Spring football roundup: Riverview scores on offense and defense in win over Lehigh
FRIDAY
Riverview 35, Lehigh 21
SARASOTA − The Riverview High football team scored three rushing touchdowns, one through the air and one on defense in a 35-21 victory over visiting Lehigh Senior in a spring football game Friday night at the Ram Bowl.
The Lightning’s three scores came on long runs.
The game was played without special teams, although the Rams practiced kickoffs, field goals and extra points. Lehigh did not use a kicker in the game.
Lehigh takeaways
1. Playing under first-year coach Casey Creehan, a former assistant coach for the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the Canadian Football League, the Lightning have some dynamic players in quarterback Dorian Mallary and running back Jimarien Braxton, who both accounted for all three scores.
Mallary, a rising junior, got Lehigh on the board with a 75-yard scamper around left end with 45 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Braxton, also a rising junior, had the other two scores, going 80 and 21 yards late in the fourth quarter.
Looking to make up for the loss of Richard Young, who rushed for 1,102 yards last year, Braxton gained 153 yards on eight carries.
Mallary rushed 11 times for 130 yard and completed 2-of-6 passes with an interception.
2. There were other positives the Lightning can take away from the contest.
“I liked how our kids didn’t quit and played hard through the whole thing,” Creehan said. “There were some good individual efforts.
“We didn’t tackle well. We didn’t have a chance to tackle all spring and it showed. We didn’t block very well. We turned the ball over twice, a pick-6. You just can’t have that in these games. But I’m proud of their effort and the way they continued to fight.”
3. Hired on Feb. 10, Creehan acknowledges his team is behind as far as preparation for the 2023 fall season.
“Yes, very,” he said.
Lehigh players had to borrow knee pads from Riverview for the game.
“We didn’t progress as fast as I wanted. That’s all I want to say.”
Riverview takeaways
1. Returning starting quarterback Jeremiah Dawson had a big game, accounting for three touchdowns. Dawson ran for two and threw another to Jaden Wheeler. Dawson connected on his first five passes and was 10-for-16.
Running back/defensive back DJ Johnson had a strong all-around game. Johnson carried 10 times for 93 yards and a touchdown. He also picked off a pass and went 25 yards for another score.
Quarterback Anthony Miller, a transfer from Venice High, was right behind Johnson with 92 yards on the ground on 17 carries. He followed his blockers well. Miller was 4-for-11 passing.
Also contributing to the ground attack was Isaiah Belt, who carried 18 times for 70 yards, as the Rams grinded out 277 yards on the ground.
Two-way player Charles Lester III, one of the top college recruits in the country, was on the receiving end of six passes for 46 yards and also made his presence known on defense.
“We got a couple of different looks we weren’t expecting,” Riverview coach Josh Smithers said. “For them to be able to adjust and move the ball and put points on the board, that’s great. A lot of good reps for both those guys (Dawson and Miller). Good film to watch.”
2. The Rams’ defense turned in a solid performance, as the first teamers permitted one touchdown on Mallary’s long run. They also put points on the board with Johnson’s pick-6.
“Defensively, we played very well,” Smithers said. “We hadn’t seen much zone stuff. One of our guys just got out of his gap. But it was all right. DJ had a great game. It’s awesome when you score on defense.”
3. The Rams missed three field goals, a couple short and one wide left. Riverview did make all five of its uncontested extra-point kicks with Majestic van Ingen connecting on four and Adryan Schuetz making one.“We’ve got to get better in the kicking game,” Smithers said.
− Dennis Maffezzoli
Charlotte-South Fort Myers ppd.
PUNTA GORDA − The spring football game between the Tarpons and Wolfpack was canceled because of inclement weather at Tarpon Stadium.
THURSDAY
Cardinal Mooney 27, Island Coast 8
Cardinal Mooney 21, DeSoto County 0
CAPE CORAL − Cardinal Mooney football coach Jared Clark said this spring season has been the best since in his time with the Cougars.
