JCSU coach Flowers: Spring football a measure of progress

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Jacob Newman, Johnson C. Smith’s top rusher in 2023, is expected to share playing time with his brother, Tim Jr. and Quavaris Crouch, a Michigan State transfer making the transition to tailback.

The calendar reads April, but Maurice Flowers is thinking November.

Johnson C. Smith’s football coach won’t let his players forget there are expectations that go beyond last year’s 7-4 record and a postseason bowl invitation. The goal is to move forward – as in winning a conference title and earning the school’s first playoff berth.

“We’re looking to take that next step in the building of our program,” he said. “We want to compete for the CIAA championship. We want to win the CIAA championship. We want to qualify for the [Division II] playoffs and compete for a national championship. Those are the goals and this year we just want to take the steps toward those goals.”

One step in taking JCSU’s measure was last week’s joint practice at Wingate, a South Atlantic Conference power and perennial top 25 team. The results, Flower said, were encouraging.

“We want to know that we’re taking strides and going the right way,” Flowers said. … “To spend some time with a Wingate and their new head coach, [Rashaan] Jordan, an outstanding defensive coordinator before being promoted, to be able to get that work, first of all, it’s just going to do wonders for your program. … To get out healthy is great but then to have a measuring stick, you can’t beat it.”

The Golden Bulls have one final practice session – the April 12 Gold-Blue game at McGirt Field – which starts at 6 p.m.

The main mystery going into spring drills – who’ll emerge as the starting quarterback – hasn’t been solved. Midyear transfers Kennique Bonner-Steward and Darius Ocean are in contention while 2023 starters Robert Adams and Jamere Cherry recover from offseason surgeries.

Another holdover, sophomore Cam Kromah, has made strides and is expected to compete for the job.

“This battle will go into the summer and probably early training camp before we name the starter,” Flowers said.

Although there is no clear-cut starter, Flowers isn’t concerned no one has been able to separate from the field. Since injuries forced the Golden Bulls to start three quarterbacks in each of the last two seasons, developing depth is more important.

“It would concern me if there was a logjam of subpar play,” he said. “I’m very pleased with where they are because all of them have shown that they can run this offense to a certain extent. … That’s the biggest thing we’re looking for is consistency at the quarterback position because we do know if we complete passes on a consistent basis, we’re going to be a very tough team to deal with.”

The offensive lineup is evolving with more certainty. Left guard Tyler McBeth’s return for an extra season gives JCSU four senior starters with left tackle Kyle Estep, center Josh Beatty and right tackle Ethan Saunders.

The skill positions are deep, especially running back, where Flowers plans to rotate former five-star recruit Quavaris Crouch, a former linebacker at Tennessee and Michigan State, with brothers Jacob and Tim Newman Jr.

Crouch “is still fighting those Newmans,” Flowers said. “Those Newmans aren’t giving that job up without a battle.”

Defensively, eight starters return to a unit that was best in the nation last year in several team categories. but weakside linebacker Benari Black, who led the CIAA in tackles last year, anchors the unit while middle linebacker Jack Smith recovers from offseason ankle surgery.

“That defense looked great [against Wingate] and we were without a number of guys,” Flowers said. “What they were doing it was not a surprise and they played well when we weren’t fully loaded. … Our defense is picking up where they left off last year, that’s for sure.”

With one final round of practice to go, Flowers likes the Golden Bulls’ direction. Although some positions are up for grabs, there’s enough depth and experience to compete in August when training camp opens.

“I think we could see right now that if we had to play a game now, we could with offense, defense and special teams and not have any glaring holes,” he said. “We just want to continue our process of building and establishing our culture, just getting better every day and coming with a positive attitude and letting that positive attitude be contagious.”

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