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inally, football has come back to Plant City! If you’re reading this, I’m sure you’re just as excited for the 2015 high school season as I am. After what felt (to me) like the longest summer ever, it’s good to be back in the routine dictated by prep sports and spending every Friday night on the sidelines, -867,1 from now until (hopefully) ./,1( the end of the FHSAA playoffs. For all we know, it could happen. I truly think there are some great things on the horizon for all three of our area teams, and that you need to get in the loop as soon as possible. I’m hoping that this guide will get you prepared to go watch your favorite team(s) with every bit of information you’d possibly want to know. After all, you won’t get in-depth coverage of Durant, Plant City or Strawberry Crest anywhere else. As with last year’s guide, we’re going to break it down on a team-by-team basis. Recaps of 2014, outlooks for 2015, offensive and defensive schemes, and players to watch will all be covered here, and I’ll also be making my own predictions for each squad. If you disagree, and you’re a player or coach, feel free to prove me wrong on the field — I’ll be revisiting my predictions at the end of the season, looking at what I got right and what I got wrong, and
will have no problem eating some humble pie. Of course, you’re probably also interested in #FlashbackFridays. We chose that theme for this year’s guide because, even though two of our schools are fairly new, each program either has some great historic tidbits to dwell on or, in Strawberry Crest’s case, is writing its own history as it goes. You’ll even get to check out some cool vintage photos of football in the Plant City area from years past, courtesy of our good friends at the Plant City Photo Archives & History Center. If the cover art caught your eye, know that there’s even more great stuff waiting for you as you flip through the pages. We opted to go for original drawings this year to tip our hats to football programs from decades past, in which you’d find school mascots getting the upper hand over whatever the other team’s mascot was. Of course, we wanted to keep it modern and commissioned local artist Jesse Starr to represent each school in his own, unique style. We think you’ll like what you see. And, yes, that hashtag does serve a purpose: let us know you’re reading our guide on social media by using that hashtag and mentioning our Twitter handle, @PCTOSports, or our Plant City Times & Observer Facebook page. I won’t keep you stuck on this page any longer. Welcome to the 2015 Plant City Times & Observer Football Guide, and I hope you enjoy it!
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$57,67 Amber Jurgensen
Jesse Starr likes to work with ballpoint pens for the challenge they present. He is able to achieve the amount of detail he strives to obtain, as well as create organic shapes from an unyielding medium.
Plant City native Jesse Starr did the artwork for the 2015 Football Guide.
In 1985 a Commodore 64 computer and a Koala Pad drawing tablet planted a seed in then 7-year-old Jesse Starr’s mind. Since that time he’s been on the pulse of technological advancements, teaching himself everything from Photoshop to building computer generated 3-D models of his designs for printing. By spending his life with the latest and greatest tools Starr has learned to utilize software, technology and art as a package much in the same way a Transformer can morph it’s shape and function. His workflow allows him to go from concept sketch, to a design phase, all the way to the final minute of a print or the last touch on a fabricated prototype. Starr’s clientele is as diverse as his skill set: from designing a pirate-themed boat wrap for Shaquille O’Neal to 3-D modeling and fabricating monster trucks for Feld Entertainment. His ballpoint pen portraits, sometimes mistaken for photographs, have been
HOW IT’S DONE
Go to PlantCityObserver.com to check out a time lapse of Jesse Starr drawing the cover of the 2015 Football Guide.
CONTACT JESSE STARR Website: JesseStarr.com Email: jessestarrart@gmail. com Facebook: facebook.com/ JesseStarrArt Instagram: @JesseStarrArt sold all over the world. When he’s not designing Starr spends his time upgrading the lab and dominating the server on Battlefield 4. — Amber Jurgensen
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ROSTER:
After a hot start, the Cougars cooled down in September and needed some good luck to win the district. With big losses on offense and defense, and a tougher district, can Durant repeat?
