Mooney, Southeast, Riverview win spring football games
FRIDAY
Bayshore 16, Oasis 0
Cape Coral 14, Bayshore 6
Six months removed from a 1-9 season that featured eight shutout losses, the Bruins saw plenty of encouraging signs in a jamboree at Cape Coral High School.
“I think we looked a lot better than we did last year,” Bayshore coach Ace Sanders said. “I think our guys are buying in a little bit more and tonight was a good chance for them to show the improvement.”
The Bruins’ size on the offensive line proved to be the difference against Oasis as they rushed for more than 100 yards and saw rising junior quarterback JP Sarento pass for 69 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown.
“We only have one senior there and we have three freshmen,” Sanders said of the offensive line. “That’ll be a unit that can grow together and that’s the best spot to be in. That’s definitely one of our focal points. Getting bigger and stronger, that’s the goal for this offseason.”
Against the Seahawks, running back Jayshawn Judge accounted for the team’s lone score, racing for a 35-yard touchdown in the second quarter. He showed an impressive mix of explosiveness and toughness on his chances in the jamboree.
“He had some strong runs where he got hit in the backfield and just kept powering through,” Sanders said. “That was something to see. I’m very proud of him.”
For a team that had little to cheer about last fall, Sanders said the Bruins’ performance at the jamboree should give the team a boost heading into the summer.
“Seeing their eyes after the game, they’ve bought all the way in,” he said. “I think we’ll see some real good things in the fall.”
− Dan DeLuca
Sunlake 14, Sarasota 0
Gibbs 20, Sarasota 0
ST. PETERSBURG – Sarasota High’s next steps toward football relevance will have to wait at least a few more months.
The Sailors’ offense showed flashes of improvement, but never found the end zone in four quarters during a spring jamboree, losing 14-0 to Sunlake (Land O’Lakes) in the first half and 20-0 to host Gibbs in the third. In between, Gibbs outlasted Sunlake 13-3.
Quarterback Hudson West, a 6-foot-5, 183-pound rising sophomore who started all 10 games for Sarasota last fall, looked poised and confident in the pocket – but was intercepted three times while completing just 14-of-42 passes for 194 yards. He already has offers from Toledo and North Alabama.
“My confidence (is better), big time,” West said. “Just knowing who’s where, where my matchups are, and my confidence in my guys. But the chemistry has to improve. We have to be able to capitalize on some of the downfield passes.”
Junior-to-be Jackson Schlabach caught a 9-yard pass and ran for another 30 on Sarasota’s first two offensive plays against Sunlake. But on second-and-3 from the Seahawks’ 8-yard line, West’s pass into the end zone was deflected and picked off by cornerback Carson Bowers.
The Sailors’ offense crossed midfield on four of five possessions against Sunlake (4-6 in 2024), but was stuck in neutral against Gibbs (1-9) until the last seven minutes, when West was 4-of-10 for 85 yards.
Second-year coach Anthony “Amp” Campbell admitted he was expecting more. “I was. I wanted us to get in the end zone and tackle better on defense. We blew coverages, lost contain and let the quarterback get out.
“There’s a lot of things we’ve got to get fixed, but we’ve got all summer to get better.”
Sunlake took a 7-0 lead when Hayes McGuire found tight end Grant Zellers behind the Sailors’ defense for a 32-yard TD on the first play of the second quarter, capping a drive that started with McGuire scrambling for 36 yards on second-and-15 from his own 5. The Seahawks added an insurance score on Angel Rodriguez’s 17-yard run with 54.1 seconds left.
Dropped passes haunted Sarasota in its second outing. West opened 1-for-8 – and by then Gibbs quarterback Jordan Calvin (11-of-14, 186 yards) had thrown TD passes to Khalil Batson (6 yards) and 6-foot-10 tight end Mike Broxton (45 yards), giving the Gladiators their 20-point cushion.
The Sailors routed Gibbs 34-6 last Sept. 13, en route to a 3-2 start under their new head coach, before dropping five in a row. They have posted only three winning records in the past 18 seasons (6-4 finishes in 2017, 2019 and 2021).
But it’s only May, so hope springs eternal for both quarterback and coach.
“We’ll come back stronger and better in the fall and see what happens from there,” West said.
“We’ve got a lot of stuff we’ve got to fix, but I know we’ll get it done,” Campbell echoed. “(West’s) leadership and his overall development have gotten better. We’ve just got to get guys up front in here to protect him a little bit and give him time to throw the football.”
− Donnie Wilkie
THURSDAY
Riverview 42, Largo 21
SARASOTA – Up 13-7 at halftime over visiting Largo, the Riverview Rams lit up the scoreboard for 29 second-half points and ran away with 42-21 victory on Thursday night in the spring game for both teams at the Ram Bowl at John Sprague Field.
The game marked the debut of Riverview head coach Mark Cristiani, the team’s strength and conditioning coach, who took over for Josh Smithers, who remains on the team as a defensive assistant.
