TAMPA, Fla. — The Gaither High School football team had high expectations this season after making a run to the state semifinals last year.
However, the Cowboys had to overcome some adversity at the quarterback position entering this season.
“Losing a kid like Jayce really hurts, but with Colin being injured and E.J. coming in, I guess ‘luck of the Irish,’ I guess. It worked out well for us,” Gaither offensive coordinator Jason Silbert said.
After losing a pair of quarterbacks, Jayce Nixon, to a transfer and Colin Androff to injury, E.J. Archield, Jr. joined Gaither after three successful seasons at Robinson High School.
“We had a great uplift while I was there, having better records while I was there,” Archield said. “Then last year, my head coach Mike Williams left. With the circumstances given, I had to relocate and I’m at Gaither now.”
Archield had to learn a new team and a new playbook five weeks before Gather’s first game
“He’s adjusted so well,” Silbert said. “He’s a student of the game. He’s a great individual overall. In school, he’s a 5.1 GPA. He picked up our offense really quickly.”
“He’s super smart,” receiver Bryan Hamilton added. “I’d say his arm talent. He can get it in the spot you need it to.”
“My life, football is 24-7,” Archield said. “Football is my thing. I’m all in with it. I had six different offensive coordinators before I came here. Learning a new system wasn’t the hardest thing.”
Archield, who is already committed to the University of Delaware, has Gaither off to a 3-1 start, and he believes this is just the beginning.
“Our receiving core is so deep, and not everybody has been on display yet,” he said. “We have guys like the Bryan and Ryan Hamilton twins, the dynamic duo. We got our tall go-get-up Armando Becerril and our shifty tight end Tamez Young. People have yet to see all of them. It’s going to be scary when we get that going.”
Gaither will host Tampa Bay Tech (2-2) on Friday night.
