The head coach: Kazeem Adediran
records 2021: 1-9
Key losses: Adam Holt-Lopes (RB), Jordan Furtado (OT) and versatile player Adam Banks (RB/WR/DB)
Key turners: Davion Adediran (QB), Jonathan Pfeffer (QB), Aiden Lanciault (RB / WR) and Brady Viveiros (RB).
Kazeem Adediran has watched the progress of the Atlantis Charter Co-op Football Team in 2021 from afar.
When head coach Charles Phillips stepped down after the season, Adediran wasted no time jumping in his place. Now the Tritons’ first-year head coach is ready to lead them to respectability.
“As the dean of students here, I know a lot of these kids,” Adediran said. “I felt the program needed to take a new direction. I wanted to change the culture and respect a school that I’m very proud of.”
Who will be ‘Mr. All?:7 Fall River area quarterbacks hoping for starting role
Adediran, 36, played football at Hope High School in Providence and then college football for Nichols College. He also coached the Fall River Falcons for the past five seasons.
“I’m a football fanatic,” he said. “When the opportunity presented itself and it was presented to me by the sporting director, I thought to myself that I want to be the one to start this journey. I want to put a good, respectable product on the pitch.”
Over 40 kids came out for the team on the first day of training camp. Adediran said that did not include incoming freshmen from Bishop Connolly and Westport.
“What I notice here is that a lot of kids have never played football before,” he said. “So it’s just about getting back to basics. How to block, how to run, how to hold the ball properly. It’s a process. There’s a lot of things we’re trying to fix. [at] this training camp.”
Atlantis Charter lost several big names due to graduating in the spring, including star running back Adam Holt-Lopes, Jordan Furtado and all-around player Adam Banks.
Ready for the next step :25 Fall River Area Football Players Ready For A Breakout Season
However, Adediran has an exciting rookie quarterback in first year Davion Adediran and senior QB Jonathan Pfeffer. Aiden Lanciault and Brady Viveiros are also in the mix for the running back slot.
“Right now we’re out of position,” he said. “I don’t want to let that out right now. They’ve been up in weight since January and I want to keep them here. If we have that mentality and stay positive, I think we’re going to have a very productive year.
“I can’t guarantee the results, but I can just guarantee you’ll see respectable play, effort, heart and hard work. If we could do those little things, the results will come.”
The Tritons face strong opponents in the Independent League and that’s what Adediran wants to see where his team stands.
“You just have to change the culture, the mentality and understand that we are going to have ups and downs with adversity,” he said. “We have to believe in each other. One of our mantras here is don’t give up or give up. It’s never too late to have a good training camp.”
Adediran said he was looking forward to starting the season on September 9 in a home game against Keefe Technical.
“We have an exciting year ahead,” Adediran said. “Lots of changes and they are adjusting to me and my coaching staff in terms of what I do to be successful.”
timetable 2022
September 9: Keefe Technical, 7 p.m.
Sept. 15 at Monomoy Regional, 6 p.m.
September 22: at Holbrook Jr/Sr High School, 5 p.m.
September 30: Regional Minuteman, 6 p.m.
Oct. 7: on Excel, 6 p.m.
October 14: Wareham, 6 p.m.
Oct 21: at the Cathedral, 6 p.m.
October 29: Cape Cod Reg Tech, 6 p.m.
Steven Sanchez, sports editor of the Herald News and the Taunton Daily Gazette, can be contacted at ssanchez@heraldnews.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @Chezsports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today.