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o playoff team in the district finished with a winning record in 2014. But, even though Brandon posted a 7-3 overall record, none of the 7A-8 teams experienced the highs Durant did. The Cougars started 2014 about as well as most teams could hope for. After keeping things interest-
ing with Armwood in the season opener — the 37-14 score isn’t the best indicator of how close the game was — Durant beat down a Sickles team that made the playoffs with superstar running back Ray Ray McCloud III in 2013 (and 2014), 30-20, in the home opener. The Cougars then picked up a
34-20 win over Tampa Bay Tech, whom they would later meet in the playoffs, and then got a 9-7 win over Plant City while playing in Biblical flood weather. This stretch, plus an Oct. 2, 37-7 win at Strawberry Crest, ended up carrying Durant throughout the rest of the season. The Cou-
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Koreem Woodard Dakota Allen Jalen Forte Edrick Davis Austin Parrish Peyton Ledbetter Justin Bauman Marshall Rentz Austin Resendez Carlton Potter Zelquaned Culpepper Noah Johnson Brandon Myers Jory Cole Xavier Walden Jaden Garrett Bryar Christian Nick Grimaldi Kameron Joyce Tristan Hodge Grey Rentz Brandon Cheatham Cameron Myers Armoni Miller Amir Abdullah Adrian Kirkland Jake Harris Tanner Jurnigan Jacob Ross Blake Moody Shondale Black Dylan Novo Trace Edmondson Damien Zipprich Reese Schaaf Garrett Waits Austin Lumley Brandon Guido Xavier Lyas Cody Johns Alex Coughlin Marco Martinez Adan Cantu Christian Valdez Kaleb Vasquez Andrew Hampton Hunter Delones Daniel Conrad Cory Jeffries Hunter Ferguson Jeremiah Johnson Israel Gonzalez Noe Rivas Christian Dilworth Casey Flouro
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THE RUNDOWN:
LOCATION: 4748 Cougar Path, Plant City ESTABLISHED: 1995 CLASS: 7A-District 9 HEAD COACH: Mike Gottman OFFENSE: Multiple DEFENSE: 4-3 2014 RECORD: 5-6 (3-1 district)
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gars lost every other game on the schedule, up until the season-ending, 28-7 Halloween win over East Bay that guaranteed them a playoff spot. The Cougars were then manhandled by TBT, 42-25. “I just felt like our team kind of thought that we were just gonna roll Tech, and we just came out flat,” head coach Mike Gottman says. “It was 25-0. Then we came back, it was 25-18, but the quarterback just took over and we couldn’t get him on the ground. When we had to stop him, we just couldn’t stop him.” He hopes the team has learned its lesson. “You can’t overlook anybody,” Gottman says. “You’ve got to go out there every Friday night and play like it’s your last game.” Penalties weren’t the problem for the Cougars. Part of it was injuries, and part of it was that the team just couldn’t always finish. Point to this three-week stretch between Oct. 10 and 24: a 33-31 loss to Newsome, followed by a 21-18 loss to Brandon that could have led to a 4-0 district record, followed by a 55-49 shootout loss to Hillsborough. Durant had the opportunity to win, but couldn’t get the job done. “If we could have just held up a little bit more, we could have won
a couple more games,” Gottman says. “The injuries really affected us on defense. We’re just young, and inexperienced up front.” On the bright side, there were plenty of things for Durant fans to be happy about last season. Quarterback Erick Davis was a capable replacement for Trey VanDeGrift: Davis led all Cougars with 12 rushing touchdowns, and he picked up 833 yards on 125 carries, good for a 6.7 yards-per-carry average. Davis also threw six touchdown passes under center. Senior tailback Crispian Atkins also had a great season, finishing just shy of 1,000 yards and scoring nine total touchdowns (eight rushing). Fans also caught a glimpse of future starter Jalen Forté, who only got 25 touches but averaged 7.6 yards per. Defense played well as a whole, when everyone was focused. Linebacker Blake Moody led the way with 63 total tackles (24 assisted), and many of the unit’s top performers — Moody, Xavier Walden, Jalen Garrett and Tanner Jurnigan, to name a few — are coming back. Players who were injured last year, such as mike linebacker Jacob Ross, will be back with something to prove. And, of course, winning the district is something fans should celebrate no matter what. This is
especially true when the thirdplace team was the only one with a winning record.
COMING UP
2015 appears to have some hurdles for the Cougars to jump. On defense, for example, the team loses sacks leader D.J. Curry (4.5), tacklers Quenton Williams (48 total) and Dustin Miller (46 total), and passes-defensed leader Tracy Watson Jr. (four). Kicker Derek Wells, who missed only one field goal attempt all season, is also gone. But the biggest losses come on offense. Davis and Atkins, secondary running back Kadarius Griffin, wideout Garrett Rentz (four touchdowns) and tight end Joe Williamson are all gone. Every starter from 2014 has graduated. While there will be a senior or two up front, much of the line has little to no varsity-game experience. “We’re heavy on sophomores and juniors,” Gottman says. “A lot of learning going on in those first couple of weeks. All spring long, that was the main emphasis.” With a monster of a schedule, what is there to look forward to? For starters, Forté is stepping into the starting role at running back. The speedy tailback has drawn raves from Durant’s coaching staff, as well as NextLevel
Sports Academe’s Gerold Dickens. Should he stay healthy, it sounds as though Durant could cover the loss of Atkins. While it originally looked like senior Noah Johnson would take over for Davis this season, Gottman recently confirmed that there’s been a change of plans. He’s named Carlton Potter, a sophomore who most recently quarterbacked the junior varsity team, as the go-to guy for this season. “He’s looked really good in camp,” Gottman says. “He ran our offense really nicely, so he’s gonna start. He’s just very headsy. He knows how things open up. He knows what he’s supposed to do with the football ... He’s a player that’s got a lot of moxie.” Potter will have several tall receivers to work with, including 6-foot-4 tight end Steven Witchoskey in Williamson’s old starting role. Because he can run, Gottman says that he’ll be able to run the same kind of multiple offense Durant used last season. So with Durant, it all comes down to about three questions. Can the Cougars make up for its losses on offense? Can those young guys handle a rough schedule? And, maybe most importantly: did the upperclassmen learn to curb last year’s overconfidence?
MIKE GOTTMAN: “It’s gonna be a tough district. Every week, we’ve got to play. All the new teams coming in are good. The whole district will be great competition. Great atmosphere, great high school football every week, so I’m excited about our district. We’ve got our work cut out for us.”
