- November 23, 2024
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The early portion of the 2024 high school football season has given us a good look at area football teams with several more pivotal games on the way Sept. 13.
Some look like playoff contenders, while others have a lot of work to do if they want to save the season.
Here are takeaways for each area team through the early part of the season.
Heading into week four, the Cougars have the least questions of any Sarasota team.
Cardinal Mooney is outscoring its opponents 127-24, and 12 of those opposing points came in the fourth quarter against Sarasota High and the Community School of Naples, long after those games had been decided. The Cougars defense was already intimidating before it got a big boost on Aug. 31, when former IMG Academy defensive end Elijah Golden announced his transfer into the program.
Golden, 6-foot-4, 260-pound junior, is a consensus four-star recruit and the No. 160 player (No. 18 defensive lineman) in the national class of 2026, according to the 247Sports Composite.
On offense, it has been all about the ground game. Mooney has run for 806 yards and 13 touchdowns as a team, led by sophomore running back Connail Jackson's 348 yards and six touchdowns. Mooney has not had to pass much, but junior quarterback Devin Mignery has been efficient when asked to do so, completing 16 of 26 passes for 363 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.
So what have we learned? Certainly, Mooney's state title-winning 2023 season was no fluke.
The team's biggest remaining question may be one of competition. Mooney's first three opponents have a combined record of 3-5. Can the Cougars replicate its dominating performances against a fellow state title contender? A Sept. 20 home game against Bishop Verot High (2-1) will provide more answers. This week's road game against Leto High (0-2) will not. Expect another easy Mooney win.
The Tornadoes are loaded with good athletes across their roster, and nowhere does that show up more than in their explosive scoring plays.
Through three games, the Tornadoes have scored eight touchdowns of 40 yards or more. Junior defensive back/wide receiver Chuck Kennon and freshman wide receiver Tyree Mannings Jr. have two each. That type of speed is impressive and it gives Booker an automatic advantage.
Booker's speed has been a boon to quarterbacks Ryan Downes, a senior, and Joel Morris, a junior. The duo has split time under center, though Morris was held out of last week's game against Sarasota because of an injury. It has not mattered much who is throwing these athletes the ball. Just get it in their hands and watch them go.
A 28-21 road loss to Berkeley Prep (1-2), whose record belies how talented the program is, remains Booker's only blemish. Don't expect too many more losses for the Tornadoes as the season progresses. As the adage goes, speed kills. The Tornadoes will next play Carrollwood Day School (1-2) at home at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 13.
Slow progress is better than no progress at all.
As first-year Head Coach Amp Campbell said prior to the team's 57-0 loss to Booker last week, the Sailors are trying to get better each day. In playing Booker and week one opponent Cardinal Mooney (a 41-6 loss), fans wouldn't see that progress; those opponents are simply in a different class of program at the moment.
A 10-6 road win over Braden River High (0-3) in week two, however, showed the kind of progress Campbell wants to see. Against a program with similar levels of athleticism, could the Sailors execute the fundamentals? Could they tackle well and block well and avoid mental mistakes? The Sailors did, and it got them a win. For a program that went 1-10 in 2023, no win is taken for granted.
The Sailors will have another chance at a win this week, as the team hosts Gibbs High (1-2) at 7 p.m. Sept. 13. If the Sarasota offensive line gives freshman quarterback Hudson West time in the pocket, this game is a chance for the team's offense to put up points: Gibbs has allowed 27.3 points per game this season to below-average competition.
Taking down the Gladiators would be another sign of progress for the rebuilding Sailors.
For a program that always carries high expectations, Riverview's start to 2024 will be viewed as disappointing.
To turn things around, the Rams will need to begin with defense. Riverview has allowed 95 points through three games, and those points have come in multiple ways. Week one opponent Naples High (3-0) did it via the ground game, rushing for 390 yards and six touchdowns. Last week, Palmetto High (3-0) did it through the air, with senior quarterback Jackson Roth completing 15 of 18 passes for 270 yards and five touchdowns.
Things won't get easier this week, as Riverview hosts Berkeley Prep at 7:30 p.m Sept. 13. Another loss won't dash the Rams from the postseason, but it would put them in a difficult position.
The Blazers, currently in week five thanks to playing in the Sunshine State Athletic Association, have had mixed results in their first season of 11-on-11 football, most exemplified when on offense.
The Sarasota Christian offense has scored 92 points across its two wins, and just 16 points across its two losses. The passing game has been reliable, with junior quarterback Ben Milliken throwing for 711 yards, 10 touchdowns and four interceptions. The running game has been less successful, with the Blazers averaging just 3.2 yards per carry. A better push from the offensive line would open up more options for the unit as a whole.
That push is something that could come with time. After playing two seasons of 8-on-8 football, the program's lineman depth had to be expanded this season, and the team is still learning how to play with more players on the field. Expect the Blazers to find more consistency as the season progresses. SCS will next host Cambridge Christian (0-4) at 7 p.m. Sept. 13.
