FOOTBALL

Everything you need to know about No. 9 Timber Creek football in 2018

The Courier-Post

Here’s what you need to know about the 2018 Timber Creek High School football program:

5 names to know

Jayvin Little, Sr., WR/CB – Top returning playmaker from last season; Wagner recruit led the team with 36 catches, 768 yards and 7 receiving touchdowns as a junior.

Tarheeb Still, Jr., WR/CB – Junior speedster made 24 grabs for 478 yards in his first varsity season; has nine D-I offers including from Rutgers, North Carolina, Temple and Boston College.

Jihad Stephenson, Sr., WR/S – Physical presence in the defensive backfield; had 34 tackles, an interception and three fumble recoveries before breaking his collarbone against Williamstown last season.

Clarence Henderson, Sr., RB/LB – Finished last year with a team-best 90 tackles; should see significant snaps in the offensive backfield as well.

Daeshaun Polk, Sr., OL/DL – The “anchor” on both lines, according to head coach Rob Hinson; had 23 tackles in 2017.

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Quarterback battle

Timber Creek will have a new quarterback under center this season as Devin Leary, the state’s career leader in passing yards (9,672) and touchdowns (105) has moved on to North Carolina State.

The Chargers have a two-man battle waging for the starting spot with senior Justin Jefferson and Leary’s younger brother Donovan duking it out.

Jefferson has more experience in the system and has great mobility while Leary, just a freshman, already has great size (6-1, 175) and a killer arm.

“We’re confident with either one playing,” Hinson said.

“They feel like they’re going to prove everybody wrong,” Still added. “(Outsiders) are saying Devin was the quarterback and nobody will be as good as him, but they’re using that as motivation to keep going and get better.”

Keep an eye on…

Senior tailbacks Ray French and Trevon Alderman.

The Chargers graduated 95 percent of their rushing production from last season, meaning someone’s going to need to pick up the slack in 2018. Enter French and Alderman.

French (5-10, 185) is the senior class president and is one of the smartest kids in the school, according to Hinson. He’s also got a great first step, which should allow him to exploit some open holes this season.

Alderman brings even more speed though. The transfer from Delaware finished in the top 10 of 500 kids in a fastest man competition in Charlotte during a 7-on-7 event this summer. He’ll be an x-factor wherever he lines up.

Strength

Offense has been Timber Creek’s calling card for several seasons, but the defense is the team’s best unit this year.

Linebackers Henderson and Vance Carr provide stability in the middle of the field, the secondary has several playmakers and the defensive front is very capable with Polk, Stefaun Corley and CJ Miller all coming back.

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More:Q&A with Timber Creek's Clarence Henderson

Weakness

Inexperience at the skill positions. Of everyone on the Chargers, only Little and Still have more than 100 yards from scrimmage on their résumés. Timber Creek has talent, but the question will be how it looks when the lights come on.

Road trip

Timber Creek opens the 2018 season in Ohio as the Chargers will take on Central Catholic on Sept. 1 at 2 p.m., but there’s more to the trip than the game.

The team plans on checking out Eastern Michigan’s season-opening home game against Monmouth and Toledo’s first contest against the Virginia Military Institute.

“It’ll be a great experience,” Hinson said.

Timber Creek is also traveling to New Rochelle, New York, on Oct. 13.

New division

The Chargers have won its last 10 division games, resulting in back-to-back West Jersey Football League National championships, but now they’re in the Continental with three Group 5 schools and powerhouse St. Joseph.

“I love it,” Hinson said. “We’ll play anybody. There was a lot of talk we were ducking teams, and I’m like dude, we’re going to Ohio to play one of the top teams playing in the state of Ohio, we’re going to New Rochelle, New York, to play a team that’s won 90 games in 10 years. We love our schedule.”

2018 Schedule

Sept. 1, at Central Catholic (Ohio), 2 p.m.

Sept. 7, Hammonton, 7 p.m.

Sept. 21, at Vineland, 7 p.m.

Sept. 28, Highland, 7 p.m.

Oct. 5, at Millville, 6 p.m.

Oct. 13, at New Rochelle (N.Y.), 2 p.m.

Oct. 19, St. Joseph, 7 p.m.

Oct. 26, Atlantic City, 7 p.m.

Nov. 22, at Winslow Twp., 10 a.m.

Well Said

“The staff, we felt like we let one get away (last season) more than the kids. We’re up (23-7 in the third quarter against Delsea in the Group 3 South semifinals) and we could’ve made some changes and done some things that would’ve allowed us to win that game. … We didn’t do enough. You can’t lose leads like that. As a staff we probably took it a little more personal than they did.”

Hinson on how last year’s loss to Delsea, which snapped the team’s 25-game winning streak, got the Charger staff to “recommit” this offseason.

Josh Friedman; @JFriedman57; (856) 486-2431; jfriedman2@gannettnj.com