The DeLand Bulldogs have named Vernon Shelton as the new full-time head coach of the football team. The team is ready to push forward on into next season and be a team to look out for and make a good playoff run this season.
Shelton graduated from the University of Florida in 2008. There he played defensive lineman and was a part of the 2006 championship winning team. This season Shelton took over the head-coaching job with three games remaining in the season for former head coach James Thompson. “ I knew I would be a coach one day but this was a surprise to me and the players both.” Shelton said. Prior to that he the defensive coordinator for the Bulldogs.
The team didn’t manage to win the final three games falling short to Lake Mary, Flagler Palm Coast and Jacksonville Sandalwood taking away their playoff chances. They finished the 2015-2016 season with a 2-8 record but still managed to overcome a lot of adversity this year.
Before coming to DeLand three years ago, Shelton was a defensive/offensive line coach at Gainesville High School with James Thompson as head coach. He also is a consultation teacher as well and has been since he came to DeLand.
“Now I have to think more about the program as a whole instead of being focused on one side of the ball.” Shelton said. “It’s time to move on and win some football games again.”
The Bulldogs are all ready to get started and try and make next season a season to remember. “ We have goals set to win and we won’t stop until those goals are reached,” Sophomore Jaquan Kennedy said.
Next season the bulldogs will have the same schedule again giving them a chance to make their city proud and also to get revenge on the teams that beat them this season. They have a lot of work to do and plan to be ready by the first game of the season when they face off against ranked opponent Mainland High School. Which is also happens to be one of their biggest rivals in school history.