Colonial Grenadiers

2015: 1-9, 5th in 8A District 3

Last Playoff Appearance: 1993

Head Coach: Clint Johnson, 1st season

Key Returners: QB Darvion Bailey (467 yards, 129 rushing yards in 4 games), S/RB Deandre Cunningham (85 tackles, 6 sacks), WR Ramon Gordon (968 receiving yards, 16 total TD), LB/RB Anthony Vazquez (32 tackles, 7 sacks), C Caden Woody (28 tackles, 7 sacks)

 

The Scoop: New head coach Clint Johnson is tasked with turning around the Grenadiers football program. Since 2007 Colonial is just 18-72 and went 1-9 last season. It’s Johnson’s first head coaching position, last season he was an assistant at Oak Ridge. The offense is primed for a breakout season with senior wide receiver Ramon Gordon who had 55 receptions for 10 TDs while adding 4 rushing touchdowns and 2 kickoff return touchdowns. Anthony Vazquez makes the move from defensive line to linebacker and immediately saw results with a 92 yard interception returned for a touchdown in their Spring game.

Quotable: “Now that there’s a new presence here it’s completely different. I have a new feeling, I really feel like it’s a new Colonial.” - Ramon Gordon  

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It’s been a rough stretch for the Colonial football team, not even the school is fully behind them.

“Sometimes from the students I’ll say oh we’ve got a game,” said senior center/linebacker Calen Woody. “They’ll say oj you guys are going to lose anyway what’s the point.”

The Grenadiers won only one game last year and are just 6-24 over the past three seasons.

“It takes a big toll on you because you go out there and you try your hardest,” said Woody. “You go out there and you practice everyday as hard as you can and you go out there and you see the same results.”

With the stamp of approval from Lou Holtz, his former head coach at Notre Dame, Colonial ushered in a new era hiring Clint Johnson as the new coach. Changes are coming, and it’s even in the form of hashtag on their shirts.

“We want to change the entire game,” said Johnson. “We want to change the whole concept. We want to change the face of the Colonial football program.”

 

An offensive guy first as a wide receiver at Notre Dame coach Johnson believes the talent is there to make an immediate turnaround.

“My goal this year is to win every game we play,” said Johnson. “That would be success, some games we may not. But I expect that we will win a lot.”

“We actually come to practice,” said senior linebacker Anthony Vazquez. “We don’t make excuses, we’re ready to work.”

Hidden gems just waiting to be found. Senior wide receiver Ramon Gordon said it best.

“Don’t sleep on Colonial.”

 

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2016 Schedule

8/25 vs Monarch @ Disney Wide World of Sports

9/2 @ Jones

9/9 @ Olympia

9/16 @Winter Park

9/30 @ University

10/7 @ Gateway

10/13 Hagerty

10/21 Timber Creek

10/27 Boone

11/4 Freedom

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