Against the Packers, the Rams got two touchdowns from a familiar name, WR/RB Toryeon James, who scored on runs of 4 and 2 yards, then caught a 32-yard touchdown from Riverview quarterback Parker Nippert in the fourth quarter, upping the Ram lead to 35-21.
In the first quarter, a Nippert pass was intercepted by the Packers’ Anthony Harris and returned 90 yards for the score, giving Largo the early 7-0 lead. Riverview responded with a 12-play, 60-yard drive capped by Isaiah Belt’s 1-yard TD plunge and 7-all tie with eight minutes, 36 seconds left in the second quarter.
Two Brody Carroll field goals, covering 25 and 29 yards, gave the Rams the 13-7 lead entering halftime. In the second half, a 6-yard run by Packer quarterback Carmelo Dixon put Largo back up 14-13 with 8:37 left in the third. The first of James’ two scores three minutes later gave the lead back to the Rams at 20-14.
Dixon connected with Harris on a 69-yard touchdown less than a minute later to put Largo back up, 21-20, but James’ 2-yard TD in the fourth gave the Rams a 28-21 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
RIVERVIEW TAKEAWAYS
1. The Rams made a significant change in their offensive backfield from last season. Last year’s starting quarterback, Anthony Miller, is back at wide receiver, while the starting quarterback job is down rising senior Parker Nippert and rising junior Logan Carrillo. Both saw action against the Packers, with an early pass by Nippert intercepted and returned 90 yards for a touchdown. Nippert finished throwing for 108 yards and rushing for 17 while Carrillo threw for 116 yards.
2. Incumbent running back Isaiah Belt played the first half, rushing for 55 yards and a 1-yard score. But the Rams moved the ball better on the ground with shifty Toryeon James carrying it. In the second half he rushed for 73 yards after catching four passes for 118 yards in the first half. With the Rams lacking offensive weapons, finding myriad ways to get James the ball would seem to be the offseason homework for the Riverview coaching staff.
3. Riverview put the game away in the second half, but had the Ram offensive line gotten any kind of push, the outcome would have been decided much earlier. After Belt barely crossed the goal line for a score on a fourth-and-goal in the second quarter, the Rams failed to find the end zone on two straight trips deep into Packer territory. On one, Riverview couldn’t convert a first-and-goal at the Largo 1 and had to settle for a Brody Carroll field goal. On the second, a 50-yard completion to James put the ball on the Packer 10. But a Ram false start penalty, a 2-yard loss by Belt, and an incomplete pass forced another Carroll field goal.
– Doug Fernandes
Mariner 14, Braden River 14
BRADENTON – The Mariner Tritons and Braden River Pirates wrapped up their respective spring training sessions on Thursday night by playing to a 14-14 tie.
The Pirates used the first offensive possession of the game to march 75 yards on 12 plays to take a 7-0 lead. Rising junior quarterback Louisen Desinor, a transfer from Southeast, capped the drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Jake Polson.
Braden River took a 14-0 lead in at halftime following Desinor’s second scoring strike, a 28-yard completion to rising senior Nick Cinelli, with 2:38 remaining in the second quarter.
The Tritons came out and dominated in the second half. They took the first possession of the third quarter and chewed up seven minutes on the clock before quarterback Owen Oleary hooked up with Jamarion Corbett on a 23-yard screen pass to get Mariner on the scoreboard.
The Tritons tied the game at 14-14 with only 1:48 left in the fourth quarter. Oleary found Steven Carter in the corner of the end zone for a 31 yard touchdown pass.
BRADEN RIVER TAKEAWAYS
1. The Pirates have a big, skilled offensive line: From left to right, it’s Sebastian Vasquez, Preston Hostetler, Noah Lassiter, Jackson Perkins and Darious Pompey.
“I was very pleased with how the offensive line played,” said Braden River second-year head coach Jason Grain. “They gave our quarterback pockets to throw in. They played good football. All five guys up front were excellent.”
2. Desinor is continuing to progress at quarterback: After starting last year as a sophomore for the Seminoles, Desinor is beginning to settle in with the Pirates. He completed 18-of-30 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns.
“He’s a good player,” Grain said. “He played well tonight.”
3. Cinelli stole the show: In addition to his touchdown reception, Cinelli caught six other passes, all in the first quarter, from Desinor. Cinelli also intercepted Oleary twice to thwart potential Mariner scoring drives.
“It’s a testament to his hard work,” Grain said. “The guys who worked the hardest are the guys who played the best.”
– Jim Brockman
Southeast 48, Hollins 7
TOP PLAYERS _ (SE): Marvelous Jackson rushed for two touchdowns and caught a third from quarterback Liam Fernandez, who threw three TDs in the game. He threw one to TJ Powell, one to Jayden Fields, and one to Darren Duval, who also had two interceptions on defense.
Cardinal Mooney 21, Clearwater 7
TOP PLAYERS _ (CM): Quarterback Davin Davidson threw touchdown passes to Kymistrii Young and Bo O’Daniel. Running back Connