Auburndale quarterback Amari Turner finds his way back home, ready to lead Bloodhounds

There are two words that come to mind when it comes to Amari Turner: Ball out.

Turner is in an interesting situation. Two years ago, as a sophomore, he was the quarterback at Auburndale under then-head coach Kyle Sasser. Last year he transferred to Bartow before suffering a season-ending broken collarbone against Winter Haven in Week 6. For this season, he has transferred back to his hometown of Auburndale under new head coach Antonio Thomas.

Turner, now a senior, played well in the spring game back in May. In that 41-7 win over Fort Meade, Turner displayed that he could make all the requisite throws, while also being able to scramble outside the pocket.

With him being back in his hometown and the season on the horizon, Turner is out to prove that he is among the best quarterbacks in Polk County. His mindset is fun loving, which helps him to focus.

“For the whole team, just ball out. Have fun,” Turner said. “It feels very good, great (to be back in my hometown). … We have a good team. I’m just excited.”

Turner is excited and eager to show that cannon of an arm, which he was able to strengthen even more during rehab after last season's injury. Bartow coaches and trainers worked with him as he lifted weights.

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Heading out of that spring game ― and the season — there could have been a quarterback competition, as Chad Williams also played well. But as the off-season went on, he decided to transfer to Lakeland.

With Williams now a Dreadnaught, Turner’s focus is still the same.

“My mindset never really changed. Now that I have the keys to the offense, (I’m) really just going to go out and execute what our coach game plans for us,” he said.

Learning Auburndale’s game plan has been a seamless process for Turner, as the offense is comparable to Bartow’s of last year. The only difference is that this year’s Auburndale’s team has more weapons at his disposal.

Thomas said he sees the heart in Turner.

“He’s a little more poised," Thomas said. "He is hungry; I can see the hunger in him. He’s willing to compete for a spot. He came back in the spring not knowing whether he would win the starting spot or not and he excelled. … I kind of see the team rallying around him a little bit.”