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PlantCityObserver.com

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018

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FOOTBALL PREVIEW

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PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019

CONTENTS

4 6 8 Durant High School Cougars

10 11 12 12 13

Looking back on 2018 2018 season predictions Athlete feature: Josh Cannon Athlete feature: Jeren Bendorf Athlete feature: Ben Gude

Plant City High School Raiders

14 17 18

Strawberry Crest High School Chargers

Youth football schedules Playoff points system expained Best photos from 2018

WELCOME TO THE 2019 FOOTBALL GUIDE No matter which sport you claim as your favorite, nothing compares to following high school football in a town like this.

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

You want action? You’d be hardpressed to find better quality football than what we’ve got in Hillsborough County, Florida. We’ve got plenty of that here in easternmost Hillsborough, and it’s only going to get more intense with the reshuffling of our three teams’ district. You want drama? We’ve got three teams out here that are constantly hungry for some competition, so even a game between a pair of playoff long shots can feel like a big deal around here when the score’s tight and the clock’s ticking.

You want pageantry? It’s really easy to get caught up in the electricity of the atmosphere at any of our three stadiums, whether you’re wading through a sea of RealTree camouflage at Durant on Alafia River Rivalry night, watching Plant City break the banner as Raider Nation loses its collective minds or getting hyped for Strawberry Crest as the Chargers emerge from their tunnel through a cloud of scarlet smoke.

We’ve got it pretty good out here.

You probably want to know as much about your favorite team as possible.

You’re reading this, after all. I’m just hoping that by the time you get to the end of the 2019 Football Guide, you’re satisfied and you’ve learned a thing or two. It won’t be for a lack of trying.

We’ve got season previews for all three teams on deck. You’ll hear from each of the three head coaches. You’ll find out which players you need to keep an eye on and maybe even find a new favorite once you learn a little more about what drives him on and off the field. You’ll find out who our teams are playing and how this could all shake out in terms of a playoff appearance. You’ll get an idea of how things look now that the district picture has changed and schools like perennial powerhouse Lakeland are getting in on the action. You’ll hear my take on how things could shake out for everybody this season and on who deserves a special shout-out after performing well last season.

This is going to be my seventh football season in Plant City and I’m just as excited for the regular season to start as I was to dive in back in September 2013. Of all the things the Observer does throughout the year, from special features to our annual Florida Strawberry Festival guide, putting the Football Guide together year after year is my favorite. I’m biased, of course, but that’s just who I am as the sports guy.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did building it.

I wish all our teams the best of luck in 2019, and I’ll see you all on the field very soon.

PlantCityObserver.com

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019

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FOOTBALL PREVIEW

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PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019

DURANT

COUGARS

A youth movement The Cougars hope learning from last year will help the team get on the right track in 2019.

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

T

he great thing about having a senior-heavy football team is that it usually gives you the best chance to win games. The bad thing about it is sometimes the following year.

Graduation hit Durant hard after 2017, which led to an influx of inexperienced players stepping up in 2018 to fill key roles from the prior season. The Cougars couldn’t match that production on offense and defense and finished at 3-7 (3-3 district).

Though the Cougars did suffer their fair share of blowout losses thanks to a tough, back-loaded schedule, they were often quite competitive. Durant surprised everyone by playing Jesuit (13-2; 4-0 district) to a 7-7 tie at halftime in its home opener. Two weeks later, the Cougars used a big second quarter to secure a 14-7 halftime lead over Newsome in the Alafia River Rivalry game.

Both of those games ended with Durant losses, but that led to a three-game win streak from Sept.

14 through Oct. 5 highlighted by a 10-7 win in overtime at home against an East Bay team that had just scored 83 points in three games. Durant picked up a 24-6 win at Strawberry Crest the following week and, after a Set. 28 bye, hosted Lennard and got a 31-21 win.

Durant has once again lost numerous key players to graduation and transfer, but some familiar faces in important places are back.

This is the only team in the area that can say its starting quarterback is back for the second consecutive year. Sean Williams has one last season of high school ball left and he’s looking to make a big impact for the offense this time around. Williams’s first season

SCHEDULE Note: All games scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. District games marked with *.

8/23: @ King 8/30: vs. Riverview 9/6: @ Blake 9/13: vs. Bloomingdale* 9/20: @ Newsome (Alafia River Rivalry) 9/27: @ Kathleen* 10/4: vs. Lennard 10/11: vs. Lakeland* 10/18: @ Strawberry Crest* 10/25: @ Plant City* (Battle for the Redman Cup) 11/1: BYE

THE DETAILS Location: 4748 Cougar Path, Plant City Established: 1995 Head Coach: Mike Gottman (17th season with team) Offense: Multiple Defense: 4-3 2018 Record: 3-7 (3-3 district)

as Durant’s QB1 didn’t require much from his throwing arm, as the team used an extremely runheavy offense, but he proved to be up for the task of using his legs. In one such case, he caught Tampa Bay Tech’s defense slipping and broke off an impressive 53-yard run in a game where he also finished with two rushing touchdowns.

Williams will lead an offense head coach Mike Gottman said will once again focus on running the ball, though it may not look much like the Durant offenses of recent years. Like the New England Patriots, the Cougars are keeping the fullback position alive with Eli Reed and L.J. Gappy set to receive big workloads.

Durant’s going with a flexbone offense in 2019 to make life on the ground easier for everyone involved. The flexbone is a tworeceiver set with the quarterback taking snaps under center, a fullback behind him in the backfield and two “A” backs (Collin Cole and Nate Roark) lining up slightly

behind the tackles on each end of the offensive line. It’s the ideal formation for any team that wants to run the triple option.

That play, which you’ve seen plenty of if you’ve watched Navy or Georgia Tech football in the last two decades, gives an offense three “options” for running the ball with one snap. Should Williams want to hang on to the ball himself, he can run either left or right depending on which side his line is asked to block. One of the “A” backs will go in motion presnap to cut behind the fullback and get to the other side of the backfield. The “A” opposite him, on the side where he and Williams are running to, is responsible for blocking. Williams can pitch to the pulling “A” if he wants or keep it if he sees defenders keying in on that back, anticipating the pitch.

Reed or Gappy, meanwhile, can run between the tackle and guard on either side to either fake out defenders in the “box” right up on the line of scrimmage or take the handoff from Williams for a gain if there’s room to run through there. Flexbone teams have to make sure there’s equal or nearequal touches for those three possible ballcarriers for the play to work, but the confusion the exchange (or not) can cause also makes it possible for teams to run other plays disguised as the triple option. As long as your offensive players can read a defense, they can give opponents fits all four quarters. Gottman would like for the passing game to improve over time, which gets wideouts like Tyler Bokor more involved.

Gottman said Durant will still work multiple formations, three and four-man fronts, into the defense. Bradley Guasto and Josh Cannon are going to be focal points of the defense in 2019.

Guasto, a senior outside linebacker, brings size (he’s 6-foot4) and athleticism to the mix and can cover some ground. Cannon, a junior middle linebacker, brings leadership and tenacity to the group that the coaching staff is very pleased with. Luke Rawlins will return to start at inside linebacker next to Cannon. Ashton Kirkland will head up a secondary that Gottman hopes will be helped by game experience.

