex behind the school, with fencing separating them and providing security. On the home side of the football field, there are banners with photographs of the team's 11 cheerleaders.
And then there's the field itself.
While other area teams practice on anything but their grass football fields, in order to keep them healthy and intact for seasonal contests, the Wolverines can conduct drills exactly where they'll play their home games.
The stadium's artificial turf is a meticulously-maintained bright green, with lettering of the school's nickname in each end zone. Even when opponents score a touchdown, they're reminded of whose house it is.
As he and the Wolverines will aim to do this season, Mendoza gets the last word.
"Part of the reason I took this job," he says, looking around the field, "was because of this facility."
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Wellington football: Danny Mendoza continuing to build Wolverines in 2022
