The Jesuit Tigers were mere minutes away from making it to Orlando last season before bowing to eventual champions Bishop Moore in the Class 5A state semifinals. For most teams, the window of opportunity to get back to that position in the postseason slams shut with the loss of key players to graduation or transfer.
The Tigers’ window however–remains wide open thanks to a host of underclassmen that were major contributors on both sides of the ball. Jesuit’s calling card is a steady dose of ground-and-pound with solid QB play and normally a defense that’s lights out which is obviously a winning formula for virtually anybody.
Today–we highlight some of the offensive playmakers that should enable Jesuit’s window to remain open throughout the season and into the postseason.
There’s obviously the return of running back Malik Davis–the 5-foot-10, 18o-pounder missed two games for the Tigers and still posted 2,300+ yards and 28 touchdowns on the ground in addition to his 159 yards receiving on eleven receptions. Davis will have his main-man-under-center, Quarterback Danny Boon–who threw for 1,600+ yards and added 16 touchdowns to his credit as well.
Perhaps the two most intriguing skill players on the offensive side aside from Davis and Boon–players that will provide matchup issues especially for teams concentrating on Davis–are WR/CB Travell Harris (5-9/175) and TE Larry Hodges (6-1/205)–members of the class of ’17 and ’19 respectively.
Harris’ defensive exploits were well-documented as part of the Tigers’ version of a no-fly zone during the season, but he can get it done nicely as the “lightning” to Davis’ “thunder”–rushing for 247 yards on just 29 carries for four touchdowns, while catching nine passes for 126 and a touchdown.
If that’s not enough, the Tigers also have a blossoming prospect at the tight end position in Larry Hodges–the 6-foot-1/205-pounder caught 16 passes for 212 yards for the Tigers, but make no mistake about it–the definitive leaders from statistics and beyond should come from the combo of Harris and Davis–but if the Tigers have it their way–it will look like the law firm of Davis, Boon, Harris and Hodges before it’s all-said-and-done.