“We’re a little bit raw in the secondary, but we’re trying to get those guys schooled up pretty quick,” Gottman said.

The Cougars are also working with a new kicker, senior Edgar Posadas Jr., who has never kicked before. Gottman said Posadas has done some good things in practice, but just needs to get more comfortable in a game situation.

“I’ve seen him boom it here,” Gottman said. “We’ve got to bring him along.”

Even with an overhauled, retooled roster with inexperienced players at some positions and others learning new positions for the first time, the Cougars are staying positive. They’ll let you know it, too. Players talk about getting rid of “the negativity” that apparently had hung over the program before this season, whatever that may have been, and say the change of attitude has benefitted the team overall.

“Togetherness, playing as one team and doing the right thing to do so we don’t have a lot of offthe-field distractions,” Gottman said. “Our acronym is E.A.T. Effort, attitude and toughness.

We can control those things. We need to control those and everything else follows.”

It remains to be seen how well the team will respond to adversity this time around, and it does help that the 2019 schedule isn’t quite as harsh as last year’s. But in 17 years leading the program, Gottman has pretty much seen it all and knows what the staff needs to do to keep the Cougars clawing.

“When the lights come on and you forget about half the stuff we work on out here, it’s difficult to get that consistency, that gametype consistency,” Gottman said.

“We’ve got to continue to get better every practice, every game, and continue to grow as a team.”

ROSTER (from MaxPreps.com) 1 Nathaniel Rourk SB Jr. 2 Aashton Kirkland FS, CB, WR Jr. 3 Lonel Gappy RB, OLB, ATH Jr. 4 Jaiden Gappy SS, FS, RB So. 6 Edgar Posadas Jr. K, P Sr. 7 Javoni Mitchell FS Jr. 8 Jeremiah Puerto WR, CB Jr. 9 Tyler Bokor WR, TE Jr. 10 Sean Williams QB Sr. 11 AJ Woods QB Jr. 12 Marcus Miguele QB So. 14 Dquandre Grier RB Sr. 15 Bradley Guasto DE Sr. 20 Eli Reed FB, RB Jr. 21 David Carswell FS, SS Jr. 22 Evan Richelson LB, S So. 23 Izaya Miller DE, OLB Sr. 24 Sean Lugo LB Jr. 25 Bryson Pearce RB So. 26 Brian Stockton RB Jr. 27 Lenny Woods CB, SS Jr. 28 Collin Cole RB, WR Jr. 32 Leo Tabakovic RB So. 33 Mekhi Batista DE So. 33 Elian Gonzalez RB, C, SS Fr. 35 Jordan Fernandes OLB, MLB So. 36 Jacob Reed MLB, FB Fr. 40 Joshua Cannon MLB, OLB Jr. 42 Austin Lewis DE, DT, TE Fr. 44 Luke Rawlins MLB, FB Jr. 45 Lane Robbins DT Sr. 48 Simeon Echavarria CB So. 49 Nathan Brennan TE Jr. 50 Cade McClellan OL So. 51 Derrick Mahoney G, DT Jr. 52 Ethan Webb Sr. 53 Andrew Baker DT Jr. 55 Wyatt Lawson G, DT Jr. 56 Hunter Dross DE, DT Jr. 57 Jaden Galarza T, G Sr. 58 Andrew Valentine OL So. 59 Austin Bovee C So. 62 Gama Daniel DT Sr. 63 Belani Boyd DT Sr. 66 Greg Smith DT, DL Fr. 66 Hagan Sharp T, G Jr. 68 Logan Mayo T, G So. 72 Jaiden Giovenco T, OL So. 78 Tyler Newell OL, G So. 88 Peter Knight WR, DE Jr. 89 Xavier Hernandez LS Jr.

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

PlantCityObserver.com

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019

THREE TO SEE

SEAN WILLIAMS (QB) From last year to this year, how do you think you’ve gotten better?

I think, as a team, we’ve improved very much and we’re looking to get many more wins this year.

What do you bring to the table as a quarterback?

I bring a lot of leadership.

What’s something you’ve learned from last season that you’ve been really working hard at to improve?

I learned that there needs to be no negativity on the whole team, or else it’ll go downhill very fast.

BRADLEY GUASTO (DE)

WYATT LAWSON (OL)

When you’re working with these younger guys and getting everybody ready for the season, what’s the mindset you try to bring to the defense?

We’re just trying to do everything in a precise manner.

We’re trying to make sure that everything we do is down to the T. We’re making plays.

We’re getting around.

Tell me something about this team that people may not know, but need to know.

Well, we got rid of a lot of negativity last year.

We have a lot of young guys in here that are willing to fight for a position and do work on and off the field.

What’s something about this defense that might surprise a lot of people, in a good way?

Right now, we’re playing with a lot of younger guys.

GAFFNEY EYE CLINIC

Definitely on the smaller side.

But I think this season, we’re gonna be pretty good. We’ve been working hard. We’ve been making sure that we perform well this season.

What do you bring to this defense?

I would consider myself a playmaker and I definitely try to hold everyone to high standards on the field, to make sure that they’re doing their jobs properly.

What’s something you’ve learned at Durant that’s helped you become the best player you can be?

Just to fire up the ball, be fast, physical and don’t slack around.

That helped a lot for the varsity level.

What’s something from last season you look at now and know you have to change for this year?

Like I said before, there was a lot of negativity. When something went wrong, everything went wrong. We’re keeping that in check this year. If something goes wrong, we keep the guy’s head up.

Whoever made the mistake, or myself if I made a mistake, the team always has my back to keep me going.

Barry M. Gaffney, O.D., P.A. Jeremy H. Gaffney, O.D. Daniel G. Gaffney, O.D.

2002 S. Alexander Street, Plant City, FL 33563-8410

283086

EYE CARE AND CONTACT LENS SPECIALISTS Call (813) 754-3593 To Schedule Your Eye Exam

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PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019

PLANT CITY

RAIDERS Making a ‘movie’ The Raiders are looking to build upon last year’s success and get back into the playoffs in 2019.

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

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good way to describe the Plant City Raiders of the last four years was, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” This year, though, that’s not the case.

“Confident” is the right word to describe the Plant City Raiders heading into the 2019 regular season.

Coming off of a successful 2018 that saw a 9-2 record (6-0 district) and a return to the playoffs, slowly becoming a transfer destination and still featuring Hillsborough County’s most dangerous threat to score, the Raiders are optimistic right now. Head coach James Booth believes they have every reason to be.

“I like where we’re at,” Booth said. “I like where our kids are at.

We’ve got a lot of guys that came out and filled roles we had lost going into this season, so we’re happy with them.”

You could look at it as a particularly strong take considering the caliber of players this team has to replace.

Plant City lost several quality receivers to graduation and must also work on solidifying offensive line depth, but the team’s biggest loss overall may have been at quarterback. They didn’t lose just any signal-caller: they lost Guy Toph winner and first-team all-state senior Braxton Plunk.

Hillsborough County’s best quarterback just gave his team as good a season as you could ask for — he appeared in all 11 games, threw for 2,602 yards and 26 touchdowns (against just five interceptions) with a near-60 percent completion rate and added two rushing touchdowns while commanding one of the top offenses in the county. The question of who would replace Plunk in 2019 loomed large over the program last year.