That continued in Thursday’s jamboree at Cape Coral Island Coast where Mooney put together two impressive halves, topping the host Gators 27-8 and blanking DeSoto County 21-0.
“I’m really proud of the way the guys worked this spring,” Clark said. “We had guys sick and out a little bit so we got a lot of guys a lot of reps and I think it helped us as a team get better.”
The Cougars showed toughness in the trenches, controlling the line of scrimmage against both Island Coast and the Bulldogs. Mooney’s defense nearly pitched consecutive shutouts, surrendering a late touchdown against the Gators when it opted to play some reserves.
Offensively, the Cougars effectively mixed the run and pass games, with rising senior running back Carson Beach gaining well over 100 yards and scoring a pair of touchdowns. Quarterbacks Michael Valentino and Devin Mignery both executed Mooney’s quick passing game well and each showed good movement in the pocket.
“They’re both very good athletes and they know the offense well,” Clark said of his quarterbacks. “I’m proud of both of them.”
− Dan Deluca
FRIDAY
Port Charlotte 47, North Fort Myers 7
NORTH FORT MYERS - The Pirates piled up 605 yards of total offense in defeating the Red Knights.
Eli Manley rushed 18 times for 119 yards and a touchdown and completed 6-of-9 passes for 107 yards and another score.
Edd Guerrier added 115 yards and a pair of TDs on the ground. Ike Perry rushed for 95 yards on 11 carries and a score.
Splitting time at quarterback with Manley, Johnny Squitieri went 6-for-10 for 91 yards and rushed eight times for 70 yards and two touchdowns.
On the receiving end, Jamal Streeter caught 10 passes for 163 yards and a TD.
Venice 49, Naples 28
NAPLES − Venice dominated the first half, getting on the board with a quick pass from Jadyn Glasser to Jayce Barksdale for a 21-yard score, followed by a goal-line rushing touchdown by Alvin Johnson.
Naples quarterback Jack Melton scored on a 3-yard rushing touchdown, but that was followed by Glasser finding Deylen Platt for a 59-yard score.
Naples was plagued by turnovers in the first half, including a Melton pick-six, returned by Venice’s Adam Papantonakis.
Venice extended its lead with Johnson’s second score, an 18-yard rushing touchdown.
− Dustin Levy
THURSDAY
Out-of-Door Academy, Oasis at Bradenton Christian jamboree
BRADENTON − The Out-of-Door Academy and Oasis High football teams got together with host Bradenton Christian for a three-team spring football jamboree Thursday evening at McClure Stadium at Dan van der Kooy Field.
The biggest news came after the event when the Panthers announced 25-year-old Nate Strawderman as its new football coach.
On the field, the teams each played two quarters with 25 minutes of running clock, stopped only on change of possession and timeouts. There were no live extra points, but special teams played a role in the outcomes.
In the first half, Out-of-Door defeated Bradenton Christian, 7-6. Oasis and Out-of-Door played to a 3-all tie in the second quarter. Bradenton Christian wrapped things up with a 6-0 verdict over Oasis before announcing Strawderman’s appointment.
Out-of-Door Academy takeaways
1. Against Bradenton Christian, Charlie Tack scored on a 1-yard run midway through the quarter. Mika Levy kicked what proved to be the game-winning extra point. Dylan Walker had two interceptions, including one on Bradenton Christian’s first offensive play. Bennett Crisci and Frankie Clark each had tackles for a loss. The Thunder fumbled on two consecutive plays and three of five plays, losing two.
2. Against Oasis, Levy kicked a 32-yard field goal to open the scoring. The Thunder had an 80-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Tack nullified by a penalty. Andrew Creed notched a sack and had a tackle for a loss. Aengus Doody and Jack Meyers had pass break ups.
3. Coach Rob Holloway: “The kids played hard. That was my favorite part. Obviously, we have a lot to improve on. We’re big up front. We moved the line of scrimmage. We were looking to have fun and some momentum going into the summer, which we did today. We were missing some guys with baseball and track. We’ve got to improve our passing game to be more balanced. That’s what we are going to focus on.”
