Things are going quite well for Springfield Central. 

On Wednesday, we spoke with Bill Watson, the interim coach for the Div. 1 state champs. He gave us the latest college info on some of his players, as they are getting recruited by schools at every level.

We talked first about wide receiver Joe Griffin, who has signed with Boston College. Watson said that other schools tried to jump into the mix after Griffin gave his commitment. Programs like Notre Dame, Kentucky, Wake Forest, and Tennessee all showed interest, but Griffin was steadfast in his pledge to BC.

Griffin’s impact on Central went beyond himself.

“Kids coming up behind him, they want to be the next Joe Griff,” Watson said.

Also in the 2022 class, offensive lineman Travis Gause will continue his career at Springfield College. Gause had preferred walk-on opportunities at the Division 1 level, but chose to play at one of the top Div. 3 programs in the area. Gause has excellent technique, and will do very well for himself at Springfield.

Another senior who had a breakout season for Central was wide receiver Tukarryon Daniels. Since Daniels was hurt much of the season, his recruitment was a bit slower. The speedster is exploring his options, which include doing a postgrad year at a prep school.

Defensive tackle Aaron Jones will go to Temple.

Tight end Brendan Guy is going to Williams. Cornerback Christopher Winslow is looking at some local Div. 2 options like Stonehill and American International. Cornerback Jaydin Boyd is committed to Franklin Pierce. Offensive lineman Mehki Abdul is looking at Div. 2 and 3 programs. Defensive end Zach Jones is looking at schools like UMass-Dartmouth and the Univ. of New England. 

Leading the way for the juniors is quarterback William Watson. He was offered as an eighth grader by UMass, and with Don Brown and former Central coach Valdamar Brower on the new staff, the Minutemen have his attention.

The issue, Bill Watson, his father, said, is that so many programs that offered his son have gone through coaching changes. Two schools where that has happened are Pittsburgh and Oregon. Another school to keep an eye on is Nebraska, where Mark Whipple is now after playing a key role in Pitt’s recruitment of Watson.

Basically, Watson is still gathering information and seeing where the cards fall with all these coaching moves.

“We did (have a timetable for naming favorites),” the elder Watson said. “It’s changed now because of all the movement. We’re going to wait it out a little and see how things develop.”

Defensive end Josiah Griffin has a trio of local offers in UConn, UMass, and Boston College. Watson notes that Griffin has very good grades, and that some Ivy League schools could get in the mix.

Offensive lineman Jayden Bass has a UMass offer, and Watson thinks Bass is deserving of more attention.

Wide receiver Kevin Jackson has some interest but will likely need to do some work at camps since most of the passes this year went to Griffin and Daniels.

Defensive tackle Bryce Gentry Warrick is “getting the run around because of his height,” according to Watson. Warrick is 6-0, 285 pounds, but Watson sees him at the Football Championship Subdivision level.

Running back Tariq Thomas is getting Ivy League attention.

Linebacker Mesias Lee could end up putting his hand down at the next level. Fellow linebacker Justin Brown is someone who is also one of the better players on the defense.

Watson feels defensive back Kymari Latney will be in that FCS, Div. 2 level. “He’s probably one of the bigger hitters on this team,” Watson said.

Offensive lineman Ahmari Owens is starting to see interest, but more schools will come in time.