2014 RESULTS: Aug. 29: Armwood (H) 37, Durant 14 Sept. 5: Durant (H) 30, Sickles 20 Sept. 12: Durant 34, Tampa Bay Tech (H) 20 Sept. 19: Durant (H) 9, Plant City 7* Sept. 26: Gaither (H) 23, Durant 7 Oct. 2: Durant 37, Strawberry Crest (H) 7* Oct. 10: Newsome 33, Durant (H) 31 Oct. 17: Brandon (H) 21, Durant 18* Oct. 24: Hillsborough 55, Durant (H) 49 Oct. 31: Durant (H) 28, East Bay 7* Nov. 14: Tampa Bay Tech 42, Durant (H) 25^ Note: * denotes district game; ^ denotes playoff game
SCHEDULE: Aug. 28: vs. Hillsborough Sept. 4: at Spoto Sept. 11: at Newsome Sept. 18: vs. East Bay* Sept. 25: at Lennard* Oct. 2: vs. Bloomingdale* Oct. 9: at Strawberry Crest* Oct. 16: vs. Plant City* Oct. 23: at Tampa Bay Tech* Nov. 6: vs. King Note: * denotes district game
MAKE OR BREAK GAME: “Plant City. It’s our biggest rivalry, and it’s always the most competitive game of the season. If it wasn’t raining (last year), we would have beaten them worse. The rain helped them out a little bit.” — Blake Moody
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When it came time for Mike Gottman to shine a light on some of his players, he was quick to name Blake Moody — the team’s top linebacker of 2014. But Gottman also opted to give some names that local fans probably haven’t heard before. Jalen Forte, who will take over for Crispian Atkins in the backfield, could turn some heads right out of the gate. And Marco Martinez, an offensive lineman, is about to live the dream he’s had since he first started high school.
Blake Moody, LB You’ve been consistent in your two years as a starter. What would you say are the strongest parts of your game? “I’m pretty good at reading the play early on and getting to the ball. Once I’m there, I’m pretty good at finishing the play.” Despite a lot of injuries to the defense, you helped get this team a district championship. A lot of the talent graduated, so you’ll be helping to lead a bunch of young guys. How will you handle that? I’m just gonna lead by example and show them that we can beat anybody on any given day. We can hang with any of the big dogs.
Jalen Forte, RB You’re coming in with quite a bit of hype from your coaches and taking over for a guy who almost hit 1,000 yards last year. What do you think qualifies you to step into that role? I think my speed is what helps me the most. It’s like they say: ‘Speed kills.’ I have the ability to hit the hole, as well, and get behind the pads. The backfield was a little crowded last season, between Erick (Davis) and Crispian (Atkins). Now, it looks like it’s all yours. What are you looking forward to? The carries. Last year, like you said, it was crowded. I saw the field, but not as much as the other guys. When I did get on the field, I feel like I performed well and got the job done. This year, I feel like I can do the same, just with more reps. More stats.
Marco Martinez, OL I understand this is your first time playing football. Everything finally worked out, your family was able to stay down here in Florida after moving around a bit. How does it feel to finally be out here? It actually feels pretty great. I never thought it would be this fun. I thought about it, but I never knew that actually being in it would be as fun as it is. So this is your one shot, as a senior, to get out there. You’re gonna be part of a young O-line without a lot of experience but, obviously, coach Gottman saw something he liked if he brought you out here. What are you looking forward to? I’m looking forward to all of the games, all the wins, the team coming together as one unit. Playing together, making stuff happen and staying together as one. You know, not giving up on each other.
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ROSTER:
After sneaking into the 2014 playoffs, the Raiders made some notable offseason changes and hope to improve on a 4-6-1 record. With great pieces in place, can they overcome the inconsistencies of 2014?
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he Plant City Raiders’ 2014 season was, for lack of a better word, weird. If someone with no knowledge of the season were to ask a Raiders fan how it went, that person would probably hear about the end result. Plant City went 3-1 in the district and rode a late-season win streak
into the playoffs — beating the top team at home to secure a playoff spot — only to lose to Sickles and one of the best running backs in the country by just two points in the postseason. And, they’d also hear all about how the Raiders’ top running back essentially came out of nowhere to have a 1,300-yard
season, leading the team into the postseason. That all sounds great, because it is. But “gotta hear both sides” is more than just a popular Twitter catchphrase, so it’s also worth noting that the Raiders finished 2014 with a 4-6-1 record, were less than
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Corey King Antoine Thompson Markese Hargrove Peyton Cantu Tammarrion Faison Steven Ogletree Cory Cotnoir Josh Crowell Chaunathon Phonsana Peyton Collins Kwest Fluitt Steven Hogan Tavares Chase Tommy Bennett James Gordon Josh Alday Ge’Sean Parker Calvin Richardson Sterling Day Tyler Pickrell Kijafi Coney Tydre Ward Patrick Hawke Treshaun Ward Elijah Hymes Zac Owen Cody Cribbs Chase Lott Ryan Bradley Steven Hunt Daniel Paul Cameron Diem Jherri Green Tyler Green Kevin Carrasquillo Ashton Mincey Jordan Lattimore Nathan Hamilton Corey St. John Christian Austin Quay Brooks Zack Glass James Alexander Donnie Tice Austin Kaczmarek Milik Bennett Kenkhari Green Eddie Tanner Jose Hermosillo Jamal Savage Xavier King Jordan Wiggins Gabriel Diaz Tyriq Hargrove
QB WR RB QB/WR DB LB LB LB/DE QB/WR DB SS/FS WR WR SS WR/SS LB RB DB RB CB DE RB/CB DB CB WR OLB/WR OLB K/OLB MLB MLB/LS MLB OL G/MLB DE G MLB OL DE DL OL G OL DT FB/DE OL DT/NG OL OL/DT OL OL WR WR DT DL
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THE RUNDOWN:
LOCATION: 1 Raider Place, Plant City ESTABLISHED: 1914 CLASS: 7A-District 9 HEAD COACH: Greg Meyer OFFENSE: Spread DEFENSE: 4-2-5/multiple 2014 RECORD: 4-6-1 (3-1 district)
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stellar in most other areas of the offense and drew enough penalty flags against themselves to line up from 1 Raider Place to Raymond James Stadium. To their credit, the Raiders did tend to win big whenever they did win. Besides that thriller of a 20-14 win over Brandon, Plant City never won by fewer than two touchdowns. Those three wins didn’t come against good teams, but they did illustrate what the offense was capable of if it could get into a rhythm. Against Brandon, the Raiders showed what they could do against a good team if everyone could focus. And when they lost, it was almost always close. Leaving off a 38-11 loss at Gaither in the regular season finale, Plant City lost its regular-season games by a combined total of nine points. Of course, the team’s Sept. 19, 9-7 loss to Durant should also get a mention here. As much as the Cougars’ players like to say that the monsoon the game was played in kept them from getting a bigger win, the reality is that Plant City could have snatched that win with less than a minute left and went undefeated in the district. It was too close for the fans’ and players’ comfort, which is probably why most of the Cougars already have Oct. 16 circled on their calendars.
