JACKSONVILLE - Ridgeview High second year football coach Merlin Smith had two things bringing an optimistic outlook to his visit to Everbank Field for the Baker Sports Football Media Day podium Friday morning in Jacksonville.
"I'm smiling because, one, my wife Nicole redid my entire office so I'm thinking she is helping to keep me in that position for a few year," said Smith, who has had a long tenure in Clay County with years at St. Johns Country Day school when football started at that campus and at Oakleaf Junior High, where Smith built a dynasty of sorts as one of the strongest middle school programs in north Florida. "The second factor is guys from last year came back and came back with a great attitude to right this ship. They didn't like going 1-9."
With Smith on the stage were quarterback Jordan Mesa, running backs Isaiah Fowlkes and Christian Felder, linemen Ethan 'Bama' Gordon and Aiden Janke and wide receiver Landon Kleiber.

"We have put together a good team work ethic in the weight room, on the bus and even at our last camp," said Gordon. "This is a totally different team with a better mindset. We are going to surprise some people."
On the offensive side of the board, where Fowlkes and Felder offer a bruising run game with both being stout, strong downhill runners bent on going through tacklers.
"Last year was tough we all knew what coach Smith wanted to achieve with a strong run game, but we were not quite all on the same page up front and in the backfield,"said Felder, Smith's top ball carrier last year. "Now, we have linemen that have been in the trenches a year, I'm better at my reads, our quarterback, Jordan, is better on his end and it's all going to work together."
For Mesa, who finished he season last year for Smith, being a left handed quarterback gives opposing defenses some extra thoughts on coverages, but Mesa also adds his own running ability.
"Coach Smith is building the offense to take advantage of my skill set which is good for everyone," said Mesa. "I'm going to get the ball to the guy who is making plays for us in the game."


Janke, a defensive end in the Panthers spring game against a tough Ribault team, is kind of the spark plug of the team.
"I'm way optimistic about our upcoming season and excited to see what happens,"said Janke. "We all worked had in the weight room and at the Deland camp we went to a week ago and played some top teams, we surprised many of them. Ridgeview is not going to be the easy game this season. We are so much better top to bottom."
For Smith and is assistant coach Elmore, the potential for a good season is right in front of them.
"I see kids flying to the ball, chasing down people and playing hard to the whistle," said Elmore. "I've been with coach Smith for a long time and we believe in each other and that's going to come out this season."
Though Smith blasted out about a question of new wrinkles in his system, his answer was just watch.
"People expect Ridgeview to just be Ridgeview like the last five years," said Smith. "I don't play that way. We got our butts bashed around last year, but this year is going to different. Nothing changes if nothing changes has always been my motto. We are changing Ridgeview football."

iSAIAH FOWLKES
CHRISTIAN FELDER
JORDAN MESA
ETHAN BAMA GORDON
AIDEN JANKE
LANDON KLEIBER
KEVIN ELMORE