CLEARWATER — J.J. Archer knew exactly who was lined up across from him in Clearwater High’s season opener. A year earlier, they had been his teammates.
In his first game since transferring from East Lake, the senior receiver caught eight passes from sophomore quarterback Jaysean Glenn for 264 yards and three touchdowns, a Clearwater single-game record. On Sept. 11, he added 205 yards and a touchdown in a victory over St. Petersburg. His 595 yards rank third in the state.
Glenn and Archer are the latest in a line of prolific pass-and-catch pairs at Clearwater. Aidan MacLean set a county record for touchdown passes in 2021 with Censere Lee as his top target. A couple of years later, Jaylen White shredded defenses with his arm and his legs, leaning on Javeyon McKenzie on the way to 4,400 career yards and 41 touchdowns.
Jaysean had to earn the job. He beat out junior Tyrone Benjamin in an offseason competition that was anything but gentle, with coach Thor Jozwiak putting both quarterbacks in live drills against the Tornadoes’ defense.
“They were getting hit by a very tough defense,” said Justin Glenn, Clearwater’s offensive coordinator and receivers coach, and Jaysean’s father. “He took some blows to earn the trust of his teammates and the starting position.”
Once the job was his, Jaysean went to work building chemistry with his receivers.
“Every day after practice, I’d get my linemen, get my wide receivers, get some extra workouts, watch extra film,” he said. “We’d go over plays, routes and everything just to get that connection.”
Archer was a big part of that project. He had 544 receiving yards and five touchdowns at East Lake in 2025 before transferring to Clearwater, a move he said came down to geography and family.
“I already live right down the street from the school, and I have family that used to go here, and they all thought it would be a better fit for me,” Archer said.
Learning a new offense, and a new quarterback, came down to repetition.
“Reps, reps, reps,” he said. “Just repping it out with (Jaysean), extra catches, just working on the field, building our chemistry. We went through every route at least 20 times a day.”
The work paid off immediately. Archer said his big night against the Eagles had less to do with inside knowledge than with channeling his emotions.
“It wasn’t even familiarity with their defense,” he said. “I wasn’t really worried about my emotions. I just kind of took it out on playing, not on the actual players or coaches. That game was very emotional, and I balled out.”
Opponents have taken notice, and Archer said he’s fine with that.
“(Opponents) know I’m not easy to cover one-on-one,” he said. “They try to double-team me a lot, which opened up opportunities for our other players.”
That’s by design, Justin Glenn said.
“There’s so much talent, and we don’t run a simplistic offense,” he said. “We’re identifying what the defense is in and finding matchups.”
Sophomore Daimarion Chambers and seniors Ke’Mariae Bullard, Jack Wang and Zair Wilburn have all made plays as a result.
Jozwiak likes what he sees from his young quarterback.
“(Jaysean) does a great job getting us in and out of the huddle,” Jozwiak said. “He does a great job communicating on the field, and he’s starting to develop and see everything that’s happening in front of him, making the right reads.”
Jaysean said his next step is mental.
“My next step to improve is to stay humble, stay disciplined and never underestimate a team,” he said. “That hurts the team and makes us lose games.”
Archer, meanwhile, hopes the Tornadoes’ success, and his own, leads to a college opportunity in 2027.
“I want to touch at least 1,000 receiving yards and get my name out there,” he said. “I’ve had about six schools get in touch so far.”
Quick hits
Northside Christian sweeps Bradenton Christian tournament
Northside Christian’s volleyball team won the Bradenton Christian tournament, beating Indian Rocks Christian 2-0 in the championship match.
Aaliyah Cancellari was named tournament MVP, and teammate Brinley Temperton earned all-tournament honors.
The Mustangs are ranked fourth overall in the state in the latest FHSAA rankings. If that holds, Northside would land in the Open Division, the FHSAA’s bracket for the state’s top-ranked teams regardless of class.
Cofield gets first win at Pinellas Park
New Pinellas Park coach Takoby Cofield picked up his first varsity win Sept. 4, as the Patriots held off Dunedin 14-6 on the road.
Pinellas Park ran the ball 29 times for 206 yards. Junior Jhai Hitchcock carried 11 times for 110 yards and a touchdown, including a 40-yard run. Nate Vega added 52 yards on eight carries and Chayse Armstrong ran 10 times for 44 yards. Quarterback Laderian Jackson completed 3 of 5 passes for 18 yards.
Cofield, hired this offseason, played offensive line at Duke from 2011 to 2014 and earned All-ACC honors as a senior. He spent time with NFL and CFL clubs, including Washington and the Seattle Seahawks, and coached at the pro level before taking the Pinellas Park job.
Largo’s Matthews sets single-game receiving record
Largo senior Cyncere Matthews caught four passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns in the Packers’ 46-12 win at Tarpon Springs on Sept. 4, a single-game school record for receiving yards.
Largo threw for 310 yards. Junior Dylan Lester completed 5 of 6 passes for 180 yards and three touchdowns, and freshman Braylon Strouble went 7 of 8 for 130 yards and a score.
Rashad Smith added 105 yards and three rushing touchdowns on 10 carries, and Howard Brown returned a fumble 65 yards for a score. Travon Rackard led the defense with 13 tackles.