MASTER’S ACADEMY PATRIOTS
FRIDAY NIGHT MEMORY
2011
0-7 (0-3 VARSITY)
Why it was special: Master’s made its football debut with a partial varsity schedule and is now the smallest school in the area to field a team. Athletic director Charlie Brown said the school “did something no one thought would ever happen” by adding the sport. By the numbers: The Patriots were
outscored 275-41, but they finished with a season-high 12 points in the finale against Sebastian River’s junior varsity team, their only multi-touchdown game. They had just 15 players on the roster, and played three varsity games, one freshman team (twice) and two junior varsity opponents. Playmakers: Quarterback Jeff Stabe
scored a touchdown on a 15-yard keeper on the very last play of the season. The play was supposed to be a pass, but the intended receiver was double-teamed, so Stabe tucked it and ran. Zach Miller scored the program’s first touchdown in the second game, a 36-6 loss to Vero Beach’s freshman team, on an option play.
SCHEDULE
STRENGTHS
August 31 at Seffner Christian-x 7:30 September 7 at Oviedo-Master’s 7 14 Holy Trinity 4 21 at Landmark Christian 7:30 28 Merritt Island Christian 4 October 12 Life Christian 4 19 at Palmer Trinity 4 26 at Bishop McLaughlin 7
EXPERIENCED COACHING
Although the Patriots lack experience, as a second-year program, Dan Smith brings 20-plus years of coaching experience, ranging from youth to high school levels, and helped start Sebastian River’s program when the school opened in 1994. The Patriots are a small, but enthusiastic group of players who bring a good attitude and strong work ethic to the field, and eight seniors bring leadership and maturity, if not experience.
x-at Brandon High School
DEPTH CHART OFFENSE Pos Name QB Jeff Stabe RB Zach Miller RB Danny Pennell RB Joel Flaming OT Nathan Martinelli OG Zach Yencho C Noah Littleton OG Daniel Forsythe OT Jonathan Vendryes TE Michael Maher SE Nicholas Pennell
No 9 4 12 22 53 63 51 50 52 80 81
Cl Ht Wt Sr. 5-8 150 Sr. 5-10 155 Sr. 5-9 148 So. 5-10 170 Jr. 5-7 155 Jr. 5-7 130 Sr. 5-10 150 Jr. 6-1 175 Sr. 5-9 210 Sr. 6-4 180 8th 5-8 165
WEAKNESSES LACK OF SIZE/DEPTH
DEFENSE Pos Name DE Michael Maher DT Jonathan Vendryes DE Daniel Forsythe LB Noah Littleton LB Zach Yencho LB Nathan Martinelli LB Joel Flaming CB Jack Martinelli SS Zach Miller FS Danny Pennell CB Jeff Stabe
No 80 52 50 51 63 53 22 1 4 12 9
Cl Ht Wt Sr. 6-4 180 Sr. 5-9 210 Jr. 6-1 175 Sr. 5-10 150 Jr. 5-7 130 Jr. 5-7 155 So. 5-10 170 Fr. 5-8 145 Sr. 5-10 155 Sr. 5-9 148 Sr. 5-8 150
SPECIAL TEAMS Pos Name P/K Daniel Forsythe K/P Michael Maher
No Cl 50 Jr. 80 Sr.
Ht Wt 6-1 175 6-4 180
RESERVES Greville Ewar (2, Sr., RB), Noah Shaver (20, Fr., WR/RB/DB), James Savoie (62, Sr., OL/DL), Brandon James (31, Fr., RB/WR/CB), Jarrod Westcott (Jr.), Luke Westcott (So.)
COACHING STAFF
Coach: Dan Smith (second year) Record: 0-3 2011: 0-3, while playing a partial varsity schedule Assistants: Robin Yencho (assistant)
STADIUM
PATRIOTS FIELD (400)
Playing surface: Grass Address: 1105 58th Ave., Vero Beach Directions: From State Road 60, head south on 58th Avenue. School is on the right, at First Church of God. Main office: 772-794-4655 On the web: www.mastersvb.org
RIVALS
■■ Merritt Island Christian ■■ Oviedo-Master’s ■■ Holy Trinity
DID YOU KNOW?
Master’s took its first lead of the 2011 season Oct. 13 against Melbourne Central Catholic’s junior varsity team when Danny Pennell returned a kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown. That put the Patriots ahead 10-7, but it didn’t last long. MCC answered right back and rolled to a 46-10 win.
HE SAID IT
“The whole year was a highlight for me, just with the camaraderie of the guys and being able to say you were a part of that first team. It’s pretty neat to be able to say that.” — Quarterback Jeff Stabe
THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH
ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS
Linebacker Zach Yencho (right) makes a hit on teammate Noah Littleton during practice at Master’s Academy in Vero Beach. Despite a small roster, the first-year program expects to be competitive this season.
