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Wake-Up Call: Alonso Ravens set to take flight

C.J. Bennett led Hillsborough County in passing last season with 3,017 yards and 29 touchdowns.

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By JOEY JOHNSTON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 26, 2009

The Wake-Up Call greets you each weekday with news, views and a few Tampa Bay area sports offerings to anticipate for the day and night. We encourage suggestions and contributions.

Good morning!

On a typical play, the Alonso Ravens generally line up with a five-receiver set, no tight end, nobody in the backfield. C.J. Bennett, the senior quarterback, is in the shotgun.

Then the assault begins.

"If we're playing it right, somebody is going to be open and we're constantly looking for that mismatch to exploit,'' Bennett said. "It's fun.''

The Ravens, who travel to Freedom High for Friday night's kickoff classic and open the regular season at home against Brandon on Sept. 4, play at a dizzying pace.

At times, it resembles a video game.

And actually, a video game got it all started.

Three years ago, much to the skepticism of head coach Mike Heldt, formerly a grind-it-out offensive lineman at Notre Dame, the Ravens went to a spread offense. They were a bit ahead of the curve, getting a jump on the trend that has swept through college and high school football.

Bennett, the triggerman, was the key to making it work.

So as part of his initial studies, he programmed Alonso's new plays into "Madden NFL 06'' and worked against simulated defenses.

"That's how C.J. learned to make decisions so quickly,'' said Alonso offensive coordinator Bruno Frauenfeld, who installed the offense based on concepts he learned from a prep coach in Virginia. "He learned it cold. That mind is always working. He definitely put in the time and he still puts in the time.

"Long ago, C.J. surpassed my expectations as a quarterback and a leader. He knows what he's doing out there. I'm telling you, it's going to be entertaining.''

Alonso's track record already says so.

Bennett (6 feet, 195 pounds), who has orally committed to the University of Wyoming, led Hillsborough County in passing last season with 3,017 yards and 29 touchdowns. In the spring jamboree against Jesuit, he threw for 224 yards in one half. And over the summer, he and the Alonso receivers terrorized opponents in seven-on-seven drills.

"In the old days, we maybe had two running backs on the field,'' Heldt said. "Now I feel like we have five [the receivers]. You want to find a way to get all your athletes on the field and that's what we're doing.''

"It's all about tempo and timing and being on the same page with the receivers,'' Alonso senior wide receiver Justen Davis said. "We trust C.J. a lot. You know what our motto is around here? 'The defense is always wrong.' That's because C.J. will get us in the right play.''

Ask Bennett about the secret to Alonso's offensive success and he just shrugs.

There really isn't a secret.

"Our passing game, essentially, is our running game,'' Bennett said. "We're not looking to go deep and throw a bomb on every play. It's a bunch of short passes, timing stuff. We do things nice and quick.''

Sometimes, remarkably quick.

Ideally, Bennett will get the snap, make his decision and deliver in about two seconds.

Sort of like a video game.

"Last year, we had Demonte McAllister [defensive lineman, now at Florida State University], one of the sack leaders in the county,'' Heldt said. "When we practiced, he couldn't get to C.J. He was really frustrated, which says a lot.

"Given my background, I never thought I'd be head coach of a team that played like this. But I've come around to it. Our offensive linemen love this. They don't have to hold their blocks as long. Even if we have some inadequacies [on the offensive line], C.J. pulls the trigger so fast, it covers them up. We've got the right guy back there for what we're doing, no question about that.''

Bennett's father, Roger, is his quarterback coach at Alonso. He was nicknamed "Chip'' because people thought he was a "chip off the old block" in the way he was similar to his father.

C.J. actually stands for "Chip Junior."

"I've been around football my whole life,'' Bennett said. "But I haven't had as much fun as the last few years. Playing on a team like this, with this kind of offense, really makes me want to go out on a high note.

"The bar is set high because we think of ourselves as the best offense in the county. Our expectations are to win every game and to excel offensively. I think we have every opportunity to do just that.''

Then it's off to Wyoming, an unconventional college choice for a player from Tampa. Then again, Bennett is an unconventional player. Besides, his skills fit Wyoming's wide-open style.

"Maybe a couple of years ago, a high-school team playing like this was considered daring,'' Frauenfeld said. "Now it's just keeping up with the times. It seems like everyone is doing a variation of this or at least giving it a try.

