October 31, 2024
Tavares High Sophomore Tamauri Collins Breakout Season Sparks Playoff Push
By Kyle Coppola
Tavares High Sophomore Tamauri Collins Breakout Season Sparks Playoff Push
TAVARES, Fla. — Tavares High School’s sophomore running back Tamauri Collins has stormed onto the Central Florida football scene, defying expectations with a breakout season that’s lifted the Bulldogs to a 6-3 record. With 600 yards of offense and 12 rushing touchdowns to his name, Collins has fueled Tavares’ charge toward a playoff berth, with one final regular-season test looming at home against East Ridge High on Friday.
(Collins has 12 offensive rushing touchdowns. It’s been a huge breakout year for the young running back. Photo Credit – JOE OTT)
Collins, known for his explosive speed and agility, has been a game-changer for Tavares, transforming a Bulldogs offense that struggled in recent years. His consistent production on the field has made him a centerpiece of Tavares’ game plan and a spark for the team’s morale. Collins also gets help from senior running back Tyler Davis who has nearly 600 yards and 5 touchdowns this season.
“He’s a special talent,” Bulldogs head coach Gavin Jones said. “For a sophomore to make this kind of impact is fantastic. He’s got the right mindset and work ethic, and it’s paying off in big ways for us. He’s got a little brother who’s going to be really good in the coming years as well.”
(Since taking the Tavares program over, Gavin Jones has built the school into a powerhouse in Lake County again. The team is seeking to win 7 games for the first time since the 2019 season which saw Tavares make the playoffs. Photo Credit – JOE OTT)
In just nine games, Collins has averaged over 8.6 yards per carry. He also has two games where he rushed for over 100 yards this season. “We’ve been trying to figure things out offensively. The offensive line has given these guys opportunities and I just let them know that every game matters,” says coach Jones. Every game does indeed matter as Tavares is in the #23 spot for the rankings in their class. They have the opportunity to be either a five, six or seven seed when the FHSAA playoffs roll around.
As Collins aims to push Tavares to a seventh win and a shot at playoff success, Friday’s game promises to be an electric finish to a season that has seen a rising star emerge. East Ridge High running back Uriah Maynard is coming into potentially the final game of his high school career. We look forward to a great matchup on Friday night at Tavares High.
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