With a talented roster, including a transfer quarterback in Austin Carswell, who once nearly led Strawberry Crest to the promised land, it wouldn’t be unrealistic for Raiders fans to look at those results and say, “Fluke,” at all. Perhaps it was a fluke. The 2015 season should give everyone a pretty good idea of what this team is about, either way. Many fans were shocked in the offseason when Wayne Ward, head coach since 2010, announced his resignation from the job. Ward, who is still a teacher at the school, most recently led the team to backto-back playoff appearances, and was beloved by many for his ability to both build character and get kids into college. The school decided in March to promote assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Greg Meyer, who has previous head coaching experience at Jacksonville-Wolfson High. “It’s been great,” Meyer said. “It’s certainly been hectic, but I’ve got to tell you: the amount of support I’ve gotten from the community has made it a lot easier than it would be otherwise … It’s been hectic, but it’s been fun.” Meyer, who has developed more than a handful of defensive players into NCAA Division I talents, had also been one of Ward’s greatest assets from a collegiate standpoint.
In his three years at Plant City, Meyer was largely responsible for keeping the school connected to the collegiate recruiting scene and putting players in the scouts’ spotlights. And, these days, it’s tough to find anyone more excited to see what this team can do than Meyer. “We’re poised for a great season,” Meyer says. “We have a tougher schedule, but I think we’re in position to be able to battle that successfully.”
COMING UP
Plant City fans have every reason to be bouncing in their seats right now. Meyer’s defenses have been consistently good throughout the past three years, even with turnover and returns impact players, such as linebacker Steven Ogletree and versatile defensive back Peyton Collins. On offense, he’ll get to work with a battle-tested Markese Hargrove, emergent wideout Antoine Thompson and — in perhaps the luckiest break for any team in the area — returning star wideout Tavares “T.J.” Chase. Tying it all together is junior signal-caller Corey King, whose offseason development reportedly went about exactly as Plant City had hoped it would. “Corey King impressed us a lot in the spring, but he impressed us
even more in the summer,” Meyer says. “When we did the 7-on-7 leagues, and all the passing stuff, he continued that progress. We feel really good about where Corey is right now, as far as running the offense goes.” The schemes will look very similar on both sides of the ball, as Meyer wishes to continue running a base 4-2-5 defense and spread offense, though he does say that the ground attack will be a greater focus than it was before. With most of the team’s impact players returning, it appears as though Plant City should have little trouble adjusting to the Meyer era. “I think, every year, we’ll try to evolve,” Meyer says. “I don’t think we’ll be exactly the same, but the emphasis on fundamentals and being consistent will stay the same.” The biggest question mark facing this team is its discipline. When a team draws as many penalties and makes as many mistakes as the Raiders did in 2014, it will have an effect on the season. Teams can work all day long on their discipline, practice after practice, but anyone who’s ever stepped onto a field can vouch that it’s different on game day. Everything is different on game day. Will the Raiders be different enough to take the next step?
GREG MEYER: “We’re poised for a great season. We have a tougher schedule, but I think we’re in position to be able to battle that successfully.”