Oasis takeaways
1. Against Out-of-Door, Ryan Rosado kicked a field goal as time expired to get the tie. With the running clock, the Sharks had to rush their field goal unit on the field and just beat the horn. Colin Anderson had a couple of big runs early and ran for some tough yards late. Sean McFee recovered a fumble. On the tying drive, quarterback Parker Smith had a long run and threw a pass to Tommy Murphy, who made a bobbling catch.
2. Against Bradenton Christian, Smith connected with Murphy on a sideline pattern. James Wagenhoffer broke up a pass. Wyatt Wilkinson had a tackle for a loss and a sack on fourth down during one series. Logan Conley and Wagenhoffer each had tackles for a loss before Bradenton Christian’s touchdown.
3. Coach Jason Grain: “Our guys played with intensity and effort. We dressed 20 players and they left it on the line. Great toughness. Great character. Every year is a new team, so I wanted to set the culture for this team. I wanted to see what we had. Our kids have done a great job in the spring. They have been very, very tough. In the next stage of our progression, we have to be a championship team in terms of execution.”
Bradenton Christian takeaways
1. Against Out-of-Door, Jesus Lopez recorded a sack and Fischer Schmidt forced a fumble on the Thunder’s first possession. Evan Velsquez recovered a fumble. Colton Dempsy had a big run early and a first-down scamper on the scoring drive. Anthony Nguyen connected with Jackson McBride before hitting Ben Bradshaw, who caught a tipped pass for a touchdown with 51.4 seconds left.
2. Against Oasis, Caden Ott hit Cooper Stark on a post pattern late in the quarter for the only score. The two also hooked up in the first series, when Ott hit Bradshaw for a first down. Dempsey had a long run. Stark prevented an Oasis interception when he knocked the ball away from a defender. The Panthers tried a trick play on the two-point conversion, but the throw to Ott was broken up.
3. Coach Strawderman: “Coming back from not knowing who’s going to be the coach, what are we doing? These kids know how to overcome adversity. I told them a couple of weeks ago: Adversity and overcoming. We’re climbing the ladder and building something great. I couldn’t be more proud of these kids to come out here and to ignore all the crowd and overcome. The word tonight is proud.”
− Dennis Maffezzoli
North Port 38, Bayshore 14
BRADENTON - Running backs Isaac Smith and Peter Kalphat each ran for two touchdowns as the North Port Bobcats went on to a 38-14 victory over the host Bayshore Bruins on Thursday night in the spring classic at Balvanz Stadium.
Smith, Kalphat, and North Port quarterback Niklas Pinto each rushed for scores in a first quarter which saw the Bobcats take a 21-0 lead into halftime. Smith and Kalphat added TDs in the second half, and Caiden Thomas kicked a 46-yard field goal.
The Bruins got two second-half touchdown passes from quarterback Guyvenson Pierre to wide receiver Josh Blanc, the second covering 80 yards.
North Port takeaways
1. The Bobcats, winless last season at 0-7, came into the game determined to run the football. “The plan was to run the football from the jump,” head coach Garon Belser said. “We knew that we had a good offensive run game going.” And it was good enough to pick up 325 yards rushing against the Bruins, Isaac Smith leading the way with 170 yards and two touchdowns. “Throughout the spring, that was our plan. We wanted to ride off the run game, and we knew that would make it happen for us.”
2. Smith, who rushed just 28 times last season as a sophomore, and Kalphat, who rushed just once as a freshman, will be much busier this season as the Bobcats have switched from a spread offense “and we’ve installed more of a run-centric offense,” Belser said. North Port came out against Bayshore operating out of the Wing-T, something the Bruins weren’t prepared for. “I think it suits our strengths,” Belser said. The Bobcats have three returning interior offensive linemen, “but our tackle play was fantastic (tonight),” Belser said. “I’m happy, happy for now, but we gotta keep rolling.”
