1.) Was a little disappointed in the response............yes. I figured between the lurkers, regular & in-frequent posters and then the random morphs that still show up here and there, we'd generate at least 4-6
2.) Manatee won 2 games I expected them to lose at the beginning of the year, (Lake Minneola and Port Charlotte), Lake Minneola gave up 77 points last week to Lakeland last week in the playoffs, so that put that season opening win in perspective. Port Charlotte allowed Manatee to pull one out of its backside to claim a win in the closing minute of that game and I felt pretty much Port Charlotte deserved to win. I didn't catch the Naples/Port Charlotte game but was surprised at the score. I felt last year the Port Charlotte coach approach to the Naples game, was one of being a decide underdog and his team played like it. Not sure what happen this year?
Manatee had a terrible OL this year, and its defense despite all that talent on the D-line and in the defensive backfield had terrible LB play pretty much the entire season so I felt it was under performed defense unit. Your LBs typically lead your team in tackles, and instead Manatee's were middle of the pack statistically. The kid at MLB despite his size and hype, got manhandled, couldn't disengage off blocks and many games missed more tackles than he made. I thought the D-line also plays on its raw talent alone, and isn't getting the kind coaching it needs to go next level, particularly at the DE positions
The fan base however is thrilled with its 9 win season, with better coaching I however felt this was a team that should have been playing Venice last week in the 3rd round. My mind hasn't changed one bit on Green being a average coach at best. Was the 3rd year in a row I felt Manatee as a team was not playing a higher level at the end of the year and had in fact regressed........my comment to one of the radio guys was..."With the kind of talent Manatee had this year and the schedule they had, I could have coach them to a identical record if not gotten another win or 2 out of them!" I sincerely meant that!
3.) Dunbar has for the second year in a row, far exceeded my expectations. They at this point could do the same to a unsuspecting undefeated St Agustine team tonight. Watched the game last week and have to admit I turned it off when Naples scored it TD with just 10+ seconds left in the game......Who kicks off deep to allow a return to be setup in a situation like that..(that's on the Naples coach), and missed that runback?
I watched the Deland/Seminole game this season. Deland looked and played like a typical Darlington led Apopka team. They had no answer however for the Seminole offense that game, The Venice offense is way better than the Seminole offense I watched. The Venice defense however has some chinks in its armor versus the run and I could see a Darlington single wing keeping the Venice offense off the field more than normally or at least limiting the number of plays it gets to run. Was thinking about going to the game tonight, but Peacock talked me out of it, by stating no online ticket sales and long lines at the gate tonight on his weekly show.....so I'll be watching online instead. This is a game I could see a upset with the right kind of breaks going Deland's way, but Venice has to favored to win.
Lakeland at Buchholz - Lakeland's defense has some incredible team speed and has the ability to recover quickly from breaking big plays by its opponent. I don't believe Myles Graham at running back for Buchholz, has caused Lakeland to game plan any differently then it would normally. I'm expecting Lakeland to win convincingly and we'll see a Venice/Lakeland rematch it the state title game. You know the Lakeland QB, started for Palmetto his freshman and Soph seasons and left for Lakeland when Marino retired......funny how Lakeland does that with QB talent it seems almost every year?
Vanguard/Mainland - both team played Lake Minneola and both beat Lake Minneola, Vanguard won 35-21 and Mainland won 31-28. The Vanguard game, Vanguard jump out a 20 point lead only to see Minneola make it close going into half. 2nd half however was all Vanguard. The Mainland game was kind of a back and forth game. Manatee played Vanguard in a spring game, which Vanguard used big pass plays at the end of both half's to tie the game at half and subsequently win the Manatee Spring game. I believe Vanguard win's tonight
Booker and Cardinal Mooney, both teams are peeking at the right time.....but Booker plays Cocoa (I feel 1 of the top 4 teams in the state this year!)......I'll be checking in on this game often to see how it goes, but Cocoa has to be a heavy favorite. Cardinal Mooney has some pretty good size and talent (a Gator commit at DB), I can see them advancing to the championship game.....I remember as a kid the 70's team winning a state title and being caught up in the state tile run , reading the Bradenton Herald and Sarasota Herald tribune daily to keep up with that run!