Enter Makenzie Kennedy, who will be the second former Straw-

SCHEDULE Note: All games scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. District games marked with *.

8/23: @ Jesuit 8/30: @ Tampa Bay Tech 9/6: vs. Gaither 9/13: vs. Lakeland* 9/20: @ East Bay* 9/27: @ Bloomingdale* 10/4: vs. Armwood 10/11: @ Strawberry Crest* 10/18: vs. Kathleen* 10/25: vs. Durant* (Battle for the Redman Cup) 11/1: BYE

THE DETAILS Location: 1 Raider Place, Plant City Established: 1914 Head Coach: James Booth (3rd season with team) Offense: Spread Defense: 3-4 2018 Record: 9-2 (6-0 district)

berry Crest quarterback Booth has coached at PCHS. Kennedy, who started for the Chargers last season, didn’t put up much in terms of passing in 2018 but showed the ability to extend plays and move the chains with his legs.

His running ability will add some new wrinkles to Booth’s playcalling, as Kennedy is more of a natural runner than Plunk was. Booth added that Kennedy has been an apt student of the offense and has made big strides since summer in terms of grasping what the PCHS offense will need him to do.

“Understanding pass concepts, who we’re trying to attack and where we’re trying to attack, he’s picked a lot of that up going through our summer in 7-on7s he’s been a part of,” Booth said. “It’s given him confidence understanding where we want to go with the football, and then just working on timing.”

Replacing guys like Chris Wilson, De’Qwan Myers and Maurice Morris at wideout will be Seffner Christian transfer Melek Ford (who will also play defensive back) and returners Reagan

Ealy (also a special teams contributor) and Brent Coton. One guy Booth is happy to not have to replace is Mario Williams, whom Booth calls the “best player in the county and, really, the country.”

Williams is a dynamic playmaker who could get open against most high school defensive backs with his speed alone, but also has the route-running ability to separate from the faster, smarter DBs. When you have a player like that, who is a threat to score whenever he touches the ball on offense or special teams, you’re never really out of a game — hence virtually every big-time college program you can think of fighting for his NLI next February.

“That’s what we’re trying to tell Makenzie,” Booth said. “We’ve got a guy who’s a legit playmaker.

Just give him a chance with the ball and I think good things are gonna happen. Just put him in a position where he can be successful after the catch.”

Plant City is working on building offensive line depth — likely to come from two-way players — to help returning running back Zamir’ Knighten in his last high school season. Knighten blossomed into a 1,000-plus yard rusher in 2018 and kept defenses honest while adding nine touchdowns on the ground. He’ll likely get more involved in the passing game.

Defensively, the Raiders’ biggest challenge was finding a way to make up for the loss of one of the county’s best linebacking groups. D.J. Gordon IV, Ashton Mincey and Kobe Panier are now playing college football, which left a huge hole in the defense.

Booth has a plan, though. Keyshawn Green has moved over from defensive end and 2018 backup Tanner Gibbs has worked his way up into a starting job. Antron Robinson will start for the fourth consecutive season, setting the edge opposite Hillsborough High School transfer Latarus Wanser.

Booth believes that, while losing three key ‘backers to college football can hurt a team, Plant City’s group looks “better across the board” this season.

“It looks at this point that we’re not really missing a beat, and that

says a lot about what those guys are doing as far as coachability and the scheme that we have,” Booth said. “I like what they’re doing and what the outside linebackers are doing.”

Bookending the defensive line will be returning DE Emmanuel Baez, whose move to the position worked well for PCHS last year, and Hillsborough transfer Jimmie Pettis. There is a little uncertainty at defensive back — specifically who will start at cornerback opposite Williams — but Booth believes the team will be able to figure that out.

“I like our starting group,” Booth said. “We’re trying to build depth a little bit with some guys going both ways to give us instant depth. But on both sides of the ball, we really like our starting group.”

Chris Rodriguez, who won a baseball state championship with Williams in the spring, returns as the team’s kicker. Tyreke Harrison’s kick-blocking prowess will be missed on special teams, but Booth has a lot of confidence in the return game with Williams, Knighten and Ealy. Long snapper Jackson Knotts, who has played in exhibitions and camps around the country, is also back for his fourth year.

Plant City is most likely to compete for a district title against Lakeland. Booth says the Raiders are ready for any challenge thrown their way this year, but that renewing an old rivalry makes 2019 a little more special for everyone involved: players, coaches and fans.

“They (fans) used to play in that game and be a part of it, so it’s exciting for them to get some Polk County schools (Lakeland and Kathleen) again and renew that rivalry,” Booth said. “Who wouldn’t want to play a state championship team? You play at Plant City to play those games.

I’m excited about the challenge.”

No matter what the schedule looks like — and it’s a doozy this year — the Raiders aren’t lacking in self-confidence and welcome any challenge against any opponent. Even if the road to the playoffs goes through a 2018 state champion, the culture and state

of the program inspire confidence in the team.

“At this point, the buy-in’s been great,” Booth said. “I feel we’ve got guys that can go in and compete.”

ROSTER (from MaxPreps.com) 2 Mario Williams (C) SB, WR Jr. 3 Reagan Ealy WR Jr. 4 Zamir’ Knighten (C) RB, SB Sr. 5 Keyshawn Green ILB, DE Sr. 6 Melek Ford WR Sr. 7 Tanner Gibbs ILB Sr. 8 Latarus Wanser SS, FS, OLB Sr. 9 Emmanuel Baez DE Sr. 10 Makenzie Kennedy QB Sr. 11 Antron Robinson CB, SS Sr. 13 Brent Coton WR Jr. 15 Clinton Danzey QB Fr. 16 Eric McLeod WR, DE Sr. 20 Marquies Gines FS Sr. 21 Austin Albright CB Jr. 22 Toddreon Miller CB Jr. 24 Reginald Bush CB, RB So. 25 Dawson Traffanstedt SS, RB Jr. 28 Shermonte Hargrove SS, CB Sr. 29 Jeremiah Gines RB, SB Fr. 30 Jermarian Jackson CB So. 32 Tavaras Littles CB, FS Jr. 34 Romello Jones RB So. 36 Patrick Connelly RB Jr. 37 Thaddeus Powell CB Jr. 38 Chris Rodriguez P, K Sr. 40 Austin Smith MLB, DE Jr. 42 Jackson Knotts LS, FS Jr. 45 Cole Highsmith CB, WR Fr. 46 David Davenport SS, FS So. 48 Brendon Coleman WR Jr. 52 Stephen Thomas OLB Jr. 53 Kaden Mizell DE, DT So. 54 John Lewis G, NG Sr. 55 Rhet Conyers ILB So. 56 Jimmie Pettis DT Jr. 57 Ce’aer James OT, DE Sr. 58 Quintin Silas DE, OG So. 60 Jayden Johnson OG So. 66 Caleb Turner OL Sr. 68 Raymundo Gonzalez G, DT Sr. 69 Josiah Lancaster OT So. 70 Dartavious Robinson C So. 72 Jeren Bendorf DT, G Sr. 73 Javier Aguilar G Sr. 78 Arthur Stibich OT, DT Jr. 80 Bobby Henderson WR Jr. 81 Jaylen Gadson WR So. 83 Sincere Williams WR So. 86 Patrick Previty WR Sr. 99 Donte Woodard DE So.