It’s a good league for us, and I’m really looking forward to being part of it. We just want to make Master’s proud and let the community see what these boys can do. We’ll be competitive.”
KEY GAME SEPT. 7: OVIEDO-MASTER’S
Dan Smith, Master’s Academy head coach
A band of brothers Master’s lacks depth, but boasts plenty of attitude By Laurel Pfahler laurel.pfahler@scripps.com 772-978-2282
VERO BEACH — Master’s Academy is ready to play some “Ironman” football. It won’t involve swimming or biking, but the Patriots will be doing plenty of running and playing a number of positions for a team that only has 14 players available to start the season. This marks the first full varsity season for Master’s Academy, which made its football debut last year with a schedule mainly featuring junior varsity and freshman teams. The Patriots will play in the independent Sunshine State Athletic Conference, which crosstown school St. Edward’s won in 2010. “I would love to have more kids, so the guys could get breaks and have the ability to play one side instead of two,” coach Dan Smith said. “Playing ‘Ironman’ football, it’s tough, but we’ll hang in there. The guys are fired up to be playing a full varsity schedule.” The Patriots went 0-3 against varsity opponents last year, including two shutout losses against opponents back on the schedule this year — Palmer Trinity and
JEFF STABE
conference opponent Merritt Island Christian. Despite the newness of the program, and the fact most players have little to no experience playing high school football, Smith is hopeful his team can compete and maybe even earn the program’s first win. Master’s has enjoyed some success in other startup sports, like baseball and basketball, and many of those same players now make up the football team. “It’s a good league for us, and I’m really looking forward to being part of it,” Smith said. “We just want to make Master’s proud and let the community see what these boys can do. We’ll be competitive. How much, how little? That remains to be seen, but we will give it 100 percent every play.” Master’s lacks overall physical size — especially with 6-foot-4, 325-pound lineman James Savoie out with a hip injury — but Smith will use a spread offense with quick passes in hopes of avoiding sacks and tackles in the backfield. Quarterback Jeff Stabe will lead the offense with athletes like Danny Pennell, Zach Miller and Joel Flaming working out of the backfield and running quick slant routes.
Senior quarterback 2011 stats: N/A Coach Smith: “Jeff has been working really hard this summer to improve. He has gotten bigger. His knowledge of football has increased. He’s a leader, and he will do well.”
“I’m hoping to use quick passes and spread the ball around, hitting them with some sweeps and reverses,” Smith said. “We’ll try to control the ball through passing.” Defensively, the Patriots will use multiple formations, but will have to get creative to make up for the lack of size up front. “We don’t have that great of size inside, so we’ve got to rely on our speed, and I can’t put guys inside that are being outweighed by 50-75 pounds and get them hurt. But, if I can get them back off the line, give them the ability to slip those blocks, we’ll be all right,” he said. Smith said what the Patriots lack in size and ability, they make up for in attitude, which will help them make that extra push at the end of games. “The kids rally each other: ‘I know you’re tired man, but we gotta go,’ ” he said. “They are a band of brothers. It’s remarkable, the things they do for each other. We’re going to have a tired bunch of boys at the end of the game, but last year we left everything on the field and we’ll do the same this year. “We’ll put it out there and give it everything we can.”
JONATHAN VENDRYES
Senior lineman 2011 stats: N/A Coach Smith: “He was in the weight room, hanging and banging this summer. He’s gotten a lot stronger, more aggressive. He understands the game.”
Master’s lacks physical size and depth on its roster with only 16 players, and the Patriots don’t have much experience. Most of the players are either new to the sport or just began playing at the high school level last year, when the program debuted under a partial varsity schedule. The Patriots likely will be undersized, even while playing in the independent Sunshine State Athletic Conference, and will have to be creative in moving the ball around to avoid tackles and missed blocks up front.
A win in Week 2 could go a long way in building some confidence in a challenging schedule for the Patriots. It’s not a South Division game in the conference, but Master’s is anxious to get the program’s first win. Out of the Patriots’ first five games, Oviedo-Master’s is the only opponent which didn’t post a winning record last season, so it could be a competitive matchup, even though Oviedo-Master’s likely boasts much more experience.
PREDICTION 1-7, 1-4 SUNSHINE STATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SOUTH DIVISION
The game against Life Christian, which went 1-9 last year, appears to be the best chance for the Patriots to get a conference win, but their lack of experience and depth could lead to a long season. Landmark Christian went 10-2 to capture the conference crown last year, and two other teams posted winning records. Nonconference opponent Palmer Trinity beat Master’s 48-0 last year and SSAC South Division foe Merritt Island Christian won 35-0.
DANNY PENNELL
Senior RB/DB 2011 stats: N/A Coach Smith: “He’s a hard runner, and he doesn’t quit. He gases himself. He had a great spring game and didn’t come off the field.”