2A » Thursday, September 1, 2011 »
FRIDAY NIGHT MOMENT
S C R I P P S T R E A S U R E C O A S T N E W S PA P E R S » I G
1989
ST. EDWARD’S PIRATES ON TO THE STATE FINALS
What happened: In what remains the biggest win in the program’s history, St. Edward’s defeated Westminster Academy 12-7 to reach the Class 1A state championship game. Why it mattered: Only two other Treasure Coast schools — Fort Pierce Central (1970, 1971) and Vero Beach (1981) — made the state final.
Key players: Tyler Molitor, who finished with 103 yards on 17 carries, capped a 12-play, 94-yard drive — all runs — with a 2-yard touchdown run with 10:36 left. Chris Bedford rushed for 293 yards on 38 carries — he would finish the year with 2,587 yards and 40 TDs.
Westminster drove to the Pirates’ 17 with five minutes left, but DE John Schoppe and LB Jay Teague sacked QB Greg Huffstetler at the 25. Jay Bedford knocked down a fourth-down pass at the goal-line to end the threat.
SCHEDULE
STRENGTHS
September 2 at Warner Christ. 9 at Trinity Christ. 16 Lighthouse Christ. 23 Upper Room Christ. 30 at Calvary Christ. October 7 Florida Air Acc. 14 Holy Trinity Episc. 21 St. John Lutheran November 4 at Father Lopez 10 at John Carroll
Despite losing Jamari Williams and J.D. McGee from the backfield, this year’s edition of the Pirate backfield remains dangerous. Cortez Brown is a speedy back who has a nose for the hole and proved that by gaining 8.7 yards per carry in 2010. The addition of Darrell Flowers, who also plays basketball for St. Edward’s, helps in the defensive and offensive backfield while Jack Rardin and Daryl Norwood will keep Brown’s legs fresh while remaining a threat to opposing defenses. Balance also should help St. Edward’s this season as coach Motta has made it essential for his players to learn multiple positions to combat injury issues.
7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
ROSTER Pos QB RB RB WR WR OG OT C OT OG TE K
OFFENSE Name Anderson Proctor Cortez Brown Jack Rardin Sean Barry Devon Kahle Tim Norton Lonnie Scott Aaron McGee Chris Flaig Michael Fuller Cullen Falvey Anderson Proctor
No 10 25 14 16 22 58 72 33 63 56 44 10
Cl Jr. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. Sr. So. Jr.
Ht 6-3 5-11 6-1 6-4 5-10 5-8 6-3 5-11 6-4 6-1 5-11 6-3
Wt 220 175 195 165 160 204 235 184 255 220 148 220
WEAKNESSES
DEFENSE Pos Name DT Michael Fuller DE Lonnie Scott DE Chris Flaig OLB Anderson Proctor MLB Aaron McGee OLB Jacob Campbell SS Cortez Brown SS Jack Rardin CB Devon Kahle CB Darrell Flowers FS Sean Barry P Anderson Proctor
No 56 72 63 10 33 47 25 14 22 8 16 10
Cl Ht Wt Sr. 6-1 220 Sr. 6-3 235 Jr. 6-4 255 Sr. 6-3 220 So. 5-11 184 So. 5-7 180 Sr. 5-11 175 Sr. 6-1 195 Jr. 5-10 160 Jr. 5-9 143 So. 6-4 165 Jr. 6-3 220
RESERVES Sammy Kelly (2, So., DB/RB), Daryl Norwood (5, Fr., DB/RB), Jack Tonner (7, Jr., DB/QB), Brock Miller (9, 8TH, RB/DB), Ian Leveton (21, Fr., DR/ WR), Jack Santini (45, Sr., TE), Colby Lufkin (50, Sr., DL/OL), Jad Shalhoub (51, So., DL/OL), Johnny Schwerer (53, Fr., LB/OL), Joey Beale (55, Fr., LB/OL), Thomas Jones (61, Fr., DL/OL), John O’Brien (62, So., DL/OL), Billy Egnezzo (65, So., DL/OL), Posener Lorius (70, Sr., DL/OL), Shayan Hadjiabadi (80, So., DB/WR), Sam Ederle (82, So., LB/TE),
COACHING STAFF
Coach: Bill Motta (second year) Record: 11-0 with St. Edward’s, 11-0 overall 2010: 11-0, 6-0 Sunshine State Athletic Conference Assistant coaches: Lou Ferrari (associate head coach), Curtis Pehl (assitant coach), Greg Buddle (assistant coach)
STADIUM
PIRATE STADIUM (800) Playing surface: Grass Address: 1895 St. Edward’s Drive, Vero Beach Directions: From U.S. 1, go east on 17th Street and over the 17th Street Bridge. Turn right (south) on State Road A1A and go about 2 ½ miles. The entrance to St. Edward’s campus is at the traffic signal. Turn right into the school. Main office: 772-231-5357 On the Web: www.steds.org
SEASON OF MEMORIES 1987 (11-1)
Why it was special: St. Edward’s had its first unbeaten regular season, won its first District 5-1A championship, was ranked No. 1 in the state for the first time and reached its first Class 1A semifinal before losing 42-13 to Glades Day. By the numbers: St. Edward’s outscored opponents 309-71 in the regular season, allowing seven or less points seven times, and extended its regular-season winning streak to 18 games. Bet you didn’t know: The Pirates were 29-61 in their first 11 seasons before Tom York became coach in 1984. York went 45-9 in five seasons.
THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH
JUAN DALE BROWN/SCRIPPS TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS
Cortez Brown (right) tries to stay in front of Brock Miller (left) during summer practice at St. Edward’s School.
Stepping up goals
KEY GAME
St. Edward’s looks to senior Cortez Brown to carry team into new year, new district By Alex Butler Special to Treasure Coast Newspapers
VERO BEACH — St. Edward’s was part of the Sunshine State Athletic Conference in 2010 and responded with an 11-0 season and conference crown. This season, coach Bill Motta’s Pirates will be part of a tougher Florida High School Athletic Association District 3-2A. When practice started, Motta said he pulled his team aside and told them, “Savor the (2010) season and the guys that were a part of that team.” The second-year Pirates’ coach then said, “Put it behind you because this is a new year.” The “new year” will mean stiffer competition for St. Edward’s and those challenges will start Friday at South Daytona-Warner Christian, the Class 1B state runner-up in 2010. “We felt like we wanted to be back in (FHSAA) district play and the overall perception would be that the level of play would be a little bit harder,” Motta said. “Certainly your Warner Christians are going to give us a tough game. I would anticipate that the level of play and level of competition will be tougher. Playing (at Warner Christian) a few years ago
CORTEZ BROWN
and then in the Sunshine Conference, it was different than the competition we had last year.” District 3-2A includes St. John’s Lutheran — another SSA Conference team that St. Edward’s defeated 47-6 in 2010. With the 11-0 season came a heavy graduation loss for St. Edward’s, which has Motta overseeing a number of starting position practice battles. And there is no more important spot to replace than quarterback, where one Proctor is taking over for another. Anderson Proctor, who attempted just eight passes in 2010, will step in for his graduated brother, Collier, who finished a stellar career with the 2010 unbeaten season. Motta said the younger Proctor is showing daily progress, but lacks playing time. “Experience is huge in football,” Motta said. “He is a guy where you want to replicate game-type situations in practice, but that is difficult for a squad our size to replicate those situations. You would like to have your (quarterback) come in as a three-year starter, but Anderson has really developed in the last three weeks in camp. “We have really seen the change and him stepping up.”
Senior running back/ strong safety 2010 stats: 844 yards, 14 touchdowns, one sack. Coach Bill Motta: “He is a good player and will strike a blow and run the ball hard. He can be a durable and aggressive back that adds a nice dimension to our offensive attack.”
SEPT. 2: AT WARNER CHRISTIAN
Proctor’s best weapon early on should be senior running back Cortez Brown. It will be Brown who handles the majority of carries, just as he did in 2010 when he rushed for 844 yards and 14 touchdowns. The offensive backfield is one of the few positions with depth. Other than Brown, Motta said running backs Jack Rardin, Darrell Flowers and freshman Daryl Norwood all have performed well in practice. When St. Edward’s does pass, receivers Devon Kahle and Sean Barry will be likely targets, Motta said. Losing two-year starters Jack Santini and Colby Lufkin to preseason injuries has left St. Edward’s inexperienced at several positions. Motta said that opens the door for sophomores Aaron McGee and Cullen Falvey to fill in at center and tight end, respectively, on a team whose thin depth chart is a major weakness. “If one guy goes down, we will be scrambling,” Motta said. “Now we have some guys in there that are first-year players. Experience and teamwork will be a question mark. “Hopefully, we will run the ball well and play hard-nosed defense.”
ANDERSON PROCTOR
Junior quarterback/ outside linebacker 2010 stats: Two offensive touchdowns, 49 tackles. Coach Bill Motta: “He is a goodsized quarterback and has a good, strong arm and is a very smart guy. He is a leader and has taken that role and we are pleased with that.”
Team depth is once again a factor for St. Edward’s this season. The roster size is small at 29 and more injuries would be devastating to the Pirates. The Pirates’ success in 2011 may come down to the question of if they can shore up the offensive line and give enough time to Anderson Proctor in his first season under center. The loss of several offensive linemen make the Pirates thin on both sides of the ball and conditioning will be of the utmost importance to ensure further health for the lineup and give the Pirates a shot at repeating an undefeated season.
The Eagles went 10-0 in the regular season last year and finished as the state runner-up for the second straight season. They scored 40 points or more nine times last season and 60 points or more four times. In 2009 the Pirates lost a 50-7 home contest at the hands of the Eagles en route to a 5-5 season in District 3-1B. The road matchup will be a good test and a chance to see if the Pirates have put their unblemished season in the rearview mirror in order to succeed in 2011.
PREDICTION 7-3, 3-3 DISTRICT 3-2A
St. Edward’s comes off of an undefeated season and will be thrown into a tough district. The September schedule could be an unkind welcome to the Pirates with Warner Christian and Trinity Christian representing two of the toughest road challenges for the Pirates all season long.
LONNIE SCOTT
Senior offensive tackle/ defensive end 2010 stats: 65 tackles, 2 sacks Coach Bill Motta: ”Lonnie really handled the front of the defense for us last year. He is very smart and quiet and leads by example. He gets the job done day in and day out.”
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