New coach hopes to lead Bradford to promised land

The Bradford (Starke) Tornadoes have found much success over the past four seasons with 47 wins and a trip to the state title game in 2023 being highlights for former head coach Jamie Rodgers.

After leading Bradford to an 11-2 record and a trip to the Class 2A regional finals last season, Rodgers returned to his alma mater, Baker County (Glen St. Mary), for a second stint as head coach.

So, enter Ross Baker, a veteran of 15 years coaching high school football in Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia and Florida in assistant and head coaching roles, as the new Tornadoes head coach. Baker was most recently co-offensive coordinator at Georgia powerhouse Valdosta High School.

Baker talked about what brought him to Starke.

“The community is amazing and the campus support is amazing,” Baker said. “Everything about it just felt like the right time and the right place and my wife agreed. It’s just a small community that loves football and shows up on Friday nights. There’s no better place to be.”

Baker says his time at Valdosta and coaching at one of the most recognizable high school programs in the country will help him as the Bradford head coach.

“It was an unbelievable experience,” Baker said. “It was an opportunity to grow and they do things the right way up there. South Georgia football is amazing and I’m trying to bring that atmosphere here.”

Bradford returns most of its offensive skill players, along with plenty of athleticism. Junior quarterback Cy Cubbedge, whom Baker calls a “definite Power Four quarterback,” is back after throwing for 1,832 yards, 24 touchdowns and just five interceptions as a sophomore.

“I’ve been working on gaining weight and getting stronger,” Cubbedge said. “I’m starting to get set in my frame and use my athleticism more than I did last year.”
Cubbedge says things are a bit different with the new Bradford head coach.

“It’s been a lot more structured,” Cubbedge said. “Right now we have to be dressed out in the weight room; we can’t just wear the clothes we wear to school. It’s a lot more step-by-step process rather than doing your own thing in the weight room.”

Also returning is senior wide receiver/defensive back Jordan Cason, who had 32 receptions for 435 yards and five touchdowns in 2025.

“I think this group is more coming together as a team,” Cason said. “Last year we had more of individuals rather than the team atmosphere, and the new coach is helping us be more of a team.”

“Jordan (Cason) was electric in the spring game,” Baker said. “The first two touches he had were touchdowns, so he’s going to do some special things.”

The offensive backfield is stacked as senior running back Iyen Addison returns after rushing for 1,073 yards (6.7 yards per carry) and 119 yards per game with eight touchdowns. He is joined by senior Drew Simmons, who split time last season between Union County and Columbia, after a big sophomore season for Union County in 2024.

The receiving corps must replace graduated Kemontae Nixon, but senior Chase Phillips returns along with Cason.

“We have a good group of receivers. I’d say there is a solid group of six receivers that are going to see the field, and all of them have been doing great this summer,” Baker said.

Among the returners on defense for the Tornadoes is senior defensive lineman Danny Torres. Torres is the leading returning tackler, racking up 90 stops a year ago along with 13.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.

“I’ve been working on my pass rush a lot this offseason,” Torres said. “Last year, I was more of a run stopper, but I wanted to be more versatile, so I’ve been working on pass rush as much as possible.”

Also returning is senior defensive tackle Parviele Lee, who had 84 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and six sacks in 2025.

Bradford moves to District 4-2A this season, which includes Newberry and Trinity Catholic (Ocala). The Tornadoes open at home against West Port (Ocala) before hosting rival Baker County in week two on Aug. 28.

After home games against Zarephath Academy (Jacksonville) and Trinity Catholic in early September, Bradford is on the road for four straight games at Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine), Madison County, Eastside, and Newberry. The Tornadoes close with back-to-back home contests against Jacksonville powerhouses University Christian and Ed White.