2014 RESULTS: Aug. 29: Steinbrenner 7, Plant City (H) 7 Sept. 5: Plant City 20, Wharton (H) 7 Sept. 19: Durant (H) 9, Plant City 7* Sept. 26: Bloomingdale 24, Plant City (H) 20 Oct. 2: Plant City (H) 21, East Bay 6* Oct. 10: Tampa Bay Tech (H) 17, Plant City 15 Oct. 17: Spoto 28, Plant City (H) 27 Oct. 24: Plant City 37, Strawberry Crest (H) 16* Oct. 31: Plant City (H) 20, Brandon 14* Nov. 7: Gaither (H) 38, Plant City 11 Nov. 14: Sickles (H) 9, Plant City 7^ Note: * denotes district game; ^ denotes playoff game
SCHEDULE: Aug. 28: at Armwood Sept. 4: vs. Jefferson Sept. 11: at Brandon Sept. 18: vs. Strawberry Crest* Sept. 25: at East Bay* Oct. 2: vs. Tampa Bay Tech* Oct. 9: at Bloomingdale* Oct. 16: at Durant* Oct. 30: vs. Lennard* Nov. 6: vs. Freedom Note: * denotes district game
MAKE OR BREAK GAME:
“Durant. Every year, it’s Durant. You can go backand-forth and play the matchups, all those things, but Plant City vs. Durant is what matters to us. We’re coming down to win that game. The Redman Cup matters to us. And, Mrs. (Susan) Sullivan, you’ve got her sister (principal Pamela Bowden) over at Durant, I think that adds a little spice to it, for us.” — Greg Meyer
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Plant City High’s defenses have been in the spotlight throughout Greg Meyer’s tenure at the school, so it’s no wonder that the former defensive coordinator mostly named players from the stop unit for this section. But they’re certainly deserving: linebacker Steven Ogletree finished with 118 total tackles, and defensive back Peyton Collins has been the secondary’s most consistent player. And, of course, 2014 breakout star Markese Hargrove also made the cut.
Steven Ogletree, LB You guys lost some great ‘backers in Sawyer Dawson and Pat Colleran. Are you ready to step into that kind of role this year? I mean, me and Cory (Cotnoir), we’ve been getting out there. We’ve been playing together since we were, like, 6 years old. We’re just ready for this season and to see what we’re gonna do. What game are you looking forward to the most? Armwood. I’m ready for Armwood. We got Durant; I’m ready for Armwood. Just the hype, man — they think they’ve got an advantage over us, they underestimate us, but we’re gonna surprise some people. We’re coming. We’re coming hard and heavy.
Peyton Collins, DB What about this team has you excited for the upcoming season? We’ve been working as a team, competing out on the field and everything, and playing physical. That’s what we do. A lot of people think we’re underdogs, because we don’t have the big-name players, but when we play physical … people just don’t recognize.” You’ve got a new head coach for your senior season, after three years with coach (Wayne) Ward. How smooth has the transition been for you, so far? It’s been pretty smooth. Everyone’s already been in the system and how it’s been working. We’ve just been going like we’ve been going. Nothing’s changing.
Markese Hargrove, RB You had a breakout year last season. Expectations for you are super high this year. How will you deal with them? Ever since the last game, I’ve been working real hard in this offseason. I feel like I can do the same thing, if not better. I’ve been working on my stamina and breakaway speed. Plant City’s had a lot of great running backs come through. The last regular-season NFL player from Plant City was a running back. Do you think you can put yourself up there with the great Raider ‘backs of the past? I hear it a lot, the hype. My brother and uncle were also good running backs. But I try not to focus on that — I don’t like to say my goal is to be better than anyone else. I just like to better myself and prove myself, every year, every day and every time I get a chance to.
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ROSTER:
The youngest team in the district, Strawberry Crest had a down year in 2014, which could be attributed to a lack of experience and maturity. With a full year of experience, can this sophomore and junior-heavy team improve in a tougher district?
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f there’s any positive to take from Strawberry Crest’s 2014 season, it’s that the team has nowhere to go but up. The Chargers went into the season expecting things to be at least a little different from 2013, when the team came a quarter shy of making the playoffs. But it probably wasn’t expecting to go 1-9. That’s what happens when a team’s core
is made up almost entirely of senior talent, which then graduates en masse. Things certainly could have been worse for Strawberry Crest, though. The team could easily have finished at 4-6 had a few plays gone their way in non-district games: it lost to Bloomingdale, Spoto and Freedom by a combined total of 17 points. And it did pick up a 9-6 win over
Brandon in mid-September, which was ultimately what gave both Durant and Plant City a shot to play for the playoffs (and, in the Cougars’ case, the district title) at the end of the season. Hopefully, fans of those teams have already thanked the Crest fans in their lives for that assist. However, even if those three games did go the Chargers’ way, lit-
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Chase Lawson Anthony Quinn Tate Whatley Carson Fields Bryce Blackmon Chase Blackmon Michael Acosta Brandon Frazier L.P. Mejia Omar Williams Austin Eldridge Jean-Paul Lafitte-Hall Noah Hand Tyler Hood Chanden Beal Wyatt Dixon Freddie Dixon Arthur Shepherd Cole Carter Stanley Baptiste Olajide Ogun Devonte Lowe Zion Carr Theo Williams Austin Farmer Jordan Zilbar Harry Combs Christian Tapper Dylan Conley Thomas Steed Connor Smith Andrew Burbridge Noah Rebman Chad Grassel Jim Peaden Jack Morrison C.J. Kirkland Brandon Smith Michael Gleason Desmond Brown Cameron Hinton Efrain Ramos David Cox Tristan Simmons Michael Bogart Jeremy Redd Bo Ashmore Jamar Hart Cameron Lehtola Gunner Thomas Franco Caballero Kisean Ruth
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THE RUNDOWN:
LOCATION: 4691 Gallagher Road, Dover ESTABLISHED: 2009 CLASS: 7A-District 9 HEAD COACH: John Kelly OFFENSE: Multiple DEFENSE: 4-2-5 2014 RECORD: 1-9 (1-3 district)
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tle would have changed. The Chargers got wrecked in the other three district games, losing by a combined total of 65 points and scoring 30. They also gave up 48 points apiece to a 3-8 Leon team and a 2-9 Riverview team, though they do get cut a break for the 42-0 home loss to Armwood; the Hawks could have blown out any team in the district by the end of the season. Offensively, the brightest spot on this team was in the backfield. Senior running back Arjay Smith finished with 727 rushing yards and nine total touchdowns (including all eight of the team’s rushing scores), and was often the spark that kept Crest in games. Bryce Blackmon, who has been named the starter for 2015, had the second-highest totals on the team with 58 yards on seven touches. It wasn’t the season quarterback Tristan Hyde and top wideout Clay Cullins, then seniors, had hoped for, however. Hyde finished with five touchdown passes against 13 interceptions, totaling 1,274 passing yards and a 48% completion rate. Cullins was reliable when the ball was thrown his way, making 46 catches for 386 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, Jordan Zilbar stood out from the pack with a 93-tackle season (48 assisted). Possibly the only thing stopping him from
breaking Matt Chaney’s school record of 124 tackles was the fact that Zilbar had to play several positions to make up for injured players. This includes some time as a defensive back, a position that doesn’t set anyone up to crack 100 tackles. “I fully expect Zilbar to challenge for that record this year,” head coach John Kelly says. “He’s just all over the field. Great competitor.”
