VERNON YELLOWJACKETS
Head Coach: Willie Spears
District: 1A-2
2015 Record: 9-3
Offensive Formation: Triple Option
Defensive Formation: 4-3
RETURNING ATHLETES
Name, Height, Weight, Year, Info & 2015 Stats in parenthesis
• DE/TE Tylon Tolbert, 6-4, 200, Sr. (65 tackles, 11 QB hurries, 9 sacks, 8 PD, 1 FR, 2 FF; 364 rec. yards, 1 TD)
• QB Kody Hagan, 5-11, 145, So. (744 yards passing, 6 TD; 91 carries, 534 rushing yds., 1 TD)
• DB Jamar Massaline, 6-1, 190, Jr. (73 tackles, 1 INT)
• DB Ethan Register, 6-2, 180, Sr. (57 tackles, 1 INT, 1 sack, 1 FF)
• WR Tyler Oge, Sr.
• OL/DL Marquez Brown, 6-0, 175, Sr.(5 tackles, 1 sack on defense)
• DB Isaiah Cooke, Sr.
• DE Jacob Fisher, 6-2, 200, Jr.
• OL Joseph Jenkins, 6-1, 270, So.
NEWCOMERS ON THE FIELD
Name, Height, Weight, Year, Additional Info in parenthesis
• DL William Dempsey, 6-1, 225, Fr.
• RB/LB Johnshae Works, Sr.
• WR Gavin Munson, Sr.
• OL Jamie Spence, Sr.
2016 SCHEDULE
* – denotes district game
All games times are Central unless noted
• Aug. 26 at FAMU, 7:30 ET
• Sept. 2 vs. West Gadsden, 7
• Sept. 9 BYE WEEK
• Sept. 16 at Cottondale, 7*
• Sept. 23 at Chipley, 7
• Sept. 30 vs. Wewahitchka, 7*
• Oct. 7 BYE WEEK
• Oct. 14 at Graceville, 7*
• Oct. 21 at Holmes County, 7*
• Oct. 28 vs. Sneads, 7*
• Nov. 4 Blountstown, 7
STORYLINES TO FOLLOW
Small school, small roster, but with potential: It should be no surprise that the Vernon Yellowjackets have a small roster, atypical of your small Class 1A schools. With enrollment from 2015 just sitting around 400, the Yellowjackets have to rely on players to certainly go both ways. However, Coach Spears listed nearly a dozen players that could have the potential to play college football at various levels with two players either looking at or already being potential. Those two include senior Tylon Tolbert who was one of the biggest contributors to the team defensively last year and freshman William Dempsey who is joining the Yellowjackets this season. With both Tolbert and Dempsey set to anchor the defensive line, it could be the way Vernon will win some of their games this year with a lock down defense.
Offensive rebuild or reload?: Depending on who you ask is to what answer you might get. Losing quite a bit of talent including OL/DL Marlon Stephens, RB/DB Howard Freeman, OL/DL Q’Darius George and OL/DL Darrion Peterson to name a few could have the offensive line at least in rebuilding mode. However, the good thing for the Yellowjackets is having QB Kody Hagan back who will be the starter. Hagan accounted for over 1,000 yards of Vernon’s offense, which ultimately was enough for Vernon to get through the district. Given that Class 1A football is unpredictable, those numbers might not be good enough to repeat this year, but anything can happen on any given Friday night.
KEY NON-DISTRICT GAME TO WATCH
• Sept. 23 at Chipley – This is a huge rivalry game that Vernon won for the first time in five seasons, last year. There will be a ton of emotion for both teams going into to this game because both want to win it bad enough. With both towns showing up for this rivalry each year, it is worth the price of admission to pay and go to.
KEY DISTRICT GAME TO WATCH
• Oct. 14 at Graceville – Over the last few years, this district game has been one that has always been eye to keep on given the nature of the teams and the abilities to win when they need to make the playoffs. For Vernon to certainly reach the playoffs this game is a must win and could also be setting the stage to eventually claim the district championship two weeks later when the district slate comes to an end.
THE OUTLOOK
For the past two seasons Vernon has been able to capture their district championship and reach the playoffs, but can they do it for the fourt-peat this season? That is a big question that will have to be answered given the nature of District 1A-2 and the teams inside the district, that has traditionally played musical chairs for decades of who might emerge for the district each year.
Looking at what Vernon did during the spring, the Yellowjackets dropped two halves against Holmes County and Bozeman – both by a score of 7-6, according to the Panama City News Herald. The rushing attack was rendered ineffective during the half against Holmes County, but the offense was able to put some yardage together through the air in both halves.
Given the loss of some of the talented athletes with it showing in the spring jamboree, this will certainly be a season that could be seen as rebuilding for the Yellowjackets, but still could be good enough to be in the mix for a district championship or at least a playoff spot come the end of the season depending on how teams like Graceville, Cottondale, Sneads and Wewahitchka do as well.
Time will only tell exactly how everything comes together and how well the teams figures out a way to win with new faces taking over some of the starting roles.
