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OKEECHOBEE BRAHMANS
FRIDAY NIGHT MOMENT
2008
THE SHOOTOUT
What happened: Okeechobee traded one big play after another with Martin County before prevailing 43-40 in overtime. Why it mattered: The win kept the Brahmans on track toward a school-record second consecutive playoff berth and reaffirmed running back Lonnie Pryor’s status as one of the best in Treasure Coast history.
Key players: Pryor rushed 25 times for a school-record 365 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown run on the first play. Kareem Jones returned an intercepted pass 43 yards for a score and quarterback Garrett Madrigal completed nine of 11 passes for 102 yards and two scores — including a 17-yarder to Jones in overtime to win it. The teams combined for 894 total yards.
SCHEDULE
September 2 Gulliver Prep 9 DeSoto County 16 at SLW Centennial 23 Sebastian River 30 at Martin County October 7 Forest Hill 21 South Fork 28 at Palm Beach Lakes November 4 at Olympic Heights 11 Clewiston
STRENGTHS
Okeechobee wants to run the ball and has athletes who can do just that, but they lack experience. Having D.J. Washington at quarterback allows him to be a threat to run on every play, which should keep defenses honest. Junior receivers Al Morris and Zach Wingfield were impressive throughout the fall and should be able to get deep. Offensive lineman Thor Harden is experienced and will be counted on to open holes.
7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
DEPTH CHART
WEAKNESSES
OFFENSE Pos Name QB D.J. Washington RB Jose Santibanez RB Ty’Ronte Files OL Jonathan Kemp OL Raul Piedra OL Robert Garza OL Seth Hendrick OL Thor Harden TE Will Jackson WR Al Morris WR Zachary Wingfield
No 10 3 4 55 70 75 66 72 81 5 7
Cl Ht Wt Jr. 5-10 192 Jr. 5-9 165 Jr. 5-7 185 Sr. 5-8 200 6-1 193 So. 6-2 267 Sr. 6-1 307 Sr. 6-1 267 Sr. 5-10 175 Jr. 5-9 157 Jr. 5-11 165
DEFENSE Pos Name DL Robert Garza DL Cody Walker DL Seth Hendrick LB Jose Garcia LB Jonathan Kemp LB Elijawon Williams LB Cade Stokes LB Will Jackson CB Brent Baughman CB Al Morris S Jose Santibanez
No 75 66 66 34 55 30 14 81 8 5 3
Cl Ht Wt So. 6-2 267 So. 6-0 257 Sr. 6-1 307 Jr. 5-10 222 Sr. 5-8 200 Jr, 5-9 172 Jr. 6-2 183 Sr. 5-10 175 So. 5-7 145 Jr. 5-9 157 Jr. 5-9 165
JUAN DALE BROWN/SCRIPPS TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS
Okeechobee High’s D.J. Washington runs the ball at a recent practice at the school.
Pos Name P/K Raul Piedra
No Cl 70
KEY GAME SEPT. 16: SEBASTIAN RIVER
I’m not one of those guys who talks about last year. We need to focus on one game at a time ... When we try to look past a team or anything, our focus slips and we don’t perform very well.”
SPECIAL TEAMS Ht Wt 6-1 193
RESERVES Adrian Minondo (44, So., RB/LB), Alex Guido (51, Jr., OL/DL), Cody Dunn (64, So., OL/DL), Cory Vickers (50, So., OL/DL), Danniel Beyel (2, Sr., QB/LB), Danniel Nunez (21, Fr., RB), Eddie Neal (6, So., QB), Ethan Parriott (77, So., OL/DL), G.W. Jarriel (80, Fr., WR/DB), Jack Radebaugh (14, Jr., QB/DB), Jefferson Davis (88, So., TE/DL), Jose Laredo (13, Jr., WR), Khalil Smith (24, So., RB/ LB), Luis Fonseca (22, So., WR/DB), Nick Flood (99, Jr., OL/DL), Peyton Stokes (20, Jr., TE/LB), Ricardo Garza (23, Fr., WR/DB), Ty’Keshe Files (45, Sr., TE/DL)
Myron Jackson, head coach
One game at a time
COACHING STAFF
Coach: Myron Jackson (third year) Record: 3-18 2010: 3-8 (1-1 District 15-4A) Assistants: Jon Enrico (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks), Rex Erwin (defensive coordinator/ lineman), Melissa Tomlinson (wide receivers/special teams), Chris Hall (linebackers), Daryl Allen (running backs/defensive backs)
Keeping focus, staying healthy are top priorities for Okeechobee By Jon Santucci Special to Treasure Coast Newspapers
OKEECHOBEE — A trip to the playoffs last year for Okeechobee didn’t do much to satisfy coach Myron Jackson. And Jackson isn’t using that playoff run as motivation this year, either. “I’m not one of those guys who talks about last year,” Jackson said. “We need to focus on one game at a time. We’re not a team that can look past a team or a game or look down the road. We need to take it one practice at a time, one play at a time. When we try to look past a team or anything, our focus slips and we don’t perform very well. “Every year, you have different expectations. We won games to get to the postseason last year, but in the postseason we weren’t ready for the season to end. We want to make sure we go deeper into the postseason this year. I would love to get to the second round.” The road to the playoffs now is tougher for Okeechobee. Last year, the Brahmans had to win just
STADIUM BRAHMAN STADIUM (3,000)
