Chamberlain: Loyal Hubbard eager for turnaround season

Reshay Hubbard was surrounded by disarray.

He was on his third coach in a year. Players were leaving the Chamberlain High football team at an alarming rate. And then - while trying to step up as a much-needed leader - he sprained his ankle and could barely walk.

"I'm not going to lie to you, it was rough," Hubbard said. "I think that was about as tough a year as I want to have."

The Chiefs finished 1-9. Good riddance to 2009.

Now, as Hubbard and the Chiefs prepare for a new season, things not only look better, they also feel right.

Hubbard, a 6-foot, 225-pound senior linebacker/fullback, has his ankle at 100 percent and his team on the same page.

"I don't care what anybody says, we're going to be way better," he said. "I'll say our defense is going to be one of the best in the county. We got bigger and stronger and tougher over the past year."

Joe Severino, who slid in as Chamberlain's coach just before the 2009 season, said he appreciates Hubbard and his loyalty, "more than you can imagine. Being as loyal as Reshay is a rare thing in this county. He could have left ... but he didn't. He helped us set a tone here."

Hubbard said he had a lot of people from other schools try to get him to transfer, but "there was no way I was leaving. My dad (Andra Hubbard) always taught me to finish what I started, and it's something I live by. This is my school and my team and I didn't care what was going on, I was going to help my team."

The pressing goal for Hubbard is to lead Chamberlain into winning form and play well enough to get some college scholarship offers, something that lagged as he hobbled through 2009.

"I have no regrets," he said. "I'm happy that I stayed and I think this year is going to be awesome. I'm ready to make some good things happen."

About the Chiefs

STADIUM: John Adcock Stadium, 9401 North Blvd., Tampa
CLASS-DISTRICT: 5A-5 (with Plant, Alonso and Gaither)
COACH: Joe Severino (69-99, 17th season overall; second season at Chamberlain)
LAST SEASON: 1-9

2010 schedule

Sept. 3: Durant
Sept. 10: at Wharton
Sept. 16: at Hillsborough
Sept. 24: Tampa Bay Tech
Oct. 1: at Plant City
Oct. 8: Alonso
Oct. 15: at Armwood
Oct. 22: Gaither
Oct. 29: Brandon
Nov. 5: at Plant

Roster

No.NamePos.Ht.Wt.Yr.1Isaiah HobbsRB5-9175Jr.2Xavier JohnsonRB-DB5-9165So.3Tevin OrdonezLB5-10190Jr.4Germaine GilyardWR-DB5-10170So.5Dwayne RichardsonWR-DB6-2170Sr.6Neal McInnesK6-4190Jr.7Thadeus BaxleyQB6-1170Sr.8Shantavious HeywardFB-LB5-10205Sr.9Kelvon PowellWR-DB6-1165Sr.10Carlin ScottLB5-11175Jr.11Tenoris JacksonLB6-0215Jr.12Mitchell NordonQB5-10190So.14Wil WhitesideWR6-2185Sr.19George WilliamsDB5-9150Jr.22Devin WilliamsDB5-9165So.23Donnie McKinleyDB6-0170Sr.25Cody McLaughlinDB5-8145Jr.30Luis MedinaLB5-7185So.34Darius EdwardsLB5-10185Jr.39Justin BogniLB5-8165So.40Reshay HubbardLB-FB6-0225Sr.43Chris PhelpsTE6-3180So.44Joe WelhouseLB5-10175So.49Jose MarreroDE-TE6-1200Sr.50Tim WrightOL6-0205Jr.51Dylan AnsleyLB5-10175Jr.52Pablo RiveraOL-DL6-0235Sr.53Marcus StewartDE6-1205So.54Kendry LorenzoLB5-10190Jr.55Kris AlvarezDE6-0210Sr.56Anthony RequenoDE6-0215Jr.57Derek VenegasOL-DL6-4250Sr.60Stepyons BennettOL6-1305Sr.61Gerald VickersOL-DL6-1265Sr.62Loc PhamDL5-8200Sr.63Joe CastellanoC5-10215Jr.65Jonathon MelendezC5-9220Sr.66Wesley SkilesOL5-10195So.70Carlos RuedaOL5-11215Sr.71Lucas CancioOL6-3230So.72Norman ShermanDL-DE6-2250So.73Stephen Overton OL6-1240Jr.76Tariq QasemOL6-2345Sr.77Kendrick GreenDL-OL6-2225Jr.80David SteversonTE6-3195Jr.81Justin LottWR6-4190Jr.