5 reasons why Zephyrhills can compete for the Class 3S state championship
ZEPHYRHILLS, FLORIDA- Last season brought plenty of hope that the Zephyrhills Bulldogs could be a team that could make a serious run in Class 3S.
Not just a playoff run, though, but a chase to what would be Pasco County’s second ever state championship ever. The county has only seen one team ever win it when Pasco defeated Jesuit 28-16 for the Class 3A crown in 1992.
Fast forward over three decades later and the Pirates rival of the ‘9-Mile War’ could ironically be the next most viable contender to win it all. What would be the reasons you say for such a proclamation? Well, we give you five reasons why we think the Zephyrhills Bulldogs could possibly win it all in Class 3S down below.
5. Experienced coaching staff
When you take a look around the coaching staff over at Zephyrhills, there’s plenty of experienced coaches to go around that have been to the final four. That’s because a few of em coached at Pasco High School when they went to the state semifinals in 2008 and 2012.
Former Pasco head coach Tom McHugh for one along with Matthew Jackson and others round out a very experienced staff. Head coach Nick Carroll is one of the best around and did a lot of learning under former Sunlake bench boss Bill Browning.
4. Secondary is one of the best around
This defensive secondary preyed on any bad passes or reads that could get their hands on and that was evident based on the number of interceptions they had in 2022. The Bulldogs notched 16 interceptions as a team and seven of those came between safeties DJ Pickett and Jakobe Campbell. Both of them are back and that’s not good for opposing offenses.
3. The improving play of quarterback Brendyn Colella
One thing the Bulldogs needed last season under to go 9-4 and making a run to the region final was good quarterback play and they got that from Brendyn Colella. Colella, who transferred over from Wiregrass Ranch in the offseason prior to the 2022 campaign, put up some impressive numbers last fall. The signal caller threw for 1,700 yards and 26 touchdowns, with this season primed to be an even bigger season for Colella. With the weapons returning at the receiver position, his play can only continue to improve.
2. Ability to run the football effectively
Being able to run the ball well helps any passing attack as it did for the Bulldogs in 2022, but it could be even more dynamic than a year ago. Last season, the team relied on the hard running of Rodney Smith (1,142 yards in 2022) in the backfield, but he will have a lightning rod to his perse thunder. Jared Harris-Cason transferred to Zephyrhills over the offseason and has shown through 7-on-7’s that he will be another weapon teams will have to watch out for not only running the ball but out of the backfield catching the rock.
1. Having DJ Pickett on both sides of the ball changes any game
Whenever you have a 5-star rated player like 2-way star DJ Pickett, you go into the game believing you’ve always got a shot. Pickett’s ability to change the course of a game on either side of the ball is what makes Zephyrhills the kind of threat that can make a viable threat to compete for a Class 3S state championship. Pickett (886 yards receiving; 4 interceptions in 2022) has put in the kind of work this offseason that would speak to a player looking to live up to the legacy of his last name in the Zephyrhills’ community.
His uncle, Ryan Pickett, goes down in Pasco County lore as one of the county’s best players of all-time, eventually going on to star in the NFL and winning a Super Bowl as a defensive tackle. It’s only fitting Pickett projects to play on defense at the next level and who knows, maybe he’s next in the lineage of going to the pros one day.
First things first, however, and that’s helping lead the Bulldogs to a state championship and it will start on Aug. 25 against the 2022 3S state champs, Lake Wales.
Andy Villamarzo can be reached at andyvillamarzo@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @Andy_Villamarzo.