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

PlantCityObserver.com

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019

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THREE TO SEE

EMMANUEL BAEZ (DE)

ZAMIR’ KNIGHTEN (RB)

You did well last season at a new position. How do you feel about the way things are looking this time around?

I’m feeling pretty good.

The team’s looking good.

We’ve got a lot of kids coming back from last year, so there’s a lot of momentum from going to the playoffs last year, understanding what it takes, a lot of them already have that mindset… we’re ahead of where we were last year, in a sense.

Big season for you last year. Where do you see yourself at, as a running back, right now?

This summer, all my bench and things went up by 10 pounds. I squatted 500 pounds and put on more than 10 pounds this summer. I’m feeling pretty good.

How are you handling your leadership role as a senior?

I’m trying my best to handle it. Most of the team, they’re younger than me but they like to

clown with me because I’m cool with them and all that. But when we come out here, I go ahead and let them know we’ve gotta be about business. A big thing on our team is that everybody’s held accountable for your job that you’ve got to do.

Where have you improved the most at DE? Probably my strength. I gained over 10 pounds this summer and my bench max increased by a lot. My teammate was clowning me because he got bigger than me, a little bit, but I gained a little weight and strength.

How has that changed your game, if at all?

I feel like I’m an everydown back. I mean, I was last year. But now I feel like I could do it every play and not come out of the game.

What are your expectations for the season?

Same goal. State championship. That’s the main goal. We take every game one by one and try to go undefeated each game.

MARIO WILLIAMS (ATH) You really made a name for yourself last year and got a ton of attention. Has all that press changed anything for you?

I’m coming back harder.

It’s gonna be a movie this year.

Where have you grown as a player from last season to now?

My legs, I’ve been in the weight room working out a lot. I’m walking around school and everybody’s like, “Oh, you’ve gotten bigger.” I’m trying to not have just one guy be able to take me down this year.

I’m trying to have everybody have to take me down.

How do you stay humble and keep your head when you have more bigtime college offers and spotlight on you than most?

I’m basically the same.

Just because I have offers, that don’t mean nothing. Everybody puts on their pads the same way.

That’s how I think about it.

Everybody wakes up and brushes their teeth and does the same stuff. So, why am I different? Like, OK, I know I make big plays. Anybody can make a big play. I don’t mean nothing, man, I just know that in my head, that I’m going to college and I can succeed in life. I don’t care who makes the play.

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FOOTBALL PREVIEW

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PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019

STRAWBERRY CREST

CHARGERS

A new, coach, a new beginning With a new head coach, the Chargers are looking to start rebuilding from the ground up in 2019.

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

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s much as ever, the deck appears to be stacked against the Strawberry Crest Chargers.

Crest was more competitive in 2018 than a 1-9 (0-6 district) record, a one-point home win over King and nothing else is the “W” column, would suggest. The Chargers had two losses (12-7 at Spoto and 13-3 against Riverview) decided by 10 points or fewer.

They trailed Durant by just one point at halftime in a game that was closer than the 24-6 score would suggest, though that was related in large part to a torrential downpour of penalty flags.

This offseason was like an exercise in Murphy’s Law. Most of the team’s top contributors graduated. Its starting quarterback, Makenzie Kennedy, left for the teal-er pastures of Plant City High School. Ron Hawn, the head coach of the past three seasons, retired from coaching football in June. Though the coaching staff itself wasn’t hit with a massive turnover, the Chargers have had very little time to work with new head coach Phillip Prior. Crest looked every bit like a team trying to find itself in its 37-0 preseason loss to Palm Harbor University.

All things considered, though, you almost have to expect that of a team that’s had such bad luck in the last nine months.

“I told the guys (July 29),” Prior said, “‘It doesn’t matter what has happened in this football program. The decisions that you make from here on out and the sacrifices you’re willing to make, the amount of work you’re willing to put in, that’s gonna determine our success moving forward.’”

SCHEDULE Note: All games scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. District games marked with *.

8/23: @ Leto 8/30: @ King 9/6: BYE 9/13: vs. Kathleen* 9/20: vs. Riverview 9/27: @ Lakeland* 10/4: @ Wharton 10/11: vs. Plant City* 10/18: vs. Durant* 10/25: @ Bloomingdale* 11/1: vs. Brandon

THE DETAILS Location: 4691 Gallagher Road, Dover Established: 2009 Head Coach: Phillip Prior (1st season with team) Offense: Gap scheme Defense: 3-4 2018 Record: 1-9 (0-6 district)

All you can do is play through it all, work on fixing things as need fixed and never quit. Prior knows that as well as anyone. That’s why he’s not about to set any goals or make any predictions for 2019 that you could put a number on.

What’s most important is setting up the players for the best possible chance of success in the near and distant futures.

“I want to set the expectation and the standards for this football program,” Prior said.

It starts with the foundation.

“Win each rep.” “Fail, don’t quit.”

Winning begins with the brain and finishes with the game. Players seem to be responding well to Prior’s approach thus far and such buy-in will be crucial for the future. It will make the full transition to Prior’s preferred offensive and defensive schemes easier. It will, in turn, help Prior and the coaching staff build Crest into the tough, physical squad they want.

“I think that’s the thing I’m most anxious about,” Prior said.

“What type of physicality and toughness are we going to bring each week? That translates to all positions… I believe you can coach toughness. I believe you can coach physicality. We’re going to put our kids into situations where they’re going to have to be tough.

They’re going to have to learn how to play physical football.”

On offense, Prior wants to establish a gap scheme attack with “efficient” passing. The run-pass balance might look a lot like it did in the preseason game, where pass plays were called sparingly. The team hopes that once the offensive line gets more settled in, 6-foot-9 Jose Gonzalez and his teammates can blast open gaps for backs like Andre James-Williams and Ethan Calaway to slip through. What they need is for the o-line to perfect blocking away from the gaps the running backs are supposed to hit and pulling from the back side of plays to help lead the way.

Caleb Goodson, who mostly played wide receiver in 2018, is moving back to quarterback fulltime for the first time since 2017.

Luckily for the senior signalcaller, 2018 receiving leader Jadyn Girard is back.

“Caleb’s got a strong arm and can throw the deep ball really well,” Prior said. “I’m looking for him to be a good game manager for our offense. I think he’s really understanding a lot of the concepts we’re trying to implement.”

Defensively, the team is working out of a 3-4 base led by senior linebacker Jake Craig. Though this side of the ball was hurt worse by player departures, it will benefit from having players like 2018 sacks and forced fumbles leader Joe Witherington and two-way lineman Sebastian Fernandes return. Hunter Wilkinson and Kadin Durgan will lead the way at defensive back and also play at wide receiver.

“We’ve got to do three things better than anybody. We’ve got

to tackle well. We’ve got to pursue to the football and we have to create turnovers,” Prior said. “Those are the things that we’re going to emphasize on our defense.”

