As in recent years, any preview of Tampa Bay-area prep football begins in two locales: Seffner and south Tampa. Specifically, as in Seffner Armwood and Tampa Plant.
The Bay area's resident state championship-caliber powerhouses will be back this fall for more of their same dominance. The only difference in 2009 is that they won’t have to go through each other for a shot at more state championships. New state class and district realignments have Armwood remaining in Class 4A while Plant moves up in classification to Class 5A.
The Panthers, the defending 4A champs, now can look forward to possible playoff battles with juggernauts Lakeland and Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas.
Tarean Austin, Hillsborough
File photo by Chad Pilster
Plant begins its 5A adventure with Phillip Ely at quarterback, a solid receiver in Allen Sampson and a defense restocked. Ely got key playing time last season while graduated signal caller Aaron Murray was out with a broken leg. On defense, the Panthers will rely on linebacker Mike Mirabella and transfer linebacker James Wilder Jr.
Longtime Armwood coach Sean Callahan believes his team underachieved last season and a minor tweak can have the Hawks back to the state-championship level they enjoyed twice in the past six years.
Tampa Freedom transfer Josh Grady takes over at the quarterback spot at Armwood and will have great backs to hand off to in Tavari Grant and Sherman Jessie. But the addition of Grady, a 6-foot, 180-pound traditional drop-back type quarterback, likely will add dimensions to the usually run-oriented Hawks offense.
But Armwood will have to scrap for the district title with a Hillsborough team that missed the postseason last year for the first time since 1993. That did not sit well with coach Earl Garcia and the Terriers, who boast two of the area's most dynamic players in quarterback Tarean Austin and heavily recruited defensive back Terrence Mitchell.
But fear not. Just for good measure, the still-rivals square off Oct. 2 at Armwood.
Among the other Bay area squads expected to make noise this season include Largo, Tampa Catholic, Tampa Bay Tech, Riverview Spoto, Clearwater Countryside, Lithia Newsome, Tampa Wharton, Tarpon Springs and Tampa Alonso.
Alonso boasts arguably the Bay area’s best pure passer in senior C.J. Bennett, who threw for a little more than 3,000 yards last season while connecting on 27 touchdowns. The Ravens have plenty of offensive weapons to aid Bennett and a capable defense, but their biggest issue may be their schedule. Alonso has a total of seven opponents that were playoff teams last year – including road games at Plant and Armwood.
Meanwhile, Largo – arguably the top team in Pinellas County, adjusts to life in a new district. A Class 5A state semifinalist in 2007 and 2008, the Packers open this season as a huge favorite in the new Class 4A, District 10.
The Packers won’t have much trouble holding off Tampa Leto, Tampa Sickles and Gulfport Boca Ciega for the district crown. And no longer will Largo have to deal with St. Thomas Aquinas, which ended the Packers’ seasons the last two years. The role of postseason nemesis now shifts to Armwood or Hillsborough – possible foes down the playoff line.
Largo will line up with outstanding defensive players in all-state linebacker Sean Holte and defensive back Jason Wine.
Meanwhile, Tampa Catholic is looking to advance past the Class 2A region finals, where it was eliminated a season ago. The Crusaders have two of the most heavily recruited athletes in the area in fleet quarterback Christian Green and behemoth offensive lineman Chaz Green (6-6, 300 pounds; no relation to Christian, currently the recipient of 30 scholarship offers.)
Tampa Bay Tech returns bruising running back Maurice Hagens, who has had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and led the Titans to the postseason last year. Tech reached the region finals a year ago in Class 4A. Now in 5A, Tech is the 5A-7 district frontrunner.
Speaking of 5A-7, it is likely the Nov. 6 matchup between Tech and Tampa Wharton that will decide that league's pecking order. Wharton lost key players on both sides of the ball but returns enough talent to still be in the district mix.
Meanwhile, Tarpon Springs looks to improve on last year’s eight-win season and will try with incoming transfer Adrian Golden. At New Port Richey Gulf last year, Golden set a Pasco County record with 2,514 yards rushing.
A playoff qualifier last year, Tarpon Springs is looking to do better than losing in the first round – the same fate that came across Spoto, Countryside and Newsome in 2008. All are talented enough to likely qualify for the postseason again.
And while those squads are eyeing the postseason, Tampa Chamberlain fans will be eyeing the sideline.
Longtime coach Billy Turner has retired after 30 years at the north Tampa school. The dean of area coaches, Turner, 71, ended his career with 254 victories, best all-time in Hillsborough County.
The Chiefs went 11-2 and advanced to the Class 5A region finals in Turner’s last year. Chamberlain’s administration plans on naming the school’s field after Turner. Joe Severino takes over the Chamberlain program.
And the Bay area welcomes three new programs this fall: Holiday Anclote, Dover Strawberry Crest and Lutz Steinbrenner. Those programs will play a mix of junior varsity and varsity teams this fall.
Bay area squads will play preseason classics Friday (Aug. 28) and open the regular season Sept. 4.
