At 1 Raider Place, the Plant City Raiders have spent the offseason honing their craft. Rather than get deep into new concepts, schemes and ideas, the 2015 district champions are opting to stick to their guns.
Since last year’s concepts brought the team a district title, an 11-game win streak and the deepest postseason run in school history, why bother with change?
“We’ve been focusing on the fundamentals,” head coach Robert Paxia says. “Making sure we’re blocking and tackling the right way. We’re making sure the kids are focusing on the details instead of the big scheme stuff. Every little detail: every 'T' is crossed and every 'I' is dotted right now.”
LAST YEAR'S MODEL
Then-coach Greg Meyer switched to the current styles of offense and defense after the team took a 49-7 loss at Armwood in the 2015 season opener. He said the Raiders might have been overthinking things. Meyer and the staff simplified things, allowing the athletes to play to their strengths rather than be confined by complex schemes.
It couldn’t have worked much better. The Raiders’ defense held opponents to 12.5 points per game in the team’s 11 wins, and the offense’s points per game total improved upon 2014 by 10 points. It twice shut down district runner-up Tampa Bay Tech, edged out a tough Durant team, 21-16, overcame Lennard star running back Jahryn Bailey in a 28-20 win and proved its offense can hang in a shootout with a 47-34 win over East Lake.
The offense was led by running back Markese Hargrove, whose season nabbed him the Guy Toph Award, given annually to the top Hillsborough County player.
Junior quarterback Corey King threw for 1,646 yards and 15 touchdowns against seven interceptions. He picked up 396 rushing yards and scored seven touchdowns.
The one-two punch of T.J. Chase and Antoine Thompson at wideout kept defenses honest, as the two combined for 1,285 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. Thompson’s 692 yards led the team, as did Chase’s nine touchdowns.
Defensively, linebacker Cory Cotnoir led the team with 150 tackles (85 solo, 65 assisted), and Steven Ogletree was right behind him with 138 tackles (83 solo, 55 assisted). Ogletree tied Cody Cribbs for the team lead with nine of the Raiders’ 57 sacks, while Cotnoir picked up eight.
It was also a great year for defensive back Tammarion Faison, who picked off six passes and broke up 13 attempts.
THIS YEAR'S MODEL
Things changed this year.
Meyer left to focus on his health, and Paxia, previously the offensive coordinator, stepped up. Hargrove, Chase, Cotnoir, James Alexander, Peyton Collins and other impact guys graduated.
Thompson, who plays wideout and cornerback, tore his ACL during a spring camp, forcing him to sit out the entire season.
But the team is still deep across the board. Thompson's cornerback replacement will be solved after the Riverview game, and most other positions have been figured out.
“It’s just like the loss of Markese,” Paxia says. “It’s a ‘by committee’ approach. The receiver group as a whole has gotten a lot better here. Jordan Wiggins and Xavier King are probably going to be the two primary outside guys, with Tyler Hood coming in and being able to play some slot. And you can’t forget Tydre Ward: he’s just the ultimate utility weapon.”
At running back, sophomore Treshaun Ward will join senior Ge’Sean Parker in the backfield.
“Treshaun’s more of a slasher, with Ge’Sean being more of a power guy,” Paxia says.
Paxia is counting on natural chemistry between brothers Corey King and Xavier King to help his signal-caller improve.
“We take it day by day, game by game,” Paxia says. “Everybody that we play is very good, so it doesn’t do us any favors to look past anybody. We’re just continuing the process, trying to make sure we can do what we did last year, again.”
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.