The Chargers will also need to establish consistency in the special teams department now that Josh Young, as true a utility man as there was in Hillsborough County, has graduated and holes in the kicking and punting areas opened up. Goodson handled punting duties in the preseason game but the Chargers did not get a chance to attempt a field goal or PAT. Senior return man Jhadin McKinnie flashed some potential during the preseason game, notably on a first-quarter kickoff return in which he shook and slipped past several Palm Harbor defenders and got Crest out to midfield to start a drive with great field position.

No matter what the win-loss column looks like when the regular season wraps up in early November, it is possible for Crest to look back and call 2019 successful in some regard. The most important thing Prior and the team can do this year is lay down a foundation and, if that’s solid enough, improvement in the next couple of years could very well come. One thing must happen, though: everyone has to be all-in and show it.

“I think my biggest goals for this year,” Prior said, “are… did our kids compete? Did we buy in to what we want to be about as a football program? Did we sell out on trying to win each rep or did we lose sight of that?”

ROSTER (from MaxPreps.com) 1 Ethan Calaway WR, SB Sr. 2 Kadin Durgan QB, SS Jr. 4 Brock Craig QB So. 5 Jaydn Girard WR So. 6 Jhadin McKinnie WR, CB, FS Sr. 7 Hunter Wilkinson QB Jr. 8 Caleb Goodson QB Sr. 9 Connor Dias Jr. 13 Maxwell Paplin T, G Jr. 14 Andre James-Williams RB, Jr. 15 Jesse Waldrop 16 Daquan McDonald DL Sr. 17 Dylan Peeples QB So. 18 Joseph Witherington DE, TE Sr. 19 Corey Green TE So. 20 DJ Brannon OLB, RB Sr. 22 Miles Jones CB So. 24 Bryant Lazare DE, OLB Sr. 25 Carson Brown MLB So. 30 Talyn Girard-Oates DE, DT Sr. 32 Ethan Garza WR So. 34 Russell Caton Jr. 36 Isaiah Skinner Jr. 42 Jonathan Clemann WR So. 44 Jacob Hemphill K, P, FB Sr. 45 Dywayne Hinds RB, FB Sr. 51 Steel Craig OLB Fr. 52 Ben Gude G, C Sr. 53 Armando Garcia K, P Jr. 53 Cristoval Arevalo DT, DE Sr. 54 Landen Luckey Jr. 55 Jonah Spivey OL Sr. 56 Jake Craig OLB, DE Jr. 58 Justin Pulaski MLB Sr. 64 John Pritchard Jr. 65 Benjamin Hill G, T Jr. 66 Kevin Claudio NG, C Jr. 68 Isaac Garcia G So. 69 Jose Gonzalez T Sr. 72 Elijah Johnson C, G, T So. 75 Cayden Knipp T, G Jr. 77 Sebastian Fernandes T, G, C Jr. 78 Jackson Bradford T, G Jr.

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

PlantCityObserver.com

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019

THREE TO SEE

JONAH SPIVEY (OL) How’s the team coming together after the coaching change and everything that’s happened this offseason?

We all like him… we all think he knows what he’s doing and it makes being at practice fun.

What are your expectations for the season?

I just hope we get things done, win some games and give it everything we’ve got.

What’s something you’re committed to doing out on the field this year?

Just keep the work ethic good, give it all I’ve got and give it 110 percent on every play.

JAKE CRAIG (LB)

CALEB GOODSON (QB)

What would you be satisfied with in 2019?

I would be very satisfied with recognition of plays and just being very fluid with how we operate on the field.

You’re the next man up at QB. How do you feel, going into the season?

I feel pretty strong.

We’ve gotten down all our new plays very quickly. More than we have in the past.

Everything seems like it’s clicking better, so I’m happy with that.

What’s something you’ve learned in the last three years with the team that’s helped you become the player you are today?

I’ve really learned that we need other people.

We need teammates.

If your teammates aren’t as good, then you’re not gonna be

a very good player yourself. You can’t be the star — you have to have other people to back you up.

So as a leader who has to pick his teammates up like that, what’s your approach? How do you set a good example?

I think it’s really encouraging them and showing them what to do, not just yelling at them about what they need to do. It’s showing them how to do the techniques and stuff like that.

How have you grown as a quarterback since you’ve been here, seeing playing time at both quarterback and wide receiver?

Well, starting out, I wasn’t very intelligent about the offense on the field.

When I moved to wide

receiver, I got a feel for what I needed to do as a quarterback, being a leader and where I needed to put the ball. I think it helped me out. Feeling for my wide receivers, setting them up with better passes and stuff.

What do you bring to the table, in your opinion, whenever you step onto the field?

I try to be the best leader possible.

Help people out with plays and make sure everybody knows their assignments. I go out and try to play all four quarters giving it everything I’ve got.

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PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019

LOOKING BACK ON 2018

T

he 2018 Plant Cityarea football season was intense and we caught plenty of ups and downs through the lens of a Nikon camera.

As always, we’ve rounded up some of the staff’s favorite photos from last season to share before the new season officially kicks off.

Check out more photos on plantcityobserver. com and keep an eye out for this week’s batch of preseason pictures.

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

PlantCityObserver.com

WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND?

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019

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JUSTIN KLINE

Justin Kline takes a guess at how local prep football teams will fare this season.

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

By now, you’ve probably read my preview on your favorite area high school team(s) and the rundown on how the complex new playoff system works. But I know what you’re really thinking: “How are the boys gonna do out there?”

Anything can happen in high school football and I learned long ago that anyone can prove you very, very wrong at any time. It’s always fun to dust off the old crystal ball and give it a shot, though. This year is no exception.

Let’s start with our district first, since there’s one thing that needs addressing right away. Surely you know by now that our district has reshuffled and Lakeland is now a member. The Dreadnaughts cruised to the 7A state championship in 2018 and

still have one more year with Demarckus Bowman, who might be the best running back (if not overall offensive player) in the country. Look, I haven’t heard anything about gambling on high school sports becoming legal now. But if it were, Lakeland would be an extremely heavy favorite to win the district and possibly also the favorite to go all the way again. I’m pretty sure Lakeland will win the district and lock up another playoff spot. But, hey, anything can happen and I’ve been wrong before.

Durant’s 2018 was... well, not great. I don’t think anyone would dispute that, but the Cougars ran into a problem that has hurt and will hurt most football programs ever: life after a senior-heavy roster featuring numerous starters and key role players who graduated. The teams fortunate enough to have sustained

success year after year even after turnover like that are outliers created by luck or recruiting — or both, but whatever — and it’s not fair to compare yourself to that unless you are an outlier team.

The Cougars do have a bit more experience in certain areas, including quarterback, but this still strikes me as a team working on building itself back up to the level it was on in 2016 and 2017. I think the potential to finish with a better record than last season’s 3-7 mark is very much there, though.

In my opinion, the team with the best chance of scoring an upset win in district play is Plant City. The Raiders got another taste of playoff action last season and I know those boys are hungry to get back and do better than last time. Fortunately for that team, it’s pretty well-off in the right areas: the coaching’s legit, the schemes work, the talent pool is deep and the attitude is right. It also helps that Plant City has Lakeland at 1 Raider Place this season.

