Benedictine Football: Offensive Coordinator AJ DeFilippis

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a guy who played quarterback for your Cadet Savannah State and now is controlling one of the most explosive offenses in the State coach we appreciate you taking the time I know it's a busy time for you guys over at BC not just your kids but Youth Camp uh going on as well for the cadet so a busy time but that just means The Season's right around the corner yeah um I appreciate the kind words um it's good to be here um we're we're excited man um you know it it came on as fast as it always does and um you know we've got a heck of a schedule to look forward to and uh you know we are we are thrilled I was going to say it's pretty much 365 now as soon as the season ends you're getting ready for the next one how many if you had to guess like actual days off consecutively if you had so far or has there been any um you know we had uh the dead week um in July and then we had the dead week you know around Memorial Day which was great um to just get away and kind of decompress but um you know outside of that really since January uh we we we've been at it um but you know that's what it what it takes these days um to do what we're doing so it's been good really good and coming off of a bunch of really successful Seasons I mean going back even four years ago sendi finals appearance and back-to-back state championships then make it another deep run into the playoffs last year just kind of talking to some people uh this off season it might not seem like because everybody like high school there's a lot of turnover just like college you got guys coming in and out but you you guys are going to have your third starting quarterback here over four years which a lot of times you got one guy that comes in he's a superstar plays either fresh or sophomore year and you know you have your quarterback for three or four years you guys have had some turnover it's a good bad thing youve had really good quarterbacks but also it means you've had to change up what you're doing a little bit each and every year kind of a unique challenge coming into this season uh yeah you know I think the thing is uh each quarterback and player even has their own strengths and weaknesses and it's it's your job as the coach to figure that out um which is kind of what we've been doing the last uh you know couple months since Spring ball in May um but you know Stephen Cannon will be our our starting quarterback for us uh he's a junior um he's uh a guy that sat behind Luke croman Hawk obviously now at Florida State uh for two years something he chose to do and uh handled it beautifully and and uh you know he's he's got his his time to shine now uh I'm thrilled to work with him and uh you know wondering what what we did to gain three quarterbacks in a row like like this so we're really excited and I do want to talk about Stephen we'll get to the rest of the guys on offense because I think he has a chance to be a really fun year but I uh just covering another team up in my in my past they're a heavy option team and coaches always got it when they're talking to the media you got to present a united front so he'd always say man we're a running football team we're a running football team they happen to beat a team with a really good quarterback and after the cameras turned off he looked at all of us media people and said if I had that quarterback I throw the ball every play so it's just like you said it's every year it's a little bit different and you got to play to the strengths of the guys on your team that's part of it um you know it's high school football at the end of the day um you know we can't go out and hand select recruits and whatnot like the college level can so you have to be versatile enough offensively um to to be able to fit the strengths of again not just the quarterback but all the players I I think we are you know we kind of have a mut of an offense um that that really can uh you know utilize multiple schemes um you know but usually at the end of the day it comes down to offensive line play and good quarterback play and uh you know that's something we we've really prided ourselves on uh for Sten like you said yeah Stephen Kan is the next in line behind Holden gerer and a Luke kahaw coming in even go back to the ion you've had some really excellent quarterbacks come through BC I asked him a little while ago to compare and contrast himself to some of those quarterbacks and he said he's kind of like good merge between Luke and Holden everybody sees the arm but he wants people to know about his kind of physicality in the Run game just you calling plays how do you feel like you're GNA be able to utilize him this year I I think uh you know I think that's fair he's a great blend of both um he he can make just about every throw on the field um whether it's on the run or in the pocket um and uh you know he's he's just under 63 and almost 200 pounds um you know I think he power cleaned 275 pounds you know last week so he's going to be involved in the Run game um he's the 11th Defender that you know a defense has to account for I'm sorry offensive player that a defense has to account for um and he'll be utilized how how much you know I'm not 100% sure yet uh but I can all but guarantee he'll be involved in that now how much easier does it make your job having all five guys back across the offensive line along with some dep isue yeah it's um I mean a breath of fresh air and and really when you look at the Players you you know you've got got some some studs up there so um you know it it it definitely is a breath of fresh air I think our pass protection will be uh very firm and solid um I think that's great for a first year quarterback uh and uh you know as always we're we're going to run the football um One Way form or fashion so uh it is a breath and fresh air to have those guys up there and when you have all those guys coming back I think a lot of times we think about okay cool it's time to install more stuff but for you or is it just the fact that you have guys back there experienced they kind of dial in the mistakes make sure they don't make those and you're kind of dialing in what they already done just try to be perfect at it yeah I think it's uh a little bit of both you know we're always just as coaches going to be dialed into that and making sure the mistakes are uh you know minimal um you know our our offense is uh you know like lipstick on a pig it's not a lot of dropbacks it's not a lot of this