I was talking to new Strawberry Crest head coach Ron Hawn over the weekend, and he mentioned this spring’s football action has been the most physical he’s ever seen.
From what I’ve seen lately, I’d have to agree. These kids are getting out there three months before the real season begins, but they’re playing like it’s mid-August.
I think fans of all three teams have plenty to get excited for already.
Durant didn’t have the most explosive spring jamboree game, especially compared to what was going on at Plant City High the same Thursday evening, but here’s what matters: the Cougars fought back and got the “W” in the end. For that, Cougar fans have running back Cameron Myers and the offensive line to thank: with just under two and one half minutes to play against Newsome, Myers took a handoff 24 yards up the middle for a touchdown.
The offense didn’t start off as well as it had in the 2015-16 season, but it’s only spring. And, having watched Carlton Potter get into a rhythm with the offense at Strawberry Crest’s spring scrimmages, I’m sure whatever caused the slow start Thursday is fixable. No one should sleep on this team come August.
Plant City, of course, still looks a lot like the Raiders team that took the Tampa Bay area by storm last season. A 20-2 final score over Crest in last Thursday’s jamboree sure looks similar to the first half of their 2015-16 matchup on paper too. Corey King looked confident, Tydre Ward is still scoring touchdowns on special teams and the defense is still nasty.
If anyone wants to know how the team looks without all-star running back Markese Hargrove in the backfield, I give you this: the very first thing Treshaun Ward did was run 69 yards for a touchdown on the Raiders’ first offensive play of the game. I covered him when he played for the Turkey Creek Trojans, before he went to PCHS last year, and I can confirm the kid’s got the talent to do big things once his game develops more.
Strawberry Crest may not have looked so good against Plant City on paper, but there’s more to their spring than what can be gleaned from the box score. Crest actually had the possession advantage throughout its two quarters with the Raiders: the Chargers ran 42 plays on offense against just 19 on defense. Plant City struck quickly and frequently, but there was a pretty good stretch where the teams were on much more even ground than “20-2” suggests.
This team’s undergone a lot of roster and personnel changes lately — which we’ll get to when the 2016 Football Guide hits the presses in a few months. I have to give the guys who stuck with the team credit: they may not have the playbook down pat just yet, but it’s clear they’re playing with determination. Every coach on the planet will say that kind of attitude is the foundation for building a winner.
Contact Justin Kline at
jkline@plantcityobserver.com.