Preview: St. John Neumann begins anew following the graduation of Jensen Jones

Naples

St. John Neumann High School football coach, Damon Jones, congratulates his team for a phenomenal win against the Glades Day School on Friday, November 16, 2018, at St. John Neumann High School in Naples.

St. John Neumann hopes to follow an impressive 10-2 season that included a regional final appearance.

It's going to be more challenging this year as the Celtics lost a lot of their offense and defense pieces to graduation, including Jensen Jones, the 2018 Broxson Trophy Winner. Nyre Handy, Wendy Luders, and Oliver Wasem were all key playmakers on offense that the Celtics will hope to replace as the season kicks off later this week.

St. John Neumann is one of the teams that did not have a preseason classic due to inclement weather. However, Damon Jones said there were pros and cons of not partaking in a preseason game.

Jensen Jones of the St. John Neumann High School football team runs towards the end zone during the game against Glades Day School, Friday, November 16, 2018, at St. John Neumann High School in Naples.

"It's hard to simulate the game speed and the flow of the game in practice," Jones said. "The kickoff classics give you a chance to work out some of the bugs, but it is what it is. At least we're healthy."

Jones said he has named a starting quarterback to succeed his son, and that is Mike Joyce, who started the spring game for the Celtics in May.

"He's had a good fall camp," the fourth-year head coach added. "He keeps getting better every day, and he's a hard worker."

Neumann has a fair share of challenging games on their schedule including Bishop Verot and Evangelical Christian in the Southwest Florida area. They also go on the road to play Faith Christian in Orlando, as well as St. Petersburg Catholic in the final weeks of the season.

Celtics Facts

Coach: Damon Jones (4th year)

District: 2A-4

Last year: 10-2, made playoffs (lost 21-10 to Champagnat Catholic in regional final)

Strengths: The Celtics return wide receiver J.P. Raiger, and running back Joseph Donahue. Junior quarterback Mike Joyce will be succeeding Jensen Jones, and the entire offensive line will be returning this season for the Celtics.

Weaknesses: Losing 3,500-plus yards from a single player is never easy to replace. The Celtics have to replace Jensen Jones, who was the 2018 Broxson Trophy winner. Key players on the defensive side have also graduated, so the Neumann defense will be slightly younger than last year..

Schedule: Aug. 23 -- at Community School of Naples, 7 p.m.; Aug. 30 -- vs Oasis, 7 p.m.; Sep. 6 -- vs IMG Academy White, 7 p.m.; Sep. 13 -- vs Bishop Verot, 7 p.m.; Sep. 20 -- at Faith Christian, 7 p.m.; Sep. 27 -- vs Lemon Bay, 7 p.m.; Oct. 4 -- at Evangelical Christian, 7 p.m.; Oct. 11 -- at Bonita Springs, 7 p.m.; Oct. 18 -- BYE; Oct. 25 -- at St. Petersburg Catholic, 7 p.m.; Nov. 1 -- Carrollwood Day, 7 p.m.

Follow Naples Daily News Sports Writer Alex Martin on Twitter: @NP_AlexMartin. For more coverage of sports in Southwest Florida, follow ndnprepzone on Instagram, and @NDN_PrepZone on Twitter.