or that it's it's just a lot of different formations and motions um so it really allows guys to have consistency um whether they be receivers or backs or or even offensive linemen um and I think that just allows them to be able to feel comfortable I always use the old adage of tying a shoe you know you could tie your shoe with your eyes closed right because you've done it so many times and that's just kind of the philosophy I have um you know I I believe that less is more I don't believe in massive playbooks and and uh uh you know all that jazz but I do think you do have to be versatile enough and have enough in your offense to to create a little bit of complexity and disguise what you want to do for the you know for the defense so and with that complexity also comes there's be times you run into a team or you run into a situation where things just aren't clicking and I was talking to coach Britt you've had that emergency button the past few years whether it's zaquan Bryan whether it's Bryce Baker last year where something it's just not working regardless of what you call mistakes get made you know you can hand the ball to this one person and they're going to make a play who Do You Feel Like That is this year um he he's uh you know an established kid I think he started for us last year as a sophomore and that would be Bubba Fraser um he he's a uh you know Bubba played outside receiver for us last year uh he's a he's a 10 six 107 100 meter kid um probably one of the best route Runners I've seen and he is an absolute go-getter uh he doesn't care about the moment he doesn't care when where where you know how it he wants to play football against the best and um I uh you know I think a fun thing for us will be in those situations having a list of you know creative creative ways to get him the football and you always have to have the guys that are the guys who might not see the ball for three and a half quarters but they're just always ready I think about cam uh from the past few years where it's again blocking blocking blocking blocking and then can go catch a touchdown pass you feel like you got some of those as well we do I think this is one of the deepest skill groups that that we have had um of all five skill players excluding the quarterback all five skill players we are uh you know two legitimate players at each position that could be starters some of them just happen to be on the defensive side of the ball um you know in some positions we're three deep uh it is a tremendous problem to have we had a conversation today at practice mid practice about you know the the you know just situation of reps and who's going to be going where and in what groups um and we do I think we have big Playmakers I think we have reliable kids uh I've just been really pleased with this group uh they had a fantastic summer um with conditioning did a great job at our seven on seven tournament in Hoover and they just seem to genuinely like each other um they just just seem to want to be around each other and uh I think that selflessness is is majorly important in in this specific situation and I know coming into this season everybody's pointing at that schedule uh you guys have one of the toughest schedules if not the toughest schedule in America and I I was laughing with Stephen when we talked I said even if you took the out of region games and just put the region in there that's one of the toughest schedules anywhere in America but with the the system that you guys have you've been here for so many years with Coach Brit able to call those plays the guys have been in the system a lot of them since they were really Young play for the Bulldogs have come up kind of developing into that system the fact that it's simple it's effective you're able to get in and out of it how much confidence does that give you going into this season with some big road games to start yeah I mean I I feel supremely confident um and our players you know make us as coaches feel that way um you know I don't want this to sound a certain way I don't want this to be perceived as arrogance but you know we're not we're not running from anybody um that again I don't know what that translates to from a win loss record but um we we want to play in the big games um and we want to prepare that way and we want each week to to quote unquote be a mini Super Bowl and um that's what we got and that's what coach Britt tells our team like hey I I made the decision for us man we're we're we're going after it and uh you know get get on the train or get left but everybody's had a great attitude about it um and again just just an overall great group of kids great group of kids again catching up with BC offensive coordinator AJ def Phillips we're going to take a quick break we're going to come back continue the conversation next [Music] continuing our conversation here with BC offensive coordinator AJ def Phillips uh coach your running back room it's an interesting spot because it's guys who are either a a running back or guys who can play linebacker receiver come in or just going to get a handoff I know it's been a little bit different over the past few years each year what does it look at like this year do you you have a guy who is a predominant running back or do you think it's going to be kind of a by commmittee approach um we do we have a guy that's going to start for us and that'll be sophomore uh Stanley smart um he'll play uh he's a 10th grader he'll be in the back field next to Stephen um we do have obviously other backs that you know we'll use kind of in that same role obviously we can go to different formations and get quote unquote Wing backs the the football but um we'll move Bubba around a little bit and get him back there to get him some touches um you know but we do have an established you know group that um you know is going to carry the load for us um in in the back field uh Stanley's a 10600 kid um you know goes off and and runs at all these Big Time meets and and you know again almost you know 200 pounds you know 5'11 200 so uh good kid smart kid um so you know we just are excited to get him acclimated to to Big Boy football and um you know he's he's got some some big shoes to fill it sounds like some size in the back field there I know usually you hear 62 200 and another guy that's 200 that's what we're looking at for defensive ends and outside linebackers for a lot of high school teams but just having over 400 pounds in your back Field's got to be exciting it is uh you know if if you look at Stanley you go