Marianna High Bulldogs Hold Intrasquad Scrimmage, Eye Strong Season Ahead
By: Shelia Mader
The Marianna High School Bulldogs got their first live action of the 2025 season last Friday night with an intrasquad scrimmage that offered both promising glimpses of talent and early-season challenges.
Head Coach Jack Glover is entering the year with a determined outlook despite a string of early injuries, particularly among his freshmen and junior varsity players.
“One had surgery from Friday night, and he’ll be back in six weeks, so probably about halfway through the JV season, which is exciting for him,” Glover said. “Khol Allgood should have an answer this week about his return date, and Brody Dykes should be back in two weeks. Caleb James hurt his knee Friday night too. So, all four of those are freshmen, four on the JV team.”
The most concerning moment came when freshman Gabe Atkins was taken off the field and life-flighted to Tallahassee. Glover explained that one factor in the decision was limited local resources with ambulances and three home football games that night.
“We don’t have enough ambulances, and getting caught in Tallahassee traffic on Friday nights can be challenging,” he said. “I haven’t had this many injuries in my four years here.”
Despite the setbacks, Glover came away encouraged, particularly with the performance of the offensive and defensive lines.
“Our O-line and D-line are going to be really good, I believe,” he said. “Offensively, we’ve got some running backs that can really move.”
Leading that group is senior Grayson Hermann, backed by speedsters Rkayzeon “RK” White and Kentrell James.
“These guys didn’t get to play much last year because we had 22 seniors. Now they’re going to get their shot,” Glover said.
At quarterback, senior Landon Cornelius is currently running the offense, but freshman Beau Swearington has been making an impression.
“He’s coming along a lot faster than I expected,” Glover said. “From what I saw in the summer to where he is now, it’s exciting.”
On defense, the Bulldogs face the challenge of replacing 10 starters from last season. The exception is the experience on the lines, which Glover says will anchor the unit.
“We don’t have a lot of experience, but we’ve got some guys who will get after you, and they’re tough,” he said.
The linebacking corps will be led by Trucker Johnson, who Glover described as “the captain of the defense.”
“He’s doing a really good job of lining people up, calling schemes, calling blitzes, I’m really excited about him.”
The Bulldogs are coming off a perfect 10-0 regular season in 2024 before falling in the first round of the playoffs. This year, the team aims not only to repeat that regular-season success but to advance deeper into postseason play.
With experienced linemen, promising skill players ready for their moment, and a mix of seasoned leaders and fresh talent, Marianna looks poised to make another strong run, injuries or not.