As nice as I just made all that sound, though, it’s still probably going to be the hardest test Plant City will have all season and there’s no guarantee the Raiders will win. Should they lose the game and not get a district title, they’ll have to rely on the new system to make it back to the playoffs. They have a brutal schedule and are working with a new quarterback who does not have the same play style as Guy Toph winner and recent graduate Braxton Plunk. If Makenzie Kennedy can get comfortable in the offense in real-life game action and the defense can recover from losing one of the best linebacker groups in Florida to college football, I think they’ll get to play November football again. And the Redman Cup? Back to 1 Raider Place after the Oct. 25 rivalry game, most likely.

Man, oh man. No one wants to have to replace a head coach in the middle of

summer, so you almost have to feel bad for Strawberry Crest there. Now, I’m not here to take Ron Hawn to task for his decision to retire from coaching super late in the offseason. He’s allowed to make his own decisions and if he did what he felt was the best thing for him and his family, so be it. But you can’t just ignore it when something like that happens to a team, either.

I have to give props to the Chargers for staying upbeat, at least when talking to me. Phillip Prior seems to be keeping a level head and focusing on the positives, which rubs off on the rest of a program.

The players I’ve talked to said they just want to do the best they can and support the new coach as he grows into his new program.

There are definitely winnable games on this schedule, at least on paper (again, you never know). But Crest is a team that still had much to improve upon after last season and just got a new head coach a few seconds ago. I’m not sure the final record will see much, if any, improvement from 2018. This season will most likely be filed under “Learning Experiences” and regardless of what happens on the field now, I’ll be curious to see how Prior and the Chargers handle next season — when time will finally be on their side. Rome wasn’t built in one football season, you know.

Justin Kline is the Sports Editor at the Plant City Times & Observer.

Email: jkline@ plantcityobserver. com.

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PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019

PILLARS OF THE PROGRAM

Every year, the Plant City Observer asks high school football coaches to nominate one player from their teams who exhibits great character, leadership and the ability to overcome obstacles. These players are the ones our head coaches chose for 2019.

JOSH CANNON

JEREN BENDORF

Cutting out the ‘negativity’

Always working for the goal

Josh Cannon is helping the Durant Cougars attack the 2019 season with a totally different mindset: staying positive.

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

I

t’s a new day at Durant. In 2019, the Cougars wouldn’t dare be sour — instead, they want to feel the power of positivity no matter what.

Josh Cannon is hardly the only player eager to talk about how whatever “negativity” plagued the team in 2018 is gone.

But he is among the most vocal of the leaders of the team’s new movement, one the coaches count on to bring leadership to another young, inexperienced roster.

“I’m just trying to bring everybody up, bring the team together and make us a strong team again,” Cannon said. “We try to coach everybody just as hard as we can, even leadership-wise. We teach them how to do it and how to do it right.”

Cannon appeared in all 10 games for Durant in his sophomore season and recorded 67 total tackles (42 solo, 25 assisted) with two tackles for loss and one sack.

Though he’s not the oldest, most experienced linebacker the team has in its arsenal, he’s got the attitude the coaching staff was looking for in a leader. Lessons learned from his “best buddy” Tanner Jurnigan, a middle linebacker who himself was crucial to the Cougars’ defensive success through his 2017 senior season, apply to what Cannon tries to do on and off the field.

“Sometimes I might get a little negative, but sometimes positive and negative can go a long way to make a person better and make him play better,” Cannon said. “I try to be excited with my team. We make a play, I get excited with them. I high five them, they do the same for me.”

The Durant Cougars have a long way to go on the field before the team can get back into the playoff picture. Many on the team are playing varsity football for the first

time. Some of them are even playing positions brand new to them. Even some of the more experienced Cougars who got some game time in the last season or two are being asked to switch positions to fill needs on either side of the ball and add needed depth to the lineups. On many teams, that would make for plenty of reason for tensions to boil over and attitudes to go south.

But the movement with Durant’s roster is attempting to get out ahead of any such concerns and keep everyone focused on what can be — not what won’t be. That isn’t successful without leaders like Cannon and teammates who have also spent much time with the Cougars setting the tone on the field and in the locker room.

Cannon believes that, despite the 2019 team’s lack of experience, its overall attitude and willingness to work hard every day could mean Durant’s fortunes are due to turn around for the better. He’s got his sights set on success in 2019 and thinks the Cougars are capable of turning things around, at least getting back on the right track with the first step being a record above .500 for the season.

“If we keep up the same pace and intensity play-wise, I think we’ll do pretty good,” he said. “At least a winning record.

Just trying to get everybody ready for the season and how they’re gonna play.”

Jeren Bendorf doesn’t let anything bring his spirits down, and life’s given him plenty of chances for that of late.

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

L

ast season, right when things were going well for the Raiders, Bendorf hurt his ankle shortly before the Raiders started the postseason.

He wasn’t able to play in the playoffs at all.

“It was a tough transition for me not to be in the playoff game,” Bendorf said.

“That sucked. You just have to stay positive by supporting your team. Support the leaders. Support the other guys.”

In the offseason, Bendorf was faced with a choice: either stay with the baseball team or leave it to focus on football.

He chose the latter, spending more time in the weight room to get in better shape for the game. The baseball team went on to win the school’s first state championship with football teammates Mario Williams and Chris Rodriguez in the starting lineup.

Then, shortly after spring football practice started up, Bendorf felt unusually tired for the first few days and soon learned he had actually come down with a case of mononucleosis.

“It was really just exhaustion,” he said.

“I was just really tired. I figured, the first couple days being back in practice after a while, it was just fatigue. Then my tonsils got swollen and disgusting. We went to the hospital that night and I just thought it was a tonsil infection making me tired.

Turns out, I had mono. They told me if I kept practicing my spleen could burst and it could be fatal.”

It was a lot to process at once and, in the lineman’s own words, “it really sucked.” But Bendorf had no intention

of letting anyone think all that adversity was going to hit him and get away with it.

“You’ve got to overcome adversity and hit it back in the mouth,” he said.

With plenty of younger players and transfers coming into the system, Bendorf took the opportunity to help everyone get more comfortable with the Raiders’ playbooks as much as he could.

“Bringing them up and teaching them how to do things kept me motivated and kept me doing something,” he said. “I kept a positive mindset that God has a plan. Just gotta follow it.”

He credits program alumni who were in those leadership roles when Bendorf himself was an underclassman with showing him how to do things effectively and responsibly as a senior team leader.

“Basically, when I was a freshman and a sophomore, I had guys like Austin Eldridge and Corey St. John who were always respectful to coaches and would nip guys in the bud when it was time to nip guys in the bud,” Bendorf said. “They would come along and help guys when it was time to help them. You’ve got to know when to be mad and yell, and you’ve got to know when to pat a guy on the shoulder and say ‘Hey, man, you’ll get ‘em on the next play.’”

That’s the kind of leader he strives to be every day, and the PCHS coaching staff is grateful to have Bendorf setting such an example for the next generation.

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PlantCityObserver.com

BEN GUDE

Leading from the o-line Ben Gude hasn’t been at Strawberry Crest long, but he’ll still fight for his “brothers” any Friday night.

SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

T

hey say football games are won in the trenches, so few positions on the field are under as much pressure on any given Friday (or Saturday, or Sunday) as those on the offensive line. As the guys who set the tone for the entire unit, you need leaders on the o-line.

