Uphill climb coming for Booker football

New faces are under the gold and purple helmets of Booker High football this spring. Alongside them are familiar faces, who each have history with the program.

Lots of other faces, though, are missing from the field. They don’t frequent the team’s locker room or walk the school’s halls as they once did.

The Tornadoes are without the most talented class in program history as they make preparations for the season ahead. On both sides of the ball, they’ve lost multiple players to graduation who guided them to a third consecutive state semifinal appearance in 2025.

More than a few holes now exist on the team’s roster. No doubt, they’ve felt that through the first two-plus weeks of spring practices.

“It does (feel) a little (weird),” said junior defensive tackle Maleek Lee. “But at the end of the day, we’re all going to graduate.”

Photo by Jack Nelson

Offensively, the entire nucleus will look different this season. Quarterback Joel Morris, running back Jacobey Mobley and wide receivers Dylan Wester and Tyren Hornes are all gone.

Hornes and Wester now compete at the NCAA Division I FBS level for UCF and Pittsburgh, respectively. Morris calls FCS program Bethune-Cookman home these days.

The turnover on defense won’t be easy to recover from, either.

Defensive end/defensive tackle Kevontay Hugan, cornerback Chauncey Kennon, safety Karaijus Hayes and linebacker/defensive end Jamaun Thompson have hung up their Tornado threads for good. They’ve moved on to Indiana, Florida State, FIU and New Mexico State, respectively.

In all, the team’s Class of 2026 featured four early signees — Hugan, Kennon, Thompson and Wester — which were the most in program history.

Booker finished 12-2 last season and lost to Raines, 28-8, in the FHSAA Class 3A state semifinals. While scoring an average of 38.3 points per game, it surrendered a mere 10.9.

“I’ll remember how they played and carried themselves,” said junior linebacker Kymani Sellers. “The way they played on the field last year translated to us. Now that they’re gone, we’ve just got to step up.”

Photo by Jack Nelson

Replacing all that lost production will be no small challenge. You’d be hard-pressed to find a high school football team nearby with more departed talent.

That’s the task at hand for second-year coach Carlos Woods and his staff. As they navigate this developmental period of the offseason, they’ll assess their options at each position of need.

It’s important to establish depth, but right now, that shouldn’t be at the top of their priority list. They need to identify new starters and facilitate chemistry between them — fast.

Woods, who was previously the Tornadoes’ defensive coordinator from 2022-24, has some well-established familiarity with the rising seniors who will lead the way.

“I love this group that’s coming through now, because it’s a bunch of unknowns. It’s a bunch of underdogs,” Woods said. “It’s a bunch of scrappy dudes, fighting for each and every offer (and) each and every opportunity they’re gaining.”

Lee will be a pivotal puzzle piece on the defensive side of the ball. The four-star recruit, per ESPN, was most recently offered by Colorado on May 9 and holds Division I offers from 29 schools in total, per 247Sports. 

Last season, he recorded a team-high 69 tackles, tied Hugan with 39.0 tackles for loss — also a team high — and racked up 7.5 sacks, good for third-most. 

Also returning for their respective senior seasons are Sellers, defensive back Jordan Booker and linebacker Tylor Morton, who together accounted for 25.4% of the squad’s solo tackles in 2025.

Booker will be one of multiple seniors responsible for upholding the standard of excellence the program has set as a three-time defending regional champion.

“Making sure our teammates are being held accountable,” Booker said. “Pushing Booker to another level, not just as a team, but as a program. We’re really going to get together this year.”

Quarterback — the sport’s most important position — is where the Tornadoes were in dire need of help after Morris’ graduation. They’ve addressed that with the addition of junior Mason Summer, who transferred in from Manatee.

Photo by Jack Nelson

He threw for 994 yards and 11 touchdowns against six interceptions with a 62% completion rate last fall. As a sophomore and freshman, he barely saw the field with the Hurricanes. 

Summer’s physical, gritty approach to the role has caught Woods’ attention most this spring. The coach is eager to tell others that, outside of football, his new signal-caller is a lacrosse player.

“He’s like an ultimate gladiator. He’s our Russell Crowe,” Woods said. “We’re excited to have him on board, and he’s blended in extremely well … it’s a match made in heaven.”

Booker’s quarterback will need to be tough. The regular season ahead — for him and his teammates — is one of the toughest this program has scheduled in recent memory.

Defending 7A state semifinalist Venice is on tap for Week 1, and reigning 2A state champion Cardinal Mooney pays a visit in Week 10. Booker will also travel out of state to face St. John’s in Washington, D.C. and Valdosta in Georgia for Weeks 5 and 7, respectively.

The Tornadoes, without the star talents that guided them in the past, will be a different team this season.

They’ll have to wind a new path.