Now THAT’s what we call a Spring exhibition if we do say-so ourselves. It’s a bit rare to get a 94-point total when teams are cranking on all cylinders, much less when they are basically shedding the rust off the pads. Also something you don’t see this time of year is the offenses ahead of the defenses such as the case in Dade City last evening. Here are some of the points that stuck out in our heads as both teams head towards the summer.
BOTH teams impressed…
Pasco certainly has the athletes to do some damage in their district and beyond. If you plan on taking any plays off versus Wiregrass Ranch, that might not end well for you. Regardless of the deficits they faced during the course of the game the Bulls showed they are not going to allow you to run them off the field. Wiregrass recovered two onsides kicks, and used their two-QB system effectively with what they had. Pasco’s playmakers showed that big plays will be the norm, not the exception whether from the Wing-T, the I-formation or any other wrinkle they may throw at you.
Jayvaughn Myers; that is all…
Well, well, well. The Pirates have a showstopper and he didn’t disappoint. Myers received a punt early in the first quarter, stuck his foot in the ground and took off like he was American Pharoah to the finish line for a 75-yard touchdown prompting an ear-to-ear grin on the face of coaches Lawrence Dawsey (FSU) and Chadd Scott (Kentucky) who were standing on the sidelines watching him. Myers also caught a slant from QB Michael Penix Jr in the second quarter and made some shifty moves and then completed the 47-yard house call for six points.
Speaking of Michael Penix Jr…
The rising sophomore southpaw was out there spinning the pigskin like his last name was Esiason, Brunell, or Vick. He missed on a couple of throws, but for the most part this young man that took MVP honors at E7 back in April looked well-beyond his age. When he stands and fires from the pocket, the ball sounds like a heat-seeking missile when it is coming towards your direction. Should be pretty fun to watch this young go to work for the next three seasons.
Sleep on ’em if you want, but we wouldn’t…
We mentioned that if you want to take Wiregrass for an easy ‘W’ on the schedule, then you should keep that approach to yourselves. Let’s face it, their district is nothing short of a gauntlet that is going to leave some bumps and bruises along the way. But don’t let that fool you. The players on the sidelines wearing maroon and white under first year HC Mark Kantor are going to completely re-wire the way you think of them if they can produce the same effort they displayed last evening. Of course they’re going to take their lumps, but the core of this team is already showing that those lumps will heal and their memories will be short when it comes to moving on and preparing for the next opponent.
Pasco County = Fullback county?
Between River Ridge’s Chris Schwarz and Wiregrass’ Chase Oliver, along with some other guys that you will eventually come to learn about, this county is starting to produce an entire crop of human juggernauts. Oliver’s just a sophomore and once he starts to run the ball from a hair on the upright side to lowering the helmet and delivering the boom, his 5-foot-9, 188-pound frame will look like a prep version of Mike Alstott when it’s all said and done. Yeah, that’s a lofty comparison, but we are not even worried about making said comparison if Oliver keeps working on his craft.
One play, one series, one quarter at a time…
If schools like FAU, FIU, FSU, Kentucky and Miami are gonna show up and stay the entire length for a Spring game, just imagine what’s gonna happen when the lights come “for-real-for-real” as the kids would say. That means if you are on the Pirates roster and want a chance to get some quality looks, then thanks to some of the “other” guys on your team your chances to get the looks you so desire from the next level will be omnipresent. This is how MANY of the recruiting stories come to pass. A coach shows up to see one guy and another one takes the game by a strangle-hold walking off with an offer or a serious inquisition; it happens all the time. This also means if you’re an opponent on Pasco’s schedule, the same approach should be taken.