RIVIERA BEACH – Keshaun Emerson wants to take his game to another level this upcoming season.
As a junior at Suncoast, the 6-foot, 155-pound defensive back had a solid campaign in his own right. In seven games played, he registered 28 total tackles, seven pass breakups, and only two receptions allowed on 17 targets.
Emerson reflected on his abbreviated junior season, which was played in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“My junior season was great,” Emerson said. “I feel like I improved a lot each week and did a lot better than my sophomore year on both sides of the ball.”
The offseason was a pivotal one for Emerson, especially considering the fact that Suncoast did not have a spring game due to COVID-19 having an adverse effect on the team at large. He went to a host of camps this past summer, including the ones at Florida, UCF, and USF, to name just a few.
In his summer camp experience, Emerson won 15 of his 20 reps at defensive back and caught two interceptions. He also ran a personal best 40-yard dash time of 4.53 seconds.
“My summer was great,” Emerson said. “I was able to work out and learn from a lot of players at the college and NFL levels. I was also able to connect with a family friend of my dad, Abe Elam. I went to multiple college camps and had a great time learning and connecting with a lot of coaches. Some things I’ve achieved was cutting down my 40 time from a 4.65 to a 4.53 and me improving in the weight room by adding 35 pounds to my bench and 60 pounds to my squat.”
Emerson has picked up interest from a few colleges as well.
“Right now it has been going slow since the end of camp season,” Emerson said. “But the three main schools I’ve been talking to are Florida A&M (via Coach Kenneth Black), UAB (via Coach David Reeves), and Kentucky (via Coach Chris Collins).”
Emerson spoke on Suncoast’s head coaching change from Jimmy Clark to Mark Leone. He also touched on how his team’s first fall practice went last week with Leone on Monday, Aug. 2.
“It went good,” Emerson said. “We got to see our freshman class work out for the first time and the upperclassman started to get into the playbook as a group. We also had a big announcement of senior Anthony Kafouros making the ESPN Top 63.”
Emerson delved further into Leone’s time so far as the Suncoast head coach.
“Coach Leone has brought a different type of energy to the team that’s different from previous years,” Emerson said, “The players have a stronger will to work under him and having been working their butts off when they’re at practice. I think he’s connected well with the team. We also have a new defensive coordinator (Timotheus Granger) and I feel like he is going push our defense to getting to the level needed to compete with the bigger schools.”
Emerson shared his own individual goals and expectations for his upcoming senior season at Suncoast.
“You can expect me to produce a lot for my team on both sides on the ball,” Emerson said. “A goal I have on the defensive side of the ball is to have around five picks with no passes given up this season. And my offensive goal is to get over the 500-yard mark.”
NOTES: Suncoast has a manageable schedule for its 2021 fall season. Here are the upcoming games for the Chargers.
•WEEK 1: Away at Lake Worth – Friday, Aug. 27 at 6:30 p.m.
•WEEK 2: Home vs. Royal Palm Beach – Thursday, Sept. 2 at 6:30 p.m.
•WEEK 3: Home vs. John I. Leonard – Friday, Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m.
•WEEK 4: BYE
•WEEK 5: Home vs. Jupiter – Friday, Sept. 24 at 6:30 p.m.
•WEEK 6: Away at Cardinal Newman – Thursday, Sept. 30 at 6:30 p.m.
•WEEK 7: Home vs. Inlet Grove – Friday, Oct. 8 at 6:30 p.m.
•WEEK 8: Home vs. South Fork – Thursday, Oct. 14 at 6:30 p.m.
•WEEK 9: Home vs. Port St. Lucie – Friday, Oct. 22 at 6 p.m.
•WEEK 10: Home vs. Okeechobee – Friday, Oct. 29 at 6:30 p.m.
•WEEK 11: Away at Spanish River – Friday, Nov. 5 at 6:30 p.m.
Suncoast is in District 8-6A with Okeechobee, Port St. Lucie, and South Fork.
