DAYTONA BEACH — Thunderstorms kept head coach Scott Wilson and the Mainland Buccaneers off the practice field for Monday’s first official day of spring football.
So when the longtime coach and his team finally hit the field under clear conditions Tuesday afternoon, there was a noticeable sense of urgency, anxiety and, above all, excitement.
“This is one of the best days that I’ve had in about four months,” said Wilson. “I’m so excited. I love what these guys did during the offseason. The weight room has been powerful, united and strong. These guys are hungry, and they couldn’t wait to get out here.”
The Bucs come into this spring, like most teams, with plenty of questions.
Coming off yet another district title, and a playoff triumph over Miami-Norland, Mainland graduated a slew of talent in the offseason, including quarterbacks Richard Kamara and Jake Novello, and receivers Brian Jenkins, D’Marcus Adams and Tank Dell.
Kamara took over for Novello midway through last season and led the Bucs to a strong second half, while Adams, now at Florida State, led the offense with 592 receiving yards at a 22.8 yards per catch average.
Jenkins, meanwhile, was the leading receiver with 35 catches, while Dell scored seven touchdowns.
“Everything is open right now,” Wilson said. “There’s some great battles and competition.”
The battle under center appears to be between rising junior Taron Keith and Stone Turner.
Keith, an All-Area guard on the basketball court, saw time at running back last season, while Turner spent time at both the JV level and as a varsity backup. Two years ago, Turner, now a rising senior, broke his leg during New Smyrna Beach's spring game when he was a member of the Barracudas.
“It was a long recovery, but I’m back now,” he said. “I came here to compete.”
Whoever wins the job will have a pair of returning playmakers to lean on in running back D’Andre McMillian and receiver Shawn Daffin.
Daffin finished with 136 yards on just nine catches last season, while McMillian rushed for 785 yards and eight scores out of the backfield.
Up front, the Bucs should once again be one of the best teams in the area, especially with the return of senior tackle Travis Robinson.
“We have an offensive line, from tackle to tackle, that’s 300-plus,” Wilson said.
Defensively, the Bucs return senior lineman Kevon McCrary, who had five sacks last season, along with defensive back Andrew Plummer, who also will double as a receiver in 2018.
“We’re ready to get after it,” McCrary said. “If we believe in ourselves this season, we can beat anybody.”
Mainland will cap the spring against St. Augustine on May 18.
"The thing that we want to do right now is set the tone for what this team is going to be for the next year," Wilson added. "To me, that's more important than anything."