Braden River football has early-season struggles

After a 7-2 loss at home to Largo Aug. 23 in the season opener for both teams, there doesn't appear to be any panic for the Braden River High football team. 

Not yet, anyway. 

The Pirates' coaching staff expected to struggle a bit due to turnover. Graduated were last year's quarterback Brian Gagg, wide receiver Knowledge McDaniel and running back Brian Battie, plus dependable offensive linemen like Daniel Galvin and Dakota Hunt. In were players like junior quarterback Shawqi Itraish, senior wide receiver Robbie Goecker and a pair of running backs, junior Jaheim Hodo and sophomore Lavontae Youmans. 

The inexperience was the deciding factor against Largo. Braden River head coach Curt Bradley said the team’s protection broke down at times, giving running backs less room to move and forcing Itraish to throw while scrambling.

The result was a few big plays — a 44-yard run by Hodo and a 40-yard Itraish pass down the seam to senior tight end D’Angelo Antonino among them — but an inability to sustain drives. Bradley expects his offensive line to come together and that should spark the offense.

Some of the offense’s kinks might have been fixed with a preseason game, but Braden River’s matchup with Hillsborough High, scheduled for Aug. 16, was canceled because of excessive rain. Bradley and Goecker, who had four catches, both refused to use the lack of a preseason game as an excuse, even though Largo was able to play its preseason game, a 17-14 loss to Lake Wales High.

“We have got work to do,” Bradley said. “We have to improve. From the coaches on down, we all need to be better. It is some of that first-game stuff we need to get cleaned up. We have all the confidence in the world in Shawqi and the offense. We know that they will be where they need to be as the season goes along.

“We have heavy senior leadership on defense and are young on offense. Those guys (on offense) got a taste of it tonight. We have talented players. Once it all starts clicking, we will get going. We have to be ready for Week Two.”

Goecker said plays were there to be made, but the offense simply did not make them. Goecker appeared to have caught a fourth-and-goal pass from the 2-yard line in the end zone with 1:43 left in the game, but his feet were out of bounds. Earlier, the pair missed connections on two deep passes that were open.

It was that kind of night for the offense, but Goecker, who holds offers from Harvard and Holy Cross, does not anticipate that happening again.

Not only did the Pirates have less prep for their opener, but Largo boasts one of the best defenses Braden River will face in 2019. Largo senior inside linebacker Jaylon McCluster is committed to Florida State, senior outside linebacker A.J. Mathis is committed to Miami and senior cornerback Keylen Gulley is committed to Iowa. 

Two results should reassure Pirates fans. One is the spring game, when the Braden River offense scored 49 points against Lehigh Senior High, another quality opponent. The other is last year’s season opener, a 27-22 loss to Trinity Christian. The Pirates rebounded from that loss to win their district title and reach the second round of the playoffs. 

If the Pirates have to lean on their defense while the offense catches up to speed, the defense looks strong. Braden River did not allow an offensive touchdown against Largo. The lone Packers score came on a punt return from senior Khaishef Edwards. Junior cornerback Gregory Cotton, a Palmetto High transfer, and senior linebacker Luke Reeves each had an interception, and the Pirates stopped three fourth-down conversion attempts. 

That defensive core — Cotton, Reeves, senior defensive end and Air Force commit Andrew BoisD’Enghein and senior linebackers Shane Moran and Quinn McNulty — is as strong as it has been under Bradley in the last four seasons. 

Braden River next hosts Riverview High at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 30. The Rams (0-1) lost to Naples High 29-28 in the first week.