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Schmitz Expects Change To Be Good For Mustangs

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By RICK HARMON

Tribune correspondent

Published: August 23, 2008

TRINITY - For the last three years, a familiar player has been in the Mitchell backfield.

But not anymore.

The multi-talented Tate Humphrey was the Mustangs' quarterback for three years. But with Humphrey graduated, Coach Scott Schmitz has decided to change the offense.

"We've gone back to the wing-T," said Schmitz, whose Mustangs went 5-5 overall and 1-2 in Class 5A-District 5. "We've been with the spread the last three years because it fit out personnel."

But this year, the strength of the Mustangs is running backs. Sophomore Ricky Trinidad (5-foot-8, 165 pounds), junior Brandon Mundy (6-0, 188) and senior James Hamilton (6-2, 215) will be sharing the load.

"Those three guys are pretty good running backs," Schmitz said. "Ricky Trinidad, although he's a young player, has the chance to be a special player."

Replacing Humphrey at quarterback is junior Cody Van De Boe (5-9, 155). Van De Boe was the starting quarterback on Mitchell's JV team that went 8-1 last season running the spread offense.

"The selling job was to show these kids that this offense best fits our strengths," Schmitz said. "I know our quarterback came into spring thinking he was going to sit back and chuck the ball 25 times a ball game. I'd be disappointed if Cody didn't want to throw the ball 25 times a game."
Schmitz says the offense has bought into the new system.

"Cody knows there might be times that we only throw the ball five times in a game," Schmitz said. "There might be a game that we throw 15 times. What we're asking Cody to do is, when we need him to make a play, he makes a play. And I have all the confidence in the world he can do that."

During spring practice, Schmitz wasn't sure there would be anyone for Van De Boe to throw to. But that has changed throughout the summer.

"We graduated just about everybody off that offensive group. We don't have a returning starter back from our receiving group," Schmitz said. "Our receivers are getting better. Cory Smith 6-1, 175 is a junior. Marcus Hicks 5-10, 170, sophomore has decided he wants to be a football player. He's had a good second half of summer. We have a transfer from Ohio - Donnie Kostar 5-11, 165, senior - and he's doing a good job. I think they were the weakest part of our offense at the end of spring. Cody's showing some confidence in them, and he'll throw to them. The 7-on-7 this summer really helped."

Defense has been a problem for the Mustangs the past two years. Last year, Mitchell gave up 235 points, including five games of 30 or more points.

"We're kind of at a loss to know why. Since I've been in this county, my teams have always played solid defense," Schmitz said. "We lost a couple defensive coaches, which hurt us a little bit. But we picked up Brian Wachtel, who played for me at River Ridge. He's had a heck of an impact on our kids. He and Justin Fenton, our defensive coordinator, have been working real hard this summer. I'm very happy with the defensive package they put together. Our kids seem to be flying around. They seem to be a lot more excited to be playing defense than they have before. Those two are very excitable guys, and the kids are starting to feel that."

The Mustangs only play two linebackers, and Schmitz said there are four standing out for those two spots.

"We've got to get kids that want to play defense," he said. "We've moved Dominick Booth 6-2, 235, senior from nose tackle to linebacker. Ryan Gallagher 5-11, 210, senior is back from an injury-prone junior year and he's ready to play."

Andrew Ortiz (6-0, 190, senior) and Anthony Moore (5-11, 205, junior) also have impressed Schmitz.

"Those four kids have a chance," he said. "I really like Gallagher and Booth, but they have to turn their motors up a gear and keep it there."

This probably will be Mitchell's final season in Class 5A-District 5 - for a while. A new school is scheduled to open in Holiday in 2009 that will drop the Mustangs to Class 4A. But Schmitz said he hasn't thought about that.

"People say that I'm looking forward to the new school opening so we can drop down in class," Schmitz said. "I've never looked at it that way. We have 2,600 students. So do those guys Gaither, Wharton and Wesley Chapel. When we go to Gaither and when Wharton comes here, there's no reason why we can't play them as tough as anybody else."

As for the Sunshine Athletic Conference, Schmitz thinks it is wide open.

"I've been in this county 24 years. I don't know if I've seen it as even as it is right now," he said. "I can't tell you right now who the favorite is. Land O' Lakes lost a lot of people, but it's still Land O' Lakes. Until you knock them off, it's still Land O' Lakes.

"Hudson is very well-coached, with a strong quarterback. They're going to be a good football team. Gulf returns a lot of players and got a move-in transfer from Ridgewood Adrian Golden so they're going to be good."

And he thinks the Mustangs could have a say in the SAC champion.

"There's no reason why we can't be thrown in that mix," Schmitz said. "I don't know how many games we're going to win, but I know with this group, we're going to play 10 games and we're going to play 10 games hard. I can't ask any more from a group of kids than that."
Schmitz will find out just where they are when the Mustangs host Land O'Lakes on Friday in a Kickoff Classic and travel to Gulf to open the season Sept. 5.

Correspondent Rick Harmon can be reached at (727) 692-7411 or tampabaystringer@gmail.com.

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