Lakewood Ranch High football shows promise with preseason win

The neon green Gatorade landed on Scott Paravicini's head and also splashed on the Lakewood Ranch High football players who had gathered around him in a circle. 

Paravicini wiped the liquid away from his face and flashed a smile.

It was as much emotion as the Mustangs head coach would allow himself to show, at least on the field following the Mustang's 40-14 preseason home win over Dunedin High on Aug. 18. The win won't count in the record books, but it meant something to Paravicini and his team, despite his reticence to show it. 

"That was awesome," Paravicini said. 

Paravicini, a 2012 graduate of Lakewood Ranch, came to the Mustangs from Bradenton Christian School following the departure of Rashad West to Palmetto High. Paravicini spent one season as the Panthers' head coach, going 2-7, following three years as the Panthers' defensive coordinator. Before his time at BCS began, Paravicini was an assistant coach with the Mustangs for three seasons, coaching the special teams unit and the defensive secondary. 

Paravicini said he is thankful for his time at BCS and enjoyed it. Lakewood Ranch was the school he would have left BCS to coach, he said — and the Mustangs had an opening he couldn't turn down. 

Photo by Ryan Kohn

Paravicini said his goal in his first year is to set a baseline for the program, both in terms of on-field performance and off-the-field culture and fun. Paravinci has talked to the team about "atomic changes."

"If you get 1 percent better every day, it's hard to see the effect it has in real time, but those percentages eventually add up to something meaningful," he said.

After months of making those changes, the Mustangs had a chance to show what they could do against Dunedin and they made it count.

The Mustangs' passing game shined, as senior quarterback Sebastian Mejia connected with senior wide receiver/defensive back Jayden Munoz for two touchdowns, one of 75 yards and one of 20 yards.

Munoz has previously been used exclusively in the defensive secondary, but Paravinci said it didn't take him long to figure out that the 5-foot-9 Munoz's athleticism is too good to limit to one side of the ball.

The offense will also feature senior receiver Connor Anthony, whose 6-foot-5 frame is an advantage over most defensive backs he will face, particularly in the red zone. Anthony caught a two-point conversion against Dunedin. 

Photo by Ryan Kohn

As for Mejia, Paravicini said he played like a quarterback who had waited his turn and spent three seasons learning as much as he could. While Mejia missed on some intermediate throws, he showed an ability to get the ball out quickly on screen passes as well as connect on deep passes. He showed a fearlessness to attempt the long passes in the face of pressure. For a team that plans on featuring its passing attack, that's what Paravicini wanted to see. 

"He stayed true to who he is and to the offense," Paravicini said of Mejia. "He's paid his dues here. He earned the job this offseason. A few things we have to shape up, but for the first start of the year, you can't ask for much better." 

Senior running back Simon Freed also ran for two touchdowns, one of 35 yards and one of seven yards. He split carries with junior Cullen McRae and senior Teagan Randall. Freed is a power back while McRae and Randall are speed backs. The trio give the Mustangs options in the backfield. 

On defense, the Mustangs held Dunedin to a lone touchdown until late in the fourth quarter. The secondary has the most experience of the defense's three units, as Munoz patrols the field at safety and senior Dalin Koscielski and junior Trey Schwartz are also talented defensive backs. The trio combined for 10 interceptions and 10 passes defended in 2022. 

In the front seven, senior defensive lineman Nate "Oklahoma" Smith can clog running lanes and create havoc for offenses. Smith, who also a state title contender on the school's wrestling team, had 29 tackles in 2022. The linebacker corps also has potential, as senior Levi Freed is back after a team high 82 tackles in 2022, and players like senior Evan Bolick (18 tackles) step into more meaningful roles.  

The schedule will do the Mustangs no favors in getting settled into Paravicini's system. A season-opening road game against Lemon Bay High, whom the Mustangs beat 7-0 last season, leads into matchups against Cardinal Mooney High, Braden River High, IMG Academy Blue, Manatee High and Palmetto High among other competitive opponents. Paravicini and his team are not worried about that. To them, who they play is less important than how they play. 

"We're going to set ourselves up to be successful in the things we can control," Paravicini said. "All I can worry about is the guys I have in my building and how we're going to make them successful each week."