COMING UP
Kelly and the coaching staff are hoping that both units took 2014 as a learning experience. So far, they say, it looks as though things are trending upward with these Chargers. Although Crest did lose several impact players to graduation, such as Hyde, Cullins, Smith and top cover man Josh Engram, most of the team will be back in action. The versatile Blackmon twins, Bryce and Chase, will be asked to shore up the running back and linebacker positions, perhaps even playing some DB. Senior wideout Anthony Quinn, who averaged 10 yards per catch last season, will lead the young receiving corps. Zilbar is widely expected to break Chaney’s record in 2015 and, if everything goes according to plan, play his natural linebacker position all season. But one of the players that’s getting the most buzz is starting quar-
terback Tate Whatley. Local fans will remember Whatley from his time with the Plant City Dolphins two years ago, and the sophomore has only gotten better. Otherwise, he wouldn’t already have a scholarship offer from Mercer before starting the 10th grade. “That’s a kid where the sky is the limit, no lie,” Kelly says. “But it’s more than just on the field with that kid: he’s a hard worker in the weight room, he’s a great student in the classroom, he’s a great character, integrity-type example for what we want to personify here at Strawberry Crest.” Whatley won’t have an arsenal like Plant City’s to work with at the moment, but he’ll still be expected to perform at a high level for the next three seasons. Helping Whatley even further is the fact that a couple of his targets, tight end Austin Eldridge and wideout Chase Lawson, were teammates of his from those Dolphins days. “He’s gonna break probably every record that we have here at Strawberry Crest, from the quarterback position,” Kelly says. Across the board, it certainly looks like this Crest team could be better than the 2014 squad. Although defensive coordinator Carey McCray left the position and the state of Florida, new DC Marcus Governor brings familiarity with Durant and
Plant City (where he’s previously worked) to the 4-2-5 scheme Kelly plans to run with. That scheme is a natural fit for Crest’s young athletes, according to the coach. “The most competitive group is our linebackers,” Kelly says. “We’re going with a 4-2-5 look, so we’ve got a lot of outside linebacker, DBtype bodies with the overhang-type players. It’s been really competitive at that group, and we’ve got a lot of those type of bodies at this school.” “We’re gonna adapt, like we always do,” Kelly says. “It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, whether it’s a team that hasn’t won a game or an undefeated team. We’re gonna come out with the same mentality. It’s been that way ever since I took over as head coach at Strawberry Crest.” Of course, improving in 2015 won’t be easy. While the Chargers do appear to have at least one “gimme” game on the schedule (Middleton, which didn’t win a single game last season), the addition of Lennard, Bloomingdale and Tampa Bay Tech makes things a lot more complicated. The last seven weeks of the schedule, which include six consecutive district games, would be one heck of a grind for any team. Does Crest have the maturity, and perhaps the secret weapons, to carve out a name for itself this year?
JOHN KELLY: “We’re extremely excited about this season. Last year’s results didn’t sit real well with us, with the coaching staff or the players themselves, so they’re itching to get back out there and change our fortunes, so to speak.”
2014 RESULTS: Aug. 29: Bloomingdale 16, Strawberry Crest (H) 7 Sept. 5: Spoto (H) 27, Strawberry Crest 22 Sept. 12: Leon 48, Strawberry Crest (H) 9 Sept. 19: Strawberry Crest 9, Brandon (H) 6* Sept. 26: Freedom (H) 10, Strawberry Crest 7 Oct. 2: Durant 37, Strawberry Crest (H) 7* Oct. 10: Riverview (H) 48, Strawberry Crest 26 Oct. 17: East Bay (H) 21, Strawberry Crest 7* Oct. 24: Plant City 37, Strawberry Crest (H) 16* Nov. 7: Armwood 42, Strawberry Crest (H) 0 Note: * denotes district game
SCHEDULE: Aug. 28: vs. Brandon Sept. 4: at Newsome Sept. 11: vs. Middleton Sept. 18: at Plant City* Sept. 25: vs. Tampa Bay Tech* Oct. 2: at Lennard* Oct. 9: vs. Durant* Oct. 23: vs. East Bay* Oct. 30: at Bloomingdale* Nov. 6: at Gaither
MAKE OR BREAK GAME: “Probably Plant City, our neighborhood rivalry, and Durant.” — Jordan Zilbar
Note: * denotes district game
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John Kelly’s roster has plenty of talented, young players who could soon move into impact roles with some development. Among those players is quarterback Tate Whatley, who already has a college offer under his belt as a sophomore. There’s also Omar Williams, who is back in football after a one-year hiatus, but still got college offers without any junior film. And there’s linebacker Jordan Zilbar, whom Kelly believes could own the Strawberry Crest single-season tackles record by the end of the season.
