“Bloomingdale has come a long way; we work our butts off every single day and no one wants it as bad as we do…” ~ Quarterback Lance Alderson, Bloomingdale Bulls
Valrico, July 17, 2019- This past year was a momentous one for the Bloomingdale’s football history books, as they achieved 11-2 overall with a deep regional final playoff run in former head coach Max Warner’s final go-around; the best all-time record and season since its establishment in 1987. Today, we bring you a sure-fire way to help you wind down your week, with a feature on a pair of BCP campers and offensive impactors. In this piece, we will specifically cover incoming senior quarterback Lance Anderson, who’s come to be a respectable signal-caller for the red, black and white.
“My junior season was an amazing experience for me and I’ll never forget it. What I would like to improve and accomplish this off-season is to be more consistent and trying to be the best leader I can be for the team.”
“Our expectations as a team are to go out and beat every team that lines up against us and hold nothing back. What I like about head coach [Jake] Coulson and what he brings to the table is how determined he is and how he tries every day to make us better,” says QB Lance Alderson affirmatively.
The first-year starter was throwing dimes in his junior debut, racking up 1,485 passing yards on 76 completions of 150 attempts, averaging nearly 20 yards per completed pass, 148.5 YPG, throwing 9 TDs, rushed for 47 yards and 2 TDs, and totaled an 86.1 QBR. Alderson was hitting his receivers in full stride consistently all-season long with the pigskin at his fore-fingers; especially when he aired it out 30+ yards. The 6’1″ 190-pound QB was cool and collected in his domain within the pocket, but was never to be counted out as a mobile threat either. His best season performance arose in his very first game against rival Newsome High, in which he threw for 208 yards going 8 for 13 with a .615 completion percentage and a touchdown, a long-ball of 61 yards and an outstanding 131.1 QBR, taking home the shut-out 42-0 win.
“I would go for it and steal the game because I trust the team I’m with and win or lose, I would know that we tried our best, so I’ll take that chance any day because that’s what football is about- taking risks,” said the poised QB in response to if he’d rather try to win a game in the last minutes of regulation and risk losing or ensure overtime. After all, everybody loves a composed gunslinger, confident in all his abilities, right? Exhibit A below: (and exhibits B-Z)
“Coach [Drew] Phillips started helping me get better in sixth grade and I’ve been with him since. He’s helped me so much to get to where I needed to be and I will always be thankful for that. I truly believe I wouldn’t be where I am today without him. I’ve always been told I would never be a QB so him working with me helped me prove all those people wrong, and going to the Elite 11 was a big deal for me. Since freshman year, I’ve always wanted to do it and that’s what I thought of every time I worked out and how I wanted to be one of the best.” states Alderson passionately about Phillips QB Academy and being invited to ‘The nation’s premier quarterback competition’ at the Elite 11 event this past February.
“To be honest, I don’t like camps that much because a lot of colleges or camps you go to, they already have guys they want or who they are going watch and nothing will change that- I still go just to improve. But, at BCP camps there are no favorites, everyone is competing. Like BCP Super 60, the local best of the best show up and compete together and that’s why I’ve always come to the camps.” A respectable take and well-said observation by the quarterback.
The soon-to-be senior leader closes, “I started at Durant high school my freshman year then transferred to Bloomingdale and was second-string my sophomore year, behind the at-the-time senior quarterback. That was probably the hardest year for me because I wasn’t playing and I never used to that. But I’m glad I did, I learned so much just watching what decisions he made and what I should look forward to my Junior year; that probably made me even more fired up to get on the field and show what I can do. What I what like to improve on is to be more vocal and since this is my last high school year, I’m thriving on just enjoying the game and giving it my all, every single play.”
Vaughan Sixbury, BCP Contributor