![Colin McRaven ('24) prepares to pitch the ball to an Anclote batter during the Varsity pre-season game."I like striking people out, since it's fun. The game against Anclote was pretty easy because they were less talented than our team and [I think] we were better than them in every aspect," Colin McRaven ('24) said.](https://jwmhshoofbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_1538-1200x928.jpg)
Let’s go, defense!
The seniors on the Varsity Football defense describe their last year on the team.
![Carter Fields (‘23) gets ready to get in position to defend against The Villages Charter on Oct. 7, at their homecoming game. The team ended up winning with a score of 30-20. “[The defenses greatest strength is] reading what the offense is gonna do before they do it, and coverage,” Fields said.](https://jwmhshoofbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/IMG_1218-900x583.jpeg)
Carter Fields (‘23) gets ready to get in position to defend against The Villages Charter on Oct. 7, at their homecoming game. The team ended up winning with a score of 30-20. “[The defenses greatest strength is] reading what the offense is gonna do before they do it, and coverage,” Fields said.
October 31, 2022
Carter Fields (‘23) is a cornerback on the Varsity Football team. He joined the varsity team in the spring of his sophomore year. Fields’ best game happened against Wiregrass High School when he had three tackles and three pass breakups. When asked he talked about the progression of the defense.
“It’s been up and down towards the beginning of this season, but right now we’re all starting to come together,” Fields said.
JJ Jackson (‘23) is a cornerback, and he talks about some of the strengths that the defense has when on the field.
“It’s our ability to communicate with each other on and off the field, and we just got love for each other,” Jackson said.
Javan Baggott (‘23) transferred to Mitchell from River Ridge and joined the Varsity team in his sophomore year. He is an outside linebacker, and as of Oct. 7, has 46 total tackles. He became a captain on the defense this year.
“Being a captain you have a voice and you can get people in the right mindset and know someone listens to you,” Baggott said.
During the game, the defense has to be able to work together. The team is constantly working on improving and bettering themselves.
“[To be a team member, you have to be] someone that other people can rely on; like they won’t have to worry about what I’m doing, they can focus on what they’re doing,” Fields said.
One of the things that stands out about the defense to Coach Justin Fenton (FAC) is how well the team can adjust to their opponents and the new schedule.
“This season is going well, we’ve had to deal with a different district and different teams and our schedule is a lot harder than what has been the last couple of years. We’ve had different challenges through the season like the Wiregrass game. We had a totally different offense than, say, the Land O’ Lakes game,” Coach Fenton said.
As of Oct. 7, the Varsity Football team’s record is 4-3. Some of the defense’s statistics from this season are that they have had 11 fumble recoveries, caused 24 sacks, 431 total tackles, and six interceptions. The team’s next game is a home game on Oct. 21, against Spingstead.
