No cupcake games here: Buchholz, Bradford meet in heavyweight spring football matchup

STARKE – It might only be May, but the Buchholz and Bradford football programs wasted no time playing early December-caliber football when the Bobcats and Tornadoes met at David Hurse Stadium Thursday night for a spring game matchup.

“We may be the only Final Four versus Final Four (spring) matchup in the state,” said first-year Buchholz head coach Chuck Bell. “We’re always gonna schedule tough here at Buchholz.”

Both teams advanced to the state semifinals last fall, where the Bobcats fell to Venice in the Class 4S Final Four and the Tornadoes’ season ended with a loss to Cocoa in the Class 2S playoffs.

“We had two teams who had two deep playoff runs last year,” second-year Bradford head coach Jamie Rodgers said. “In the grand scheme of things, this time of year, the spring is about getting better so why not get two teams together? Let’s just play and have fun.”

Thursday night’s spring game was split into two halves – the first would be for varsity players, while the majority of the second half would see backup players get action.

Buchholz took a 17-6 lead into the half, while the scoreboard ended up showing 27-20 in Bradford’s favor when all was said and done.

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Here are the takeaways.

Buchholz’s Trace Johnson embraces the challenge of filling big shoes

Knowing they’d be without quarterback Creed Whittemore in 2023, the Bobcats teased looks of Trace Johnson last fall.

Now, the rising sophomore is ready to take the keys of the offense. However, the task doesn’t come without pressure.

Coming on the heels of Whittemore’s storied quarterbacking career at Buchholz, which featured becoming Alachua County’s first ever Mr. Football Award winner, Johnson knows the expectations are high.

But the pressure doesn’t end there for Johnson, who is the son of former Florida and NFL quarterback Doug Johnson.

Fortunately for him, alongside that pressure is the fact that Johnson was raised by a former NFL signal caller, which the young gun shows often, Bell says.

“Trace is one of the most mature freshman athletes I’ve ever been around,” Bell said. “You can tell he’s been groomed and he spends a lot of time with his father. He knows how to be a professional.”

In Thursday’s spring game, Johnson played the better part of the first three quarters before both teams substituted in their reserves. During his time on the field, Johnson showed flashes of promise, such as a 10-yard touchdown pass to Justin Williams and a 40-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Richardson.

But there were also reminders of his inexperience, like tossing an interception that was grabbed by Bradford’s Brandon Williams in the second quarter.

Fortunately for Johnson, the Bobcats don’t expect him to be Creed Whittemore or Doug Johnson. They expect him to be Trace Johnson, whatever that may look like in the fall.

“The sky is the limit for Trace Johnson,” Bell said. “It’s Trace’s team and Trace’s offense moving forward.”

Bobcats’ defensive line won’t be as big, but will be just as efficient

Last season, Buchholz’s defensive line was a scary, scary unit considering it boasted current Gators defensive lineman Gavin Hill, who paired nicely with rising senior Kendall Jackson. Together, Hill and Jackson combined for 35 tackles and 12 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Given what little was at stake during Thursday’s matchup, Jackson didn’t dress against the Tornadoes.

“No Kendall Jackson tonight,” Bell said. “He was really active for us this spring, but we made the decision that this game doesn’t count on the record and we know what Kendall is going to be in the fall. We know when we inject Kendall into the defensive line, the boost we get there.”

Fortunately for Buchholz, the Bobcats learned they’re still pretty potent on the defensive front – with or without their 3-star standout on the end.

“This is a team that pounds the ball,” Bell said of Bradford’s offense. “Against our starters, there wasn’t a whole lot of room in the run game there. And that’s a testament to our linebackers playing violent and our defensive line doing their jobs.”

In addition to Jackson, rising senior Thomas Weinhardt is a name to remember moving forward.

Last season, Weinhardt led the Buchholz defense in tackles with 32 and nine behind the line of scrimmage. And if his spring showcase was any indication, Weinhardt is bound to pick up right where he left off.

“Probably one of the most productive players in the area and truthfully, if you look at the numbers, one of the most productive players in the state playing one of the toughest schedules in the state,” Bell said of Weinhardt. “You get frustrated at times that Thomas gets overlooked by some people.”

Once Jackson returns to the mix in the fall, Bell expects Weinhardt to move to an inside linebacker rather than a defensive end/outside linebacker hybrid.

Bradford returns a ton of weapons on both sides

Bradford is a team that went 12-2 last season and was widely known for its incredible defense, which posted nine shutouts.

The Tornadoes had their hands full against an efficient Buchholz offense, but still managed to hold the Bobcats to a pair of deep field goals – something that few teams did last fall.

The Tornadoes’ defense returns a handful of key pieces, including three of their four leaders in tackles.

Rising seniors Chason Clark, Chalil Cummings and Torin Brazell combined for 240 tackles and 40 stops behind the line of scrimmage in 2022. Bradford fans should find comfort knowing the Tornadoes’ defense returns all three defensive guys, who all had excellent showings Thursday night.

“Those kids are huge assets to us,” Rodgers said. “In the locker room, in the weight room, in the school making our school a better place. And that’s what I’m really proud of them for. And they just happen to be really good football players, too.”

Clark and Cummings also play parts on offense, catching passes from returning quarterback and rising junior Jeremiah McKenzie.

McKenzie found Clark for a 13-yard touchdown in the second quarter to help the Tornadoes open the scoring. The Bradford signal caller later found rising senior Dae’Jon Shanks for another touchdown early in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, Bradford’s rising senior running back Willie Pollard was overshadowed Thursday night as the Tornadoes’ offensive line had trouble opening lanes against the Bobcats. Nonetheless, big things are expected of Pollard in the fall.

“Willie was the back-up running back last year and ended up with 1,200 or 1,300 yards,” Rodgers said. “An All-Area, All-Region back. He’s a great kid with a great heart.”

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Spring football: Buchholz takes on Bradford in spring showcase