Tate Whatley, QB The last time you were a starting QB, you did great things for the Dolphins. Now, you’re about to be a starter again. What are you excited for this season? I’m just very blessed to be with these guys. It’s going to be very exciting to work with these guys. Their work ethic over the summer was great. I’m very blessed. God’s blessed me a lot to be able to come out here with these guys and play. It’s a great relationship. Clearly, you’ve got something good going for you if you’re a sophomore taking over the starting job on a varsity football team. What strengths do you bring to the table? I just hope I can give these guys motivation to be better. Our O-line, everybody’s working hard. I want to better them.
Omar Williams, LB Your coaches have said that you’ll make a positive impact on this team, even though you haven’t played football in over a year. What do you bring to this team? Containing outside, going hard every play. Getting back there, to the quarterback. I understand you and your family have been moving back and forth, stopping in Atlanta for a little bit, but now you’re back in Florida and back on the field. What are you looking forward to? Just going hard with my boys. We’ve been putting in a lot of work in the weight room and stuff. Just getting out there and playing, that’s all I’m looking forward to. Winning a district championship.
Jordan Zilbar, LB You had 93 tackles last season, but you had to be moved around on the defense after some guys got injured. They’re healthy now, and you’re ready to go, so do you think getting 124 is doable? Oh, yeah. I just stay humble. We’re adjusting to our defense right now, adjusting to different schemes in the defense. We’re gonna be ready. The team got just one win last season, but it looks like that can be improved on this season. Would you say that this is a turnaround year for Crest? Oh yes, definitely. I have no doubt. We have great athletes, you know, Chase Blackmon, A.J. Quinn and Tate Whatley. We’ve just got to all work together and put forth the effort, and we’ll be good.
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WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND?
How will things turn out for area teams? If you follow Hillsborough prep football beyond the ins and outs of your favorite team, and you’ve seen each team’s schedule, then you already know what kind of ride this season will be. If not, then I suppose this is where I come in. With the way the district has realigned, the 2015 schedules makes those of 2014, with the exception of Durant’s, look easy in comparison. All three new teams — Bloomingdale, Lennard and Tampa Bay Tech — won at least eight games in 2014 behind some of the more talented players in the Tampa Bay Area and, in Tech’s case, soundly knocked Durant out of the playoffs. Although each team is dealing with losses, there are still several factors — Bloomingdale QB Isaiah McIntyre, all-county DB Marchalo Judge, the TBT wideouts and Lennard QB Devin Black — that could make most teams break a sweat during game planning. That’s not to say that Plant City and Strawberry Crest were dealing with cakewalks last year, but it’s certainly not going to be any easier for either team to get a win in most weeks. As for the Cougars, the schedule is definitely tougher, but the uphill climb isn’t quite as steep. So what does this all mean for our boys? Besides saying that they have their work cut out for them this year, it means that the district just got a heck of a lot more interesting. That’s not to say that one or more of our squads can’t make the playoffs, though.
DURANT
Last season’s district champions are going to be dealing with many key losses and many more youth infusions at crucial positions, especially on the offensive and defensive lines. That alone makes it difficult to hand them the title again outright, and especially so when its new starting QB, Carlton Potter, is a sophomore with no prior varsity experience. This team has proven in the past that it can win big games when it’s focused, so I do think they’ll finish above .500. But a playoff appearance? Probably not going to happen, in my
opinion, but it wouldn’t be a total surprise if the Cougars manage to snag the last spot.
PLANT CITY
Last year’s runner-up looked awesome at times. Not as many times as it needed to, but enough that anyone watching them play could get a sense of the talent level the coaches had to work with. The Raiders are returning plenty of impact players and are finally comfortable letting Corey King run the offense by himself, as well as going through a coaching change in perhaps the safest possible way. There’s no doubt that this team has the talent to win the district title, but last year’s discipline problems would have to be almost completely erased. That said, I consider this the most complete team in the district. I think this is the year the Raiders will win it.
STRAWBERRY CREST
Crest will almost certainly have the toughest battle of our three teams. They have youth in every position, and while there is plenty of talent throughout, plenty of that talent may still be raw. The Chargers have the potential to be a contender in a year or two, thanks to some of this talent, so I would consider steady, solid development of these players a win for this season. I definitely like Crest to improve upon last year’s one-win campaign right now, but unless more talent emerges on offense I don’t see the Chargers making the playoffs yet. If you’re a player or coach and disagree with what I have to say I’d love for you to prove me wrong on Friday nights. As I said earlier, I’ll be revisiting these predictions in my column at the end of the regular season and will have no problem admitting my mistakes. Fans: I do want to know what you think of my predictions. Whatever they may be, feel free to voice your (family-friendly) opinions on our Facebook page, Facebook.com/PlantCityObserver, or by mentioning us on Twitter at @PCTOSports. They may show up in the paper or in the Gridiron Report podcast sometime soon.
