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Football previews: Class 2A and 2B

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Tampa Tribune

Published: September 1, 2009

JESUIT TIGERS

STADIUM: Corral Memorial Stadium, 4701 N. Himes Ave., Tampa

CLASS-DISTRICT: 2A-5

COACH: Joe Ross (25-16, fifth season)

ON OFFENSE: Senior quarterback and captain Bobby Eveld will lead the Tigers' spread offense. He split time at the position last season but showed he has the skills and physical attributes to excel at the position. Gone are his favorite targets, Erick McGriff and John Plasencia, but Eveld's proved he's capable of getting the ball to a lot of different players. Looking to step up is senior wide receiver Ben Gutowski. The Tigers return six starters on offense.

ON DEFENSE: The number of returning starters is a lot less on defense. The secondary was particularly hit hard. Jesuit's leading tackler, linebacker P.J. Hobson, is one of the starters that will have to be replaced. Starting defensive lineman Calvin Ruff is back. Ruff had two sacks and recovered two fumbles last season.

LENNARD LONGHORNS

STADIUM: Lennard Stadium, 2002 E. Shell Point Rd., Ruskin

CLASS-DISTRICT: 2A-5

COACH: George Edington (4-7, second year at Lennard)

ON OFFENSE: With more depth on the offensive line, second-year coach George Edington wants to establish a balanced running and passing attack.

Tevin Abney is the team's returning leading rusher, coming off a 2008 season in which he averaged 4.0 yards per carry. Abney recorded 259 yards off 65 carries with one touchdown.

Fred Porter, a junior, was the starting quarterback at East Bay in 2008, using his 6-foot-1, 180 pound frame to rush for 476 yards and six touchdowns off 95 carries while completing 11 of 41 passes for 183 yards with three interceptions. Edington said Porter will be a mobile quarterback, but his main goal will be to put the ball into the hands of 6-5 senior wideout DeMyco Winston. Last season, Winston had 15 catches for 367 yards and six touchdowns as a junior.

A 5-foot-11, 240, two-way lineman, Andy Siegworth protected former quarterback Andrew Burdick last season to help him throw for 1,440 yards and 18 touchdowns and will provide protection for Porter this season.

"He has good leg work," Edington said. "He's a good pass blocker."

ON DEFENSE: Defensively, Edington is looking for big things from his secondary, led by junior T.J. Elbert. As a sophomore, Elbert recorded 32 tackles forced the defense's only fumble

"Our secondary is very fast," he said.

David Sanders will key to Lennard's linebacker unit. Sanderson, only a sophomore, recorded 32 tackles in 2008.

"He loves to hit people," Edington said of Sanders.

Siegworth will also spend time on defensive. Last season, he had 20 tackles as a defensive lineman.

MIDDLETON TIGERS

STADIUM: Abe Brown Stadium, 4801 N. 22nd St., Tampa

CLASS-DISTRICT: 2A-5

COACH: Jason Stokes (6-5 overall, first year at Middleton)

ON OFFENSE: First-year Middleton coach Jason Stokes used a simple running attack at Bloomingdale in 2008 to guide the Bulls to their first ever playoff appearance.

Coming off a 2-8 season, Stokes will switch up his strategy at Middleton, installing a spread option, led by junior quarterback Willie Clay. Clay earned the team's starting quarterback position in the spring and played tight end for the Tigers last season.

One of Clay's go-to receivers will be senior Justin Sanders, who caught six passes for 46 yards. Vasty Paul, a transfer from Hillsborough, will be the team's featured running back.

ON DEFENSE: Stokes plans to run multiple formations on defense.

Middleton has size on its defensive line with senior Cortez Young (5-foot-9, 265 pounds) and junior Matt Parker (6-0, 270 pounds). Senior defensive back returns for his third consecutive starting season with the Tigers. Mingo had 24 tackles and a team-high three interceptions in 2008 and also caught three passes for 56 yards and one touchdown.

ROBINSON KNIGHTS

STADIUM: Jack Peters Field, 6311 S. Lois Ave., Tampa

CLASS-DISTRICT: 2A-5

COACH: Mike DePue (31-32, seventh season)

ON OFFENSE: The Knights have no shortage of playmakers, so the key will be the performance of the person responsible for getting the ball in their hands.

Blake Rice, the junior varsity quarterback last season, steps in under center this year, and while he's untested at the varsity level, Knights coaches are expecting big things this year.

With Rice taking over at quarterback, it allows Robinson to shift their most dangerous threat, Ruben Gonzalez, out to receiver. DePue believes this move will benefit the entire offense, especially if opposing defenses try to key on Gonzalez.

DePue was already happy with his stable of running backs before Spoto transfer Tim Randolph arrived, and Knights plan to utilize the ground attack behind a solid offensive line, led by Andrew Meddaugh.