3. His two-year record at North Port is 2-15, but Belser is reaching for the stars this season. “Do you want me to be honest?” he said. “I think this will be our first .500 season or better.”
Bayshore takeaways
1. With just 20 players dressed for the game, Bruins head coach Jamal Sanders knows he needs more bodies for the fall. “Absolutely,” said the fourth-year head coach. “That isn’t even a question. They are in the school, but the deal is, we’ll practice with 28, but we got some who are ineligible and can’t play. We’re trying to get them eligible now. We’re beating up the hallways (for players), but if you can’t get them out here, you can’t face a (North Port) team that shows up with 50 players.” In the first half, Bruin quarterback Guyvenson Pierre had to remove a chain he had around his neck. But without a back-up quarterback to send in for a play, Sanders, 5-23 in his three years as head coach, was forced to use a time out.
2. Bayshore’s defense was gashed for 325 yards rushing, but Sanders attributed some of that to the change in the North Port offense. “The past few years they came in the spread,” he said, “so we didn’t practice one down for the Wing-T, and they come out and everything is Wing-T. Good for them, they did what they needed to do. But, again, we weren’t prepared for the Wing-T.”
- Doug Fernandes
WEDNESDAY
IMG Academy National vs. Varsity scrimmage
BRADENTON — The IMG Academy football team put its talent on display in the form of a spring game putting the National team against the Varsity team.
In a scripted format, the two sides took turns running a predetermined amount of plays from different spots on the field. The kickoff teams, punt teams and field goal kickers also had designated times.
At halftime, players from the IMG Postgraduate team received their rings after winning the national championship.
Most of the major college football programs had representatives roaming the sidelines.
IMG Academy takeaways
1. Some of the 4- and 5-star athletes, like 6-foot-1, 185-pound 5-star DB Ellis Robinson, a Georgia commit, and 6-4, 250-pound 5-star DL Ernest Willor Jr. did not suit up but were in attendance, but there was plenty of talent on the field, like 6-4, 270-pound 5-star DL David Stone and 5-10, 200-pound 4-star RB Jerrick Gibson.
Some of the highlights included QB Ely Hamrick connecting with WR Alex Cross on a long pass to the goal line. QB JD Brown threw a long touchdown pass to Cross, who beat Tyler Slomka. Then, Slomka came back with an interception he returned for a touchdown. DB Amari Jones had an interception in the end zone. DL Taylor Faalete, LB Jason Paganis and DB Ryan Peacock were among those who had tackles for a loss in the defensive-dominated action.
New IMG Academy National coach Billy Miller, who coached in the NFL with New England and Tampa Bay and collegiately at Rutgers University, watched the action while permitting his coordinators to coach.
“The biggest thing I wanted to see was these guys compete,” Miller said. “Every time we get a chance to turn the lights on and put people in the stands, it’s got to feel special. These kids have put in a lot of work all offseason in the weight room and obviously during spring ball. It was just for them to get out here and get a little taste of it, especially the new guys, and understand what it’s going to be like when they report back in July.
To single out one guy wouldn’t do it justice. We have a lot of great players, but most importantly we’ve got great kids. We’ve got 4- and 5-star guys, but we want 4- and 5-star kids to develop and go play a high role in college and hopefully play on Sundays.”
2. The Ascenders will look somewhat different when the players report in July. Currently, IMG Academy has 34 players on its National roster. That number is expected to increase by 50 to 60 players.
“We’re building the roster,” Miller said. We’re looking to fill certain needs positional-wise.”
3. Regardless of the year or the coach, the expectations remain the same. “It’s IMG Academy, right?” Miller said. “The expectations are always high. That’s what we strive for. We want to be the best. The kids want to be the best when they come here and sacrifice so much being away from home. We’re here to develop them and get them where they want to be.”
− Dennis Maffezzoli
Parrish Community 35, Boca Ciega 0
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte county football teams play spring games