For Strawberry Crest, senior Ben Gude is one of those leaders the team’s depending on for a steady presence as it gets through 2019. Gude, who’s entering his second season with the Chargers, wants to set an example for the younger Chargers on and off the field. He knows that equally as important to success as hard work is support, whether it’s in the form of tough love or straight-up encouragement, so he tries to strike a balance between the two.

“It’s being able to lead other people, obviously, and encourage them. Being able to pick them up when they’re down,” Gude said. “Being able to push them like no one else can.

He also hopes his teammates will take a page from his book in the classroom. One of his proudest accomplishments was not hitting someone on the field, but hitting the books off of it. He came to Crest two years ago with a GPA around 2.5 and built it up to about a 3.1.

“You can’t play football if you don’t have the grades,” Gude said. “I kind of struggled with that my first two years.

But I picked it up greatly.”

Though the difference between Plant City and Strawberry Crest has been

pretty vast on the football field, Gude’s been able to draw positives from his time with the Chargers even when the wins haven’t always come.

“It makes you learn to love the game a lot more,” Gude said. “It’s not all about wins and losses. It’s more about being with your teammates and building a bond. It was hard because, my whole football career, I wasn’t used to losing that many football games. But it makes you view the game so different. It’s not about going out there and winning on Friday night, it’s about going out there and fighting with your brothers on Friday night.”

With a head coaching switch so late in the offseason, Gude and other veterans of the program have been asked to help make the transition easier both for Prior and for their younger teammates.

Gude was quick to answer the call. And when he’s out there, everyone knows.

“I like yelling,” he said. “That’s kind of my thing. I get underneath them. I try to bring a lot of hype to them. That’s what I try to do.”

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JUSTIN KLINE

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019

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PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019

2019 YOUTH FOOTBALL SCHEDULES

If you want to know who the next batch of Friday night stars will be, make some time to watch local youth on Saturday morning.

SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

TRI-COUNTY YOUTH FOOTBALL & CHEERLEADING CONFERENCE

Between the Plant City Colts, Plant City Dolphins, Dover Patriots and Turkey Creek Trojans, you’ll be able to see plenty of talent take the field no matter where you go. Each of the teams have already begun playing, so their remaining regular-season schedules are listed here.

PLANT CITY COLTS 8/24: @ Polk County Panthers 8/31: vs. Central Florida Falcons 9/7: BYE 9/14: @ Childs Park Rattlers 9/21: vs. Tampa Bay Lions 9/28: @ Sarasota Hurricanes 10/5: vs. Zephyrhills Bulldawgs

JUSTIN KLINE

9/21: @ East Bay Bucs 9/28: vs. Brandon Cowboys 10/5: @ Lakeland Gators 10/12: vs. New Tampa Wildcats 10/19: @ Dover Patriots DOVER PATRIOTS 8/24: @ North Lakeland Legends 8/31: BYE 9/7: vs. Brandon Cowboys 9/14: @ Turkey Creek Trojans 9/21: @ Lakeland Eagles 9/28: vs. Pinecrest Pilots 10/5: vs. East Bay Bucs 10/12: @ Seffner Seahawks 10/19: vs. Plant City Dolphins

PLANT CITY DOLPHINS 8/24: vs. Central Florida Panthers 8/31: BYE 9/7: @ Southwest Junior Saints 9/14: vs. Wesley Chapel Coyotes

TURKEY CREEK TROJANS 8/24: vs. Southwest Junior Saints 8/31: BYE 9/7: @ Brandon Broncos 9/14: vs. Dover Patriots 9/21: @ Seffner Seahawks 9/28: @ Lakeland Eagles 10/5: @ North Lakeland Legends 10/12: vs. Pinecrest Pilots 10/19: vs. East Bay Bucs

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FHSAA adopts new RPI system for football playoffs RANKINGS WILL BE RELEASED AT FHSAA.ORG EVERY TUESDAY AT 2:00 P.M. BEGINNING OCTOBER 8TH

2019 FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUALIFICATION RATINGS PERCENTAGE INDEX RPI = (0.35 X WP) + (0.35 X OWP) + (0.30 X OOWP) 1) Your winning percentage

Your ranking will be derived from 3 areas: 2) Your opponents’ winning percentage 3) Your opponent’s opponents’ winning percentage EXAMPLE

• • • • • • •

RANK 1 2

SCHOOL Clarksville Jackson

RPI 0.746373 0.686204

W-L 10-0 9-1

WP 1.000000 0.900000

OWP 0.634596 0.616111

OOWP 0.580880 0.518549

3 4 5

Highland Kennedy Oak Park

0.674779 0.672998 0.671060

8-2 9-1 8-2

0.800000 0.900000 0.800000

0.610833 0.581111 0.608081

0.603290 0.515364 0.594106

CLASS 1A-4A

Teams must play a minimum of eight games to qualify for the playoffs.

All regular-season games completed will be included in a team’s RPI ranking.

Top six ranked teams in each region receive a playoff bid and will be seeded #1-6.

Top two ranked teams each receive a first-round bye.

Seeds are locked in for the duration of regional tournament.

Highest seed hosts for the duration of regional tournament.

Team with highest regular-season RPI will host semifinals.

• • • • • • •

CLASS 5A-8A

Teams must play a minimum of eight games to qualify for the playoffs.

All regular-season games completed will be included in a team’s RPI ranking.

District champions will be seeded #1-4 based on RPI ranking.

The next four highest regular-season RPI teams in each region will receive an at-large bid and be seeded #5-8.

Seeds are locked in for the duration of regional tournament.

Highest seed hosts for the duration of regional tournament.

Team with highest regular-season RPI will host semifinals.

The Ratings Percentage Index will now determine how football teams make the playoffs in 2019-20 and beyond.

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Two years ago, the FHSAA introduced its playoff points system as a way to give football teams a fairer shake in playoff eligibility. The system was tweaked last year but, apparently, it still wasn’t good enough.

The points system is now out and, beginning in the upcoming 2019-20 school year, the Ratings Percentage Index is now in.

Ranking every FHSAA team in the state just got more complicated, but the FHSAA hopes implementing a deeper system will lead to more accurate rankings and eliminate “scheduling havoc.”

The organization said the RPI offers a metric with more transparency than the previous system, which just focused on the winning percentages for a team and those of all its opponents.

The move comes after a season in which the points system, which was considered an upgrade over the previous district champion/runner-up guarantees, was widely criticized after Andrew Jackson (4-5) lost a playoff spot to a winless Gadsden County (0-9) team by coin flip — Gadsden’s opponents were considered good enough that the team’s losses netted it the same amount of points as a Jackson team that actually won games. Switching to a points system was supposed to eliminate situations like that, which could previously happen if a district runner-up was nearly winless, but it wasn’t entirely effective.

Now, three factors determine one’s ranking: winning percentage, opponents’ winning percentage and opponents’ opponents’ winning percentage.

The formula is RPI = (0.35 × WP) + (0.35 × OWP) + (0.30 × OOWP) and only regular-season games against varsity

opponents (even if they’re from another state) count. Any ties count as half a win.