Playing Surface: Grass Address: 2800 Highway 441 North, Okeechobee Directions: From Interstate 95, take Exit 126 and turn left onto West Midway Road. Go approximately 5 miles to Okeechobee Road/SR-70 W and turn left. Go 25 miles on SR-70W and turn right onto North Parrott Avenue/US-441. Go 1.7 miles and the stadium in on the right. Main Office: 863-462-5025 On the web: www.okee.k12.fl.us/ ohs
RIVALS
■■ Clewiston ■■ South Fork ■■ Martin County
one game in a three-team district to reach the postseason. With the new districts, Okeechobee now is one of six teams in a district that stretches from Sebastian to Boca Raton. “We’re familiar with three of the teams — Sebastian River, South Fork and Palm Beach Lakes,” Jackson said. “But I really don’t know the other teams very well. I haven’t seen any film. It will be different this year, but I feel we’ll match up well if we can keep our key players healthy and we play with great effort. “If we can do that, we’ll always stand a chance.” Okeechobee did suffer an injury in fall camp as junior quarterback Jack Radebaugh (hand) will miss the first few weeks of the season. Radebaugh, who threw for 996 yards and nine touchdowns last year, will be replaced by D.J. Washington. Washington, who missed almost all of last season with an ankle injury, is an elusive runner and gives Okeechobee the opportunity to run the option. “He is an athletic quarterback and he adds another dimension to
D.J. WASHINGTON
THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Junior quarterback 2010 stats: 12 carries, 94 yards. Coach Myron Jackson: “He missed last year with an injury and now he’s hungry to play. He had no football for one year and he came back with a vengeance.”
AL MORRIS
Okeechobee needs to improve on the ground — both offensively and defensively. Okeechobee wants to make running the ball a priority in 2011, but averaged just 2.9 yards per carry a year ago. On the defensive side of the ball, opponents averaged 6.6 yards per carry. The secondary is talented, but lost top tackler Erick McQueen to graduation and Aukeemian Mills (tied for the team lead in interceptions), who transferred to John Carroll.
PREDICTION
our offense,” Jackson said. “Every defensive coordinator will have to stay up a little longer trying to come up with ways to stop him. “Everything with him is the option. He has the ability to change plays at the line. We don’t want to get ourselves into a bad play, so he can change it based on what he sees.” Juniors Ty’Ronte Files and Jose Santibanez join Washington in the backfield and have the speed to make sure defenses can’t key on just Washington. Defensively, the Brahmans will run a 3-5-3. The scheme dictates that the defensive linemen occupy blockers so the linebackers can get to the ball. Junior linebacker Cade Stokes had a strong fall and is consistently around the ball, Jackson said. The Brahmans also will rely on Jonathan Kemp and Will Jackson at the position. “We want to put them in position where they can make plays,” the coach said, “We want them worried about one gap and playing fast to that one gap. That’s the one thing we try to emphasize — don’t vacate that one gap.”
Junior receiver/defensive back 2010 stats: 7 receptions, 74 yards, 1 touchdowns, 3 tackles, 1 tackle for loss. Coach Myron Jackson: “He has shown big-time improvement. He’s really been working hard in the summer. He was thrown to the wolves as a sophomore, so he has plenty of playing time and experience.”
Okeechobee opens District 14-6A play against Sebastian River in the fourth week of the season at home. With Okeechobee coming off a playoff appearance last season, winning the first district game would be a big step toward another playoff run. Sebastian River won last year’s game, 52-14. Okeechobee committed four turnovers in that 2010 game — including three fumbles — and Sebastian ran out to a 49-7 halftime lead and never looked back.
4-6, 2-3 DISTRICT 14-6A Okeechobee has a very manageable schedule and should be competitive in 2011. One of the keys for the Brahmans will be keeping players healthy and doing what they can to keep kids fresh, since the roster is small. While this is important for every football team, Jackson prefers to play his best players both ways and one or two injuries could put the Brahmans in a tough spot.
SEASON OF MEMORIES 2007 (7-4)
Why it was special: The Brahmans ended a string of six consecutive losing seasons — the longest since a nine-year slide from 1964 to 1972 — and clinched their first seven-win season since 1990 and just their third playoff berth since 1975. By the numbers: The Brahmans broke the 300-point plateau for the first time since the program began in 1924, finishing with 365. Okeechobee scored at least 40 points in six games.
THOR HARDEN
Senior center/ defensive tackle 2010 stats: 12 tackles, 1 sack. Coach Myron Jackson: “He is our best offensive lineman. Everything starts and ends with our center. With the way we run, he will be a key part of what we do. He has a lot of experience.”
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