ON DEFENSE: The strength of the defense lies up front with the return of linemen Quinton Preston and DJ Woods. Preston, a tackle, is the leader of the unit and "the heart of soul of this team," according to DePue.

Most of the Knights' better receivers double as defensive backs, including Frankie Williams, the team's best cover corner. Linebacker Tevin Newman is the strength in the middle.

STEIBRENNER WARRIORS

STADIUM: Steinbrenner Stadium, 5575 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road, Lutz

CLASS-DISTRICT: 2A-5

COACH: Floyd Graham (0-0 first year at Steinbrenner)

ON OFFENSE: Without any seniors, Graham admits he has no idea what to expect from any of his units; in fact, he hasn't personally met some of his players off the practice field. The enthusiasm has been there, though. At a school that opened with more than 1,600 students, more than 100 showed up for the first football practice. Graham expects more than 80 to stick around by the time the Warriors open the season next Friday.

It's hard to get a grip on the Warriors starting units, but Graham said the team will run the ball. He said his two best offensive players were both fullbacks: Marcos Vega and Ronald Dittrich.

"We are going to be much more about technique than X's and O's,'' Graham said. "We will get that first win and start getting better from there.''

"We're just trying to get first downs,'' Graham added. "We still don't know who can throw or run because we didn't even have spring practice. We'll get it figured out, but I am still trying to figure out who is on the team.''

ON DEFENSE: The Warriors will play a 3-5 defense that Graham said is pretty much new to everyone on the team. He's had a bit of a struggle getting the message through that the 3-5 is the key to scratching out some wins, but he's convinced the Warriors will buy into it before the season opens.

"Some of the guys like it and some of them don't and I expected that,'' Graham said. "We have a lot of work to do but the guys from Sickles mixing with the guys from Gaither are getting along and I see some chemistry building.''

STRAWBERRY CREST CHARGERS

STADIUM: Strawberry Crest Stadium, 4691 Gallagher Road, Dover

CLASS-DISTRICT: 2A-5

COACH: Todd Donohoe (8-22, fourth season overall; first season at Strawberry Crest)

ON OFFENSE: Donohoe is excited with the talent of several of his skill position players. Leading the way is quarterback Andrew Tedder, who was at Bartow last season. Tedder is a smart player and makes good decisions and he's proven to have a good arm.
The main target in the passing game is Donnardo Fields, a speedy receiver with good size who performed very well during summer 7-on-7 work.
However, most of the damage done by this unit could come on the ground, and one of the main runners will be Tomas Herrera, a gifted runner with good speed and vision. The biggest problem facing the Chargers is the lack of size up front on the line.

ON DEFENSE: The Chargers plan to be aggressive With a lack of big bodies, the defensive line could struggle in the early going, but Donohoe is happy to have a linebacker the caliber of Daniel Wisnesky. Donohoe also is expecting big things out of defensive back Jeff Hall.

Other 2A-5 teams: St. Pete Catholic

STADIUM: Crusaders Stadium, 4630 N. Rome Ave., Tampa

CLASS-DISTRICT: 2B-5

COACH: Bob Henriquez (99-55, 14th season)

ON OFFENSE: Crusaders coach Bob Henriquez has to be guarded with his optimism. He knows this is one of the most talented groups of offensive players he has assembled in his 14-year career but after the rash of injuries that nearly derailed the 2008 campaign, he knows how quickly things can become unraveled.

There is also something else that concerns him: "expectations vs. performance." In other words, the pundits are predicting great things from the Crusaders team – even a return to the state title game (playing this year in 2B) – but that doesn't necessarily mean the players will perform well enough to get there.

But with veterans like four-year starter Christian Green at quarterback, three-year starter Hank McCloud at running back and an offensive line anchored by highly-recruited Chaz Green, the Crusaders have a good foundation. And with newcomers like fullback Hunter Joyer and young talent coming up the junior varsity, including Austin Aikens, potential just might become a reality this season at TC.

ON DEFENSE: One of the hardest-hit spots to graduation came at the Crusaders' front seven and that's the biggest concern of defensive coordinator David Lewis, a former Tampa Bay Buccaneer star. He knows he could pull players off the offense to go both ways and indeed, some players will likely do that. But in order to have a team capable of going deep into the playoffs, Lewis knows he will need to build depth at linebacker and the defensive line.

Senior linebacker Brandon Mendoza will be a key to that defense and senior defensive back Jeremi Wilkes is the Crusaders' anchor man in the secondary. Watch for young players like 6-0, 250-pound sophomore Taylor Timmons to make an impact on the line.

Other 2B-5 teams: Avon Park, Sarasota Cardinal Mooney, Orlando Lake Highland Prep, Mulberry.

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