- April 25, 2024
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Sharks linebacker Tyler Berrong flexes his muscles after a sack. Photo by Ray Boone
Sharks coach D.J. Mayo on the sidelines during Atlantic's spring game against Tavares. Photo by Ray Boone
Sharks quarterback Aaron Manning dives for extra yardage against Tavares. Photo by Ray Boone
The Sharks celebrate with teammate Omarjhi Gentle (No. 58) after Gentle recovered a fumble. Photo by Ray Boone
The Sharks break through Tavares' offensive line for a sack. Photo by Ray Boone
Sharks linebacker Tyler Berrong charges at Tavares' quarterback. Photo by Ray Boone
When Sharks receiver Maximus Campbell first stepped onto the field for the Sharks’ spring game at Tavares High School, he felt uneasy. Campbell, a rising junior transfer from crosstown school Spruce Creek, hardly played for the Hawks last season after suffering two concussions in less than a month.
But by the end of the first quarter, Campbell had two catches for 74 yards, including a 54-yard catch-and-run for the Sharks’ first touchdown of the game.
“I was nervous at first because I thought I wasn’t going to be ready,” he said. “But once I had that first catch, I got in the zone.”
Campbell finished the game with 147 yards on nine catches and two touchdowns as the Sharks defeated Tavares 21-8 on the night of Monday, May 21. The win, despite being just a spring game, marked a shift in culture for the Sharks, who went 0-10 last season under then-head coach Kendall Bradley.
“When you watched the film last year, you could tell there wasn’t a whole lot of structure. I don’t want to throw anyone under the bus, but the kids have told me stories about what happened here last year,” said Sharks coach D.J. Mayo, who was hired to replace Bradley on Dec. 15. “A lot of them feel like they’re in a real program now. That’s what we’re trying to build.”
Mayo was previously the defensive coordinator at Spruce Creek, where he coached a perennial playoff defense that gave up 17.4 points per game. In 2017, the Sharks surrendered 53.6 ppg and were shut out four times.
“I’m just happy for the kids. They were the ones who were called sorry. They were the ones who were called names. They were the ones who were told they shouldn’t be out here. They had a lot of friends that quit, who didn’t make it. They didn’t want to put in the time, didn’t want to show up to 6 a.m. workouts, didn’t want to lift weights, didn’t want to be held accountable for their grades — but these guys did it. And I’m so pleased and so proud of these guys. We’re just setting the foundation for the future right now.”
Atlantic head coach D.J. Mayo
“These kids all year were told how bad they were last year,” Mayo said. “I was told I was crazy for taking this job. A lot of guys on that staff, people tried to talk me out of coming over here. But I believed that it could be done.”
The challenge was getting the rest of the team to believe. Mayo charged his top two players, Campbell and fellow Hawks transfer Tyler Berrong, with the task of leading a team that featured 10 freshmen starters, including at quarterback.
When Tavares went up 8-0 at the start of the first quarter, the team that was used to losing slipping back into its old ways was a possibility.
The Sharks, led by Campbell and Berrong, who registered two interceptions and two sacks at linebacker, responded with 21-straight points.
“I told them to lead these guys,” Mayo said. “And they did a hell of a job leading us.”
With spring practice over, summer workouts are in the near future. The Sharks will officially kick off the D.J. Mayo Era when they square off against Lakewood on Aug. 24.
The team’s goal for the 2018 season: make the playoffs.
“We should make the playoffs this year. That’s our expectation. That’s what we’re going to strive for,” Campbell said. “We’re going to surprise some people.”
