JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The arrow is pointing up.
It is something that all head football coaches want to say at this time of year. After completing their annual family fun day scrimmage on Saturday morning, JU head football coach Ian Shields is happy to say he is a member of that club.
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"We think we have had a tremendous training camp." said Shields in his second year as Jacksonville University's head football coach. "Certainly we are in a far better place than we were a year ago. We have some veterans that know their ways around the system and we got through it relatively injury free. So, I am excited to get on that bus to Mercer in a couple of days to open the season."
After finishing 2016 with a 5-5 record, the expectations are high for a better finish in 2017. That is something that Shields is not afraid of.
"We have exceptionally high expectations. We expect to compete for the Pioneer Football League championship. I think we have tremendous leadership, we just voted on team captains last night, we voted on our leadership council last night as well. The arrow is pointing up not only on the field, but off it as well."
One of those leaders that Shields is counting on is redshirt senior quarterback Rylan Wells. Wells led the offense to average 32 points and over 420 yards per game last season. This season, with a head start of knowing the plays before training camp instead of learning them as you go is going to be a key to the Dolphins success according to Wells.
"Last year was our first year in the offense so in training camp we were learning the plays. This year we are actually fine tuning everything so we should be a lot better this year."
Junior running back Jamal Adjamah agrees
"We put so much work in last year learning everything," said Adjamah. "Studying, film room, flashcards with the homies, now we just go out there and be athletes because we know it all."
In addition to a head start so to speak on the plays, Shields says that being in their second year together breeds more camaraderie and chemistry on both the offense and the defense. It is something that he says is good to see and something that they have to have if they want to improve on their 4-3 league record last year.
"I think our team attitude, our chemistry is far beyond where we were a year ago," said Shields. "I think the guys are embracing the system, knowing the ins and outs and kind of being 'all in' as coaches would say. I think we have everyone all in and everyone one the bus this year going up into our first game."
The Dolphins open up the 2017 season on the road at Mercer on Thursday, August 31st.