2023 High school football previews: Independents
Along with the two IMG Academy high school teams (Blue and White), North Port High will play as an independent for the second straight year.
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Here are the previews on those three teams:
INDEPENDENTS
IMG ACADEMY BLUE ASCENDERS
COACH: Chris Dennis (3rd season, 5-9)
LAST YEAR: 3-5
CLASS: Independent
HOME FIELD: IMG Academy, 5650 Bollettieri Blvd., Bradenton
RETURNING PLAYERS
OFFENSE: Spread (Coordinator: Chris Dennis)
James Olsen, WR, senior
Kaholi Krau, OL, sophomore
Tyler Hughes, OL, senior
DEFENSE: 3-4 (Coordinator: Juwan Dowels)
Luis Bosque, LB, junior
Harry Smith, LB, junior
NEWCOMERS
Alex Neura, QB, senior (from Texas)
Steven Hannon, OL, freshman (from Georgia)
Robert Strike, OL/DL, junior, (from Australia)
Ty Plummer, TE, freshman (from Kentucky)
William Ramsey, OL, freshman (from North Carolina)
Matthew Toppino, junior (from California)
Gustavo Rivera Berio, OL, senior (from Puerto Rico)
Jackson Gaskill, DB, junior (from North Carolina)
SCHEDULE
Aug. 17 Faith Christian
Aug. 24 Cambridge Christian
Sept. 1 off
Sept. 7 at North Port
Sept. 14 Lakewood Ranch
Sept. 21 at Lemon Bay
Sept. 29 off
Oct. 6 at NFL London
Oct. 13 off
Oct. 19 at Community School of Naples
Oct. 27 off
Nov. 2 Southwest Florida Christian Academy
COACH DENNIS’ OUTLOOK: “IMG Blue is ready for year No. 3 as a program. They saw some success last year with wins over Lemon Bay, North Port, AA Christian Academy. They are looking to build on that success for their 2024 season. Some great games lined up for this year with Cambridge Christian, Lakewood Ranch, Community School of Naples and Southwest FL Christian. With rematches from last fall with North Port and Lemon Bay.”
IMG ACADEMY WHITE ASCENDERS
COACH: Kyle Brey (5th season, 30-13)
LAST YEAR: 5-4
CLASS: Independent
HOME FIELD: IMG Academy, 5650 Bollettieri Blvd., Bradenton
RETURNING PLAYERS
OFFENSE: Spread (Coordinator: Kyle Brey)
Jacob Diver, WR, senior
Stanley Quinn, K/P, senior
DEFENSE: 3-4 (Coordinator: Jeff Pond)
Jackson Ashford, DE, senior
Taylor Faalele, DT, senior
Jason Paganis, LB, senior
Kallen Martinez, DB, sophomore
NEWCOMERS
Ely Hamrick, QB, sophomore (from IMG Academy Blue)
Clay Ash, RB, sophomore (from Virginia)
Xavier Southall, WR, senior (from Virginia)
Teddy Gawlik, TE, senior (from Louisiana)
Carter Buchheit, OL, senior (from Evangelical Christian School)
Josh Love, OL, senior (from Colorado)
Edwin Gaulding, OL, junior (from Virginia)
Dale Johns, OL, junior (from Alabama)
Jacob Hanson, LB, junior (from Wisconsin)
Marshall Moldre, LB/DE, senior (from Utah)
TJ Hill, LB, senior (from New York)
Alan Cao, DL, junior (from China)
Dylan Tally, WR/DB (from Georgia)
Ronin Samudrala, DB/WR (from California)
George Helms, DB/RB, senior (from Montana)
Tyler Slomka, DB, senior (from Texas)
SCHEDULE
Aug. 18 at Manatee
Aug. 25 St. John Paul II (Tallahassee)
Sept. 1 at Key West
Sept. 8 Southeast
Sept. 15 at Evangelical Christian
Sept. 22 Akelynn’s Angels Christian Academy
Sept. 29 at Palmetto
Oct. 6 at NFL London
Oct. 13 off
Oct. 20 at Lake Highland Prep
Oct. 27 at Venice
Nov. 3 at Sarasota
COACH BREY’S OUTLOOK: “IMG White is excited for another challenging schedule of games in 2024. This includes trips to Key West High School, Venice HS, Palmetto HS, Sarasota HS and Manatee HS (KOC) all away games. The Varsity program will also travel again this season to London, UK and play NFL Academy. The team is also competing in the SSIA conference for postseason play again this year looking to win a SSIA State Championship. (SSIA Runner-up in 2021).”
NORTH PORT BOBCATS
COACH: Garon Belser, 3rd season (2-15)
LAST YEAR: 0-7
CLASS: Independent
HOME FIELD: The Preserve at North Port, 6400 W. Price Blvd., North Port
RETURNING PLAYERS
OFFENSE: Hybrid Wing-T (Coordinator: Garon Belser, Terry Allshouse)
Isaac Smith, RB, junior
Corbin White, C, junior
John Yahara, G, senior
Patrick White, TE, senior
Nash Hudgens, G, sophomore
Colton Eichten, WR, junior
DEFENSE: 4-4 (Coordinator: Matt Egloff)
Isaac Smith, LB, junior
Patrick White, DL, senior
Charles Pingree, DL, senior
Omar Branch, DB, senior
Jayson Louis-Jeune, LB, senior
NEWCOMERS
Nicholas Leroux, OL/DL, senior (from Venice High)
Makai Barnard, DB, junior (from Venice High)
Isaac Platt, LB, junior (from Charlotte High)
Giovanni DiBene, QB, junior (from Charlotte High)
SCHEDULE
Aug. 18 Cambridge Christian
Aug. 25 at Parrish Community
Sept. 1 off
Sept. 7 IMG Blue
Sept. 14 Ambassadors Christian Academy
Sept. 22 at Gateway
Sept. 29 at LaBelle
Oct. 6 Bayshore
Oct. 13 Poinciana
Oct. 20 at Hardee County
Oct. 27 at Tarpon Springs
Nov. 3 Lemon Bay
COACH BELSER’S OUTLOOK: “Our outlook for the season is very optimistic. We have had three seasons to build this program the way we want and we have a very hard working group of guys who want to achieve the first winning season in school history. We will achieve that through staying disciplined and organized as a program.”
MAFFEZZOLI’S ANALYSIS: You get the feeling once the Bobcats break through with that first .500 or winning season, a huge weight will be lifted off the shoulders of everyone involved. And, yes, there is a chance this is the year. There are enough winnable games on the North Port schedule to do it. Eliminating mental breakdowns will help.
− Dennis Maffezzoli
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: High school football team previews: IMG Academy, North Port High
