Jaden Dunn couldn’t catch a break in his sophomore and junior seasons.
In 2019, he tore his ACL midway through the schedule against Lee. Then, his anticipated return in 2020 was shelved less than a game in when he suffered a high-ankle sprain against Trinity Christian that forced him to miss a good chunk of a covid-shortened season.
“It definitely took a mental toll on me because as soon as I got back from the ACL surgery the ankle happened,” Dunn said. “It definitely took a toll.”
Dunn just wanted an injury-free senior season. He got that and much more.
The senior linebacker suited up every game for Columbia in 2021 and shined above the rest. Dunn led the area with 127 tackles, including nine for loss, to go with three sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and two interceptions to help the Tigers win their first district title since 2018.
One of those interceptions was a pick-6 in a season-opening win against American Heritage-Delray too. His stellar season is why he’s the LCR’s Defensive Player of the Year.
“He was the engine that kept us rolling defensively, whether it was causing a fumble or hitting a major tackle for a loss or recovering a fumble or getting an interception,” Columbia head coach Demetric Jackson said. “It was always Jaden Dunn around the ball doing that for us.”
Dunn admits the prospect of another injury was in the back of his mind when his senior season began. It was a mental hurdle he had to fight through, but once he did, he became the most important piece on Columbia’s defense.
“Every other year it happened so at first you’re going to think cautiously,” Dunn said. “But it was senior year and I had to go and give it everything I had and not worry about getting injured again because if it happens, it happens. I just had to give it everything.”
Dunn did that right from the first game. With Columbia trailing American Heritage-Delray 10-0 early in the second quarter, Dunn intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown to kick off a run of 33 straight points for his team.
The Tigers won 46-23 and that play from Dunn was just a sign of things to come.
“He’s big-play Dunn,” Jackson said. “He made some big-time plays that other guys just didn’t quite make. He consistently made big plays that helped our defense.”
Dunn says he wasn’t sure what to expect entering his senior year, and not just because of his prior injury history. Columbia had a brand new coaching staff with Jackson stepping in for Brian Allen as head coach, a switch that didn’t come until July.
But Dunn went into his final high school season open-minded, and although the Tigers had to adjust on the fly, it paid off with a district title.
“I had no idea what to expect,” Dunn said. “I had an open mindset about it with the new coaches and everything, so anything could have happened. I think we had a good year. It was fun, it was entertaining and I enjoyed it.
“There were ups and downs with a lot of different things changing constantly, but we adjusted to it and it was a good season.”
One constant on defense was having defensive coordinator John Woodley stay on the staff. Dunn says Woodley remaining with the Tigers was the biggest reason he had such a successful season.
“I don’t think I would have had the year I had without him,” Dunn said. “He definitely helped me a lot all four years. It was huge having him stay.”
Dunn isn’t kidding when he says there were ups and downs this season. Sometimes a single game had plenty of each.
In Week 7 against rival Riverside, which had won the previous four meetings including twice in the playoffs, Columbia was on the verge of dropping a fifth straight in the matchup down 19 points in the third quarter.
Time was running out in the fourth too, but the Tigers scored the final 21 points in a span of 4:22 to win 28-26 to take control of the District 3-6A race. It was also their first win at Riverside since the teams joined the same district in 2015.
“That was very accomplishing,” Dunn said. “I’m glad we did that. In the third quarter everybody thought the game was over so it definitely felt good. And we did it in their house so that made it better.”
All the Tigers had to do was beat Orange Park the following week to claim the district crown. They did that with ease, winning 42-14 to clinch a playoff spot for the 11th straight season.
Not only did Dunn play his first full varsity season without an injury, but he got to finally walk away with a district championship too. He couldn’t have asked for much more.
“My last year couldn’t have gone better than to win the district,” Dunn said.
ALL-DEFENSE TEAM
DL: Adeon Farmer
Columbia, senior
Had a knack for making big plays, forcing three fumbles, recovering three fumbles and recording an interception while scoring two touchdowns. Finished the season with 66 tackles and four sacks in eight games.
DL: Bobby Miller
Columbia, senior
Had a team-high seven sacks and 66 tackles, with 13 for loss. He also had two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble, and caught a touchdown pass on offense.
LB: Jaden Dunn
Columbia, senior
The LCR’s Defensive Player of the Year had a nose for the football all season, leading the Tigers with 127 tackles with nine for loss to help them win their first district title since 2018. He also had three sacks and caused some turnovers, forcing two fumbles, recovering one fumble and intercepting two passes. One of those INTs was a pick-6 in a season-opening win against American Heritage-Delray.
LB: Noah Morris
Columbia, senior
Flew around defensively, making 119 tackles. He also had three sacks and three forced fumbles.
LB: Coby Lee
Fort White, senior
Led the Indians with 122 tackles as the leader of the defense. He also had one sack.
LB: Andrew Brown
Suwannee, senior
Led the Bulldogs with 109 tackles, which included an area-best 15.5 for loss. He also forced four fumbles.
LB/DB: Jaden Robinson
Columbia, junior
Had a knack for making plays defensively wherever he was on the field, recording 94 tackles, one sack, three interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. That scoop went for a touchdown and the 4-star prospect also forced a safety.
DB: Jerome Fulton
Columbia, senior
Had 90 tackles and two sacks playing safety. He also forced a fumble.
DB: Jerome Carter
Columbia, sophomore
Came down from his safety position to make 75 tackles. He also had one interception and two fumble recoveries.
DB: Amare Ferrell
Columbia, junior
Opposing offenses didn’t target him much and for good reason. But the 3-star prospect still tied for the area-lead with three interceptions and made 39 tackles.
DB: Najeeb Smith
Fort White, sophomore
Tied for the area lead with three interceptions, which included a pick-6, and led the Indians’ secondary with 49 tackles. Played plenty on offense too, catching 11 passes for 215 yards and rushing for 217 yards for three total touchdowns.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Roy Harden & Ken Snider, Fort White
When Demetric Jackson left for Columbia in July after starting quarterback Tyler Jefferson transferred out, hopes weren’t high for the Indians. The school even moved forward with two interim coaches for the season, promoting assistants Roy Harden and Ken Snider to co-head coaches. It was unorthodox but it worked, with Harden acting as offensive coordinator and Snider as the defensive coordinator. While some from the outside were just hoping to see a win or two, Harden and Snider got the most out of a roster that wasn’t always the most talented but certainly played hard. The Indians won not just one or two games but five to qualify for the playoffs as the No. 5 seed. Although Fort White lost in the Region 3-1A quarterfinals to Lafayette, it was a season that far exceeded expectations.