"It's not easy. You've got to work at it. You've really got to have the right guy there, a smart guy, somebody who can think on his feet.''

Somebody like C.J. Bennett.

A salute to Doug Aplin

Former Chamberlain High School boys basketball players are invited this weekend to honor Coach Doug Aplin, who resigned in June after going 516-276 in 31 seasons at his alma mater.

A reception will be held on Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Emerald Greens Golf and Country Club, 13903 Clubhouse Drive. For information, send an e-mail to David Hasselbach at hasseldn@mac.com.

Joyce smacks grand slam

Rays prospect Matt Joyce (Armwood), a left fielder for the Triple-A Durham Bulls, hit a two-out first-inning grand slam in Tuesday night's 9-6 victory at Syracuse. In 99 games at Durham, Joyce is batting .273 with 14 homers and 57 RBIs.

Brown, Strasburg are teammates

Oakland Athletics outfield prospect Corey Brown (Plant), playing with Double-A Midland in the Texas League, will play in the Arizona Fall League with the Phoenix Desert Dogs. Also on that roster: Pitching Stephen Strasburg, the 2009 draft's No. 1 overall pick who recently signed with the Washington Nationals.

Outfielder Domonic Brown (Pasco), with Double-A Reading in the Philadelphia Phillies' organization, will play with the Scottsdale Scorpions. Former left-hander Tommy Phelps (Robinson) will serve as pitching coach for the Surprise Rafters.

The Arizona Fall League begins on Oct. 13.

TC's Christian Green tops in Florida

Tampa Catholic quarterback Christian Green, listed as a wide receiver prospect, is the No. 1 player in Florida, according to SuperPrep Magazine.

Other SuperPrep Florida rankings for Tampa Bay area players:

* No. 3: Jonathan Dowling, defensive back, Bradenton Southeast.

* No. 18: Chaz Green, offensive lineman, Tampa Catholic.

* No. 27: Terrence Mitchell, cornerback, Hillsborough.

* No. 32: Marvin Robinson, safety, Lake Region.

* No. 45: Nickell Robey, cornerback, Frostproof.

* No. 49: Jared Haggins, wide receiver/safety, Lakeland.

* No. 50: Trey Burton, quarterback, Venice.

* No. 57: Ace Sanders, wide receiver, Bradenton Manatee.

* No. 58: Marcus Shaw, running back, Arcadia DeSoto.

* No. 61: Justen Davis, wide receiver, Alonso.

* No. 65: Michael McFarland, tight end, Blake.

* No. 69: Tarean Austin, quarterback, Hillsborough.

* No. 86: C.J. Bennett, quarterback, Alonso.

* No. 94: Maurice Hagens, fullback, Tampa Bay Tech.

* No. 108: Jeremy Deering, wide receiver, Leto.

* No. 110: Quayshawn Nealy, linebacker, Lakeland.

UT volleyball ranked 10th nationally

For the 12th consecutive season, the University of Tampa's volleyball program is ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association preseason top 10. In fact, the Spartans (27-5 last season) are No. 10 (and Florida Southern is No. 16).

The Spartans, who have no seniors and three returning starters – junior outside hitter Melissa Vanderhall, junior middle hitter Sam Mack and sophomore middle hitter Camille Hanks – begin their season at home against Lock Haven on Thursday night at 7.

Birthday wishes

Happy birthday to Rays rookie left-hander David Price, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft who was on the mound last season when Tampa Bay clinched its berth in the World Series. Today, Price turns 24.

The Answer Man

Since Major League Baseball went to a 162-game schedule in 1961, Dave Kingman set the record for the lowest batting average by a league home run champion. Kingman, playing for the New York Mets, led the National League with 37 homers in 1982, but he batted just .204.

In the American League, the lowest batting average by a home run champion was .243 by Minnesota Twins first baseman Harmon Killebrew in 1962 (he had 48 homers). Killebrew's low-water AL batting mark is being challenged by Rays first baseman Carlos Pena, who currently leads the league in homers (37), while batting just .223.

Wednesday trivia

Here's our daily sports trivia question, featuring a Tampa Bay/Florida spin. Try your luck by commenting below.

Who holds the Florida prep football record for most yards passing in a single season?

Check for the answer in Thursday's Wake-Up Call.

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