HEAD COACH: Arie Slone, first yearLAST YEAR: 7-4POSTSEASON: 1A FHSAA Regional Semifinals
Top returning players
-
Henry Richardson, Jr., WR/DB
-
Abram Wildrick, Sr., OL/DL
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Outlook on Maclay
Maclay High saw its first winning season in six years after going 7-4 and even making some noise in the 2024 postseason.
Advertisement
Now the Maruders will look to continue their momentum with a new head coach, Arie Slone. Slone was the defensive coordinator from last year’s team and sees that the returning players are looking to pick up where they left off.
“I think we were just one drive away from doing bigger things. All these guys played a huge role in that, and I think that’s continuing through the spring,” Sloan said.
The Maruders will have to rely on new playmakers on offense after losing their quarterback-wide receiver duo, George Grant and Nash Beshear.
Beau Beshears is expected to step into the starting role for the first time and Henry Richardson, who was the second-leading receiver last year with 538 yards, is expected to be the go-to target at wide receiver.
Advertisement
Sloan believes the strength will be on the offensive line as Maclay returns four starters, including senior lineman Abram Wildrick and Justin Thomas. Wildrick plays both offensive and defensive lineman for the Maruders. Defensively, he recorded 81 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and three sacks.
4Quartersonline hosted its 16th annual Media Day at Hangar 38 in Tallahassee, Florida, Tuesday, July 22, 2025.
“I think our goal for us as players and as a team is to keep that standard from last year. We weren’t know as a football school last year but I feel like it changed our culture. We had the whole team buying in,” Wildrick said.
“This year, the team knows what it needs to look like to reach that level to go deep in the playoff. Now we know what it takes.”
Advertisement
More: Ranking the Big Bend’s top quarterbacks heading into the 2025 high school football season
Maclay football 2025 season
-
Aug. 22 Jefferson County at 7 p.m.
-
Aug. 28 Brookwood at 7 p.m.
-
Sept. 5 Marianna at 7 p.m.
-
Sept. 12, at Valwood at 7 p.m.
-
Sept. 26 at FAMU DRS at 7 p.m.
-
Oct. 3 vs. Taylor County at 7 p.m.
-
Oct. 10 vs. St. John Paul II at 7 p.m.
-
Oct. 17 at North Florida Christian at 7 p.m.
-
Oct. 24 at Deerfield-Windsor at 7 p.m.
-
Oct. 31 at Walton at 7 p.m.
More: Gadsden County football banned from postseason, coach and players suspended for violations
Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida high school football, Maclay Marauders 2025 preview