golly you know yeah um he has physically matured um done a fantastic job in training and and in the weight room um just with his effort uh and again you know that that 100 meter time is uh you know sure sure good so you know we'll find ways to to get him the ball and again I think with him it's just going to be about consistency and understanding the standards which he's done a good job of and um you know I sure would like to see him break along one or two or or three yeah I know you've had some guys the past few years that have played a lot of football so that that pass Pro was something where you guys if you need to take some shots and have a running back stick in there and get a backer you felt pretty comfortable with but with a sophomore there is that one of the key points to development so far this offseason it will be um it it's you know again he's got a great uh you know defense to to you know replicate that against in our own um at practice but he really won't get a ton of reps at that um but it will be that'll be something that'll be difficult um you know the the defensive fronts at this level are are just massive and um that will be a challenge uh we'll utilize Larson little um a little bit Larson is obviously a starting linebacker for us we'll utilize him um and and try to play on his physic city um he he does some fantastic things and extremely coachable kid so um yeah you know that pass protection will will certainly be a point of emphasis uh but but it's certainly not something that I don't think he couldn't handle now we mentioned this at the top but you spent a lot of time as a Cadet whether that's on the field or in the coaching Booth but the consistency with this staff right you coach Houston uh coach Brit have just been there for so long together all Cadets between you and the defensive staff as well well what's it mean to be able to come in year after year right now and just see those same faces and what does that allow yall to do uh you know I I don't think the success is what it is um you know if that consistency isn't there and again I don't say that from a place of arrogance and don't want to to any horns but just for our you know our kids you know to come in as you know ninth graders and leave as 12th graders and and you know kind of see that year in and year out um I I think it's it's Supreme um turn turnover is is just so so difficult to handle um and you know we haven't had a lot of that so uh I do think anytime you can create consistency uh for you know for young men it is uh you know something that they have the chance to benefit from without a doubt and I know for people who may don't know uh it's gotten more advanced but you kind of have the switcher on the headsets for you guys so the different coaches can talk to everyone and usually you have an offensive one and a defensive one and then Coach Brit has the one that just kind of supersedes all of them he can to whatever he wants to H into I asked him this and he wasn't willing to give up any Trade Secrets but has there been a point anytime in the past few years where you maybe didn't hear uh quote unquote coach Brit what he said made a call and you just like no this is this is the way we need to go there's uh there's one time um 2021 against we County at home we've talked about this story a bunch of times so I don't feel terrible sharing it but we were up uh 423 5 we got the football back uh on I believe the plus 47 so roughly Midfield and there was about three so three or so minutes left and allegedly he had said on the clock I'm sorry on the headset hey we're just going to run the clock out and and so forth I didn't hear that I was still processing a look that we had seen to a to a three by1 set um earlier in the half where they basically gave us cover one and we took a took a slot F shot to Justin Thomas um and uh you know it scored a touchdown on the first play it was kind of one of those like oh gosh what are we doing what are we doing and it was a touchdown and we were all celebrating but I maintain and I'll go to the Grave I did not hear him say that we were GNA run the clock out uh yeah so that that that's uh that's firm listen it gets it gets loud at Memorial Stadium and you know static there could be some kind the cell phone towers don't always work out great but I know only four home games this year for you guys at Memorial Stadium I think the glass uh in the coaching press box is probably pretty thankful that only has see you four times because it's got some fist marks on it h yeah I I I get a little excited I I just love it uh I tell coach orini I say hey if you see me hitting the glass man just grab me because my hands are hurt but uh no it's been a blast uh just just really has been a blast great to be a part of it yeah that's a sponsorship opportunity if ever put that glass in because it's stood up the test of time since Memorial Stadium opened up well coach to Phillips I know you guys got to be excited we are man just about three weeks away now a little bit under from kicking it off against Camden in a scrimmage and then a bunch of Big Time football games are going to get rolling we appreciate you taking the time today man we look forward to catching up with you during the season absolutely man I appreciate y'all having me and appreciate y'all what you you know what you do for us thank you yeah but we'll be on the road with Coach to Phillips and the rest of the crew All Season you'll be able to catch all the games here on watch BC sports.com I want to say thank you to a few sponsors before we get out of here uh big thank you as always to our good friends over at Islands Ace Hardware gonna be the guys who present and build this uh for us this year and all our Productions all of our games uh really do imp part to their support Bernard Williams as we've mentioned time and time again our oldest supporter here on watch BC sports so thankful for everything they do good friends over at the Arrowhead Clinic going to be with us all season long and then innovative tax and accounting Solutions our friends over there any of your small business accounting needs give them a call and finally our good friend Harry Brown local attorney there in Savannah give him a call for all of your legal needs good appreciate coach to Phillips taking the time we have more and more interviews coming up for you as we lead up to that August 9th date against Camden County there in a scrimmage and again you'll be able to watch or listen to all the BC football games right here on watch BC sports.com