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Garett Waits got the home crowd pumped up.
Corey King split time at quarterback with Austin Carswell last season but will now be the sole starter.
$ /22. %$&. $7 Tate Whatley saw the field a few times last season, subbing for senior Tristan Hyde.
The 2014 season had its fair share of highlights for our area teams, and the Plant City Times
& Observer was on the scene whenever the stakes were high and our teams were in town.
In this section, we’ve compiled some of our favorite action shots from last season.
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Above: The Chargers faced Armwood in the final game of the season. Right: Rodney Ross has a moment of prayer before playing Sickles in the playoffs. Below: Garrett Rentz comes down with a big catch against a Hillsborough defensive back.
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*#!-%#( ,1 7+( 3$67 The Plant City Photo Archives & History Center has a wealth of photos documenting Plant City’s football history. Executive Director Gil Gott picked some of the best from the collection for the 2015 Football Guide. By Justin Kline and Gil Gott For around 100 years, football has been as much a part of Plant City life as the strawberries the town is most famous for. Since the 1910s, Plant City-area high schools have consistently fielded football teams. The early list includes Plant City, Turkey Creek and Marshall highs. For much of its history, Plant City High’s football team was called the Planters, and the team wore orange and blue in the 1950s — much like the Florida Gators, possibly the most popular college football team in the area. It is not known what colors they wore prior to then. The team was founded in 1915, a year after the 1914 building was erected. In 1940, the Planters even wore large strawberries on the front of their jerseys. In 1956, the Planters moved from the 1914 building, on Evers Street, to what is now Tomlin Middle School, on Woodrow Wilson Street. The success of the civil rights movement in the late 1960s eventually brought about consolidation and desegregation, and students from Plant City
Bennie Coffee was possibly one of the best football players in Plant City’s history. Coffee, a linebacker, began his career at Marshall High and finished at Plant City in 1969. He attended FAMU from 1970-74 and is considered one of the school’s all-time best linebackers. After spending some time with the Detroit Lions, Coffee spent time teaching, then retired and moved back to Plant City. He was inducted into the FAMU Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.
The 1940 Plant City Planters wore jerseys with strawberries attached to the front.
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Jack Bender, Joe Brown, William “Reece” Smith and “Shorty” Brown, in 1942. Smith later played quarterback for the University of South Carolina, starting in the first-ever Gator Bowl in 1946, and later became an attorney and president of the American Bar Association. High integrated with students from Marshall, Turkey Creek and Pinecrest High schools. In 1972, these students moved into the current Plant City High building off of West Alexander Street, and the athletics department changed the colors to the teal and orange
of today. To further separate itself from the past, the school settled on Raiders as its new mascot. Population growth eventually led to the construction of two new high schools: Durant in 1995, and Strawberry Crest in 2009.
Cliff Sutton, in 1944. Sutton was an All-State tackle for Plant City that year and, after graduating in 1945, served in World War II. He played for the University of Florida when he came back to the United States, in 1948, and was named an All-SEC and an All-American.
Thomas B. Mack played for Plant City High in 1932. Mack was an All-State end and, after graduation, would go on to teach at Florida Southern College and found its Citrus Museum.
Plant City High hosted East Bay on Oct. 22, 1993.
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The 1958 Turkey Creek High football team went by the Gobblers moniker, which is still used by Turkey Creek Middle School. At left: Plant City High’s yearbook designers had fun with the 1927 team photos.
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James L. Redman, in 1948. It’s impossible to live in Plant City and not know the name, as Redman later became a prominent attorney, county commissioner and state legislator. At Plant City High, Redman was renowned for his talents on the field and in the classroom.
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The Marshall High football team posed for its 1964 team photo. Marshall was an all-black high school until 1972, when its students were sent to Plant City for integration.
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Tri-County Youth Football & Cheerleading Conference 2015 Schedule PLANT CITY DOLPHINS
ANTIOCH REDSKINS
TURKEY CREEK TROJANS
DOVER PATRIOTS
Aug. 29: vs. Trojans Sept. 12: at Eagles Sept. 19: vs. Lions Sept. 26: at Pilots Oct. 3: vs. Bucs Oct. 10: at Cowboys Oct. 17: vs. Gators Oct. 24: at Redskins
Aug. 29: Bye Sept. 12: at Cowboys Sept. 19: vs. Chiefs Sept. 26: at Bronco Oct. 3: vs. Trojans Oct. 10: vs. Lions Oct. 17: at Pilots Oct. 24: vs. Dolphins Aug. 29: Bye Sept. 12: at Wildcats Sept. 19: at Cowboys Sept. 26: vs. Gators Oct. 3: vs. Chiefs Oct. 10: vs. Pilots Oct. 17: at Lions Oct. 24: vs. Trojans
Aug. 29: at Dolphins Sept. 12: Bye Sept. 19: at Broncos Sept. 26: vs. Eagles Oct. 3: at Redskins Oct. 10: vs. Chiefs Oct. 17: vs. Cowboys Oct. 24: at Patriots
Plant City Times &
Observer
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CONTACT US The Plant City Times & Observer is published once weekly, on Fridays. It provides free home delivery to several neighborhoods in Plant City. The Plant City Times & Observer also can be found in many commercial locations throughout Plant City and at our office, 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A.
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