Opponents’ winning percentage is calculated on an individual, team-byteam basis ignoring the team whose RPI is being evaluated. So, when calculating Durant’s RPI and looking at its opponents’ schedules, one wouldn’t count games played against the Cougars in the process. Opponents’ opponents’ winning percentage is calculated in the same way. This potentially creates more work for those who determine the rankings, which the FHSAA said will be posted to its site at 2 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Unlike the playoff system, the RPI does not offer bonus points for scheduling past playoff teams. That’s the situation the FHSAA described as creating “scheduling havoc,” as it favored teams who scheduled anyone with a playoff appearance in the previous two seasons.

Because the RPI leans more heavily on win percentages than points, game cancellations that can’t be rescheduled won’t hurt anybody’s odds. That could be helpful during hurricane season, which always creates uncertainty and was even more stressful with the playoff points system’s insistence on reaching a certain number of games played to achieve postseason eligibility.

The RPI does continue the points system’s trend of ignoring win quality in favor of straight-up wins and losses, meaning Plant City gets the same treatment for a 41-14 win as Strawberry Crest would for a 10-7 win.

Tiebreakers will be determined by six factors: head-to-head results, win percentages, opponents’ win percentages, opponents’ opponents’ win percentages, highest-rated win (per final RPI standings) and, if all else fails, the nexthighest rated win.

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019

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PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019

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PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019

BEST OF THE

BEST: 2018 JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Sports Editor Justin Kline builds a “fantasy team” with 2018’s top players.

OFFENSE QB: Braxton Plunk, Plant City Braxton Plunk’s high school career ended with a truly exceptional senior season that saw Plant City’s field general throw for more than 2,600 passing yards and 26 touchdowns, which helped Plant City win nine games and get back into the playoffs.

The 2018 Guy Toph Award winner played all 11 games for the Raiders and showed the kind of leadership and decision-making any football program would want from their QB1.

RB1: Zamir’ Knighten, Plant City The running back factory at 1 Raider Place struck again in 2018, with Zamir’ Knighten stepping up to establish a solid run game. Knighten accounted for 1,038 of the team’s 1,331 total rushing yards in his junior season and added nine touchdowns to boot. It’ no wonder Plant City has high hopes for Knighten going into the 2019 season.

RB2: Tyrhon Brooks, Durant Durant’s offense in 2018 was extremely run-heavy, even for a team well-known for its love of the ground game. Of the Cougars’ running backs committee — and of the entire offense — it was Tyrhon Brooks who led the pack. Brooks led the team with 466 rushing yards and also scored three touchdowns in his junior season.

WR1: Mario Williams, Plant City Mario Williams and Cal Naughton Jr. don’t have much in common, but you can describe watching them in the same way; “Now you see him… now you don’t.” The most electrifying player in Hillsborough County torched defenses and special teams units alike with 1,189 all-purpose yards and 16 total touchdowns (14 by air, two on returns). It’s easy to see why almost every major college football program is fighting for him.

WR2: Chris Wilson, Plant City As fast as Williams plays, he wasn’t always able to get open against double or triple

coverage. Luckily for Plant City, Chris Wilson’s steady hands and playmaking ability came through in all 11 games.

Wilson racked up an even 600 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 2018 while nearly leading the team with 49 grabs, settling into his role as a reliable possession receiver.

FLEX: De’Qwan Myers, Plant City De’Qwan Myers’ 324 receiving yards and five touchdowns would have led all players on either Durant or Crest in 2018. Four of his touchdown catches came in back-toback games, but it was the second one — against Armwood — where “Scooter” shined; six grabs for 157 yards against one of the best defenses in the state.

OL: Plant City The Raiders’ o-line paved the way for the area’s most successful offensive attack.

They helped Plant City gain 1,331 yards rushing (an area-high 5.4 yards per attempt) and protected Braxton Plunk well enough that he finished all 11 games and won the biggest individual award the county has to offer.

K: Chris Rodriguez, Plant City Statistically speaking, Chris Rodriguez didn’t have the highest field goal percentage in the area despite taking the most attempts. Rodriguez sent six of his 11 attempts, or roughly 55 percent, safely between the posts in 2018. But if you need to get a PAT, Rodriguez is your man; he went 36-for-36 after Plant City touchdowns.

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DEFENSE DB1: C.J. Barnes, Durant It’s very rare for non-linebackers to get more than 100 tackles in a season. Durant safety C.J. Barnes finished 2018 with 107 total (66 solo, 41 assisted) to his name.

Barnes proved himself to be a hard-hitting, headstrong DB in his junior season and really stepped up when defensive leader Demarcus Governor had to miss a few games due to injury.

DB2: Tyreke Harrison, Plant City The only thing inconsistent about Tyreke Harrison was his jersey number. One of the best defensive backs to come through Plant City in recent years, the “Juice” did everything asked of him and did it well.

He finished 2018 with 83 total tackles (63 solo, 20 assisted), three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two blocked punts, two blocked field goals, an interception and 11 pass breakups.

DB3: Demarcus Governor, Durant The leader of Durant’s defense had to

miss three games due to injury, but other teams tended to respect his presence on the field when he was healthy. Demarcus Governor’s senior season didn’t turn out quite the way he hoped it would, but he still ended his high school career as one of the best defensive players Durant has ever produced.

DB4: Cody Newman, Strawberry Crest Cody Newman was called upon to quarterback the defense at free safety and did just that, proving to be a reliable leader of the unit with a motor that never quit. Coach Ron Hawn called Newman the best free safety he’d “ever had, anywhere.”

LB1: D.J. Gordon IV, Plant City Nobody in the area loved to flex more than D.J. Gordon IV, but he had plenty of reasons to do so beyond being a visible fan of the PCHS weight room. Gordon IV led all area players with 126 tackles (86 solo, 40 assisted) and eight sacks in his senior season. He forced five fumbles and recovered three. He also got more involved in other areas of the game and added one

rushing touchdown and some work as a return man to his resume.

LB2: Josh Young, Strawberry Crest I wasn’t really sure where to put Josh Young because he played just about everywhere on the field. Seriously, this kid does everything. Linebacker? Check. Defensive end? Check. Tight end? Check. Kicker?

Check. Punter? Check. Players like Young who are willing to reinvent themselves and work hard enough to excel at it are players you’d have to be crazy to not want on your team.

LB3: Ashton Mincey, Plant City Another year, another solid linebacking committee in Plant City. Ashton Mincey came back from a 2017 ACL tear and looked like he’d never lost a step, finishing with 66 total tackles (35 solo, 31 assisted) and a fumble recovery. Considering the nature of his injury — and that he healed up well ahead of schedule, getting into full pads by August 2018 — it was an impressive end to a solid high school career.

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LB4: Edward Zanato, Durant Durant sent a very young team onto the field in 2018, but then-sophomore Edward Zanato played more like a veteran. Zanato came just three tackles shy of hitting the 100 mark in total (57 solo, 40 assisted) and quickly became a bright spot of the defensive unit.

DL: Plant City Though Plant City’s linebackers get a lot of credit for work done in the front of the defense, the Raiders’ defensive line was no slouch. The team moved to a threeman front for 2018 and, in particular, James Booth’s decision to convert former wideout Emmanuel Baez to defensive end really paid off; Baez finished 2018 with six sacks (second only to Gordon IV) and a team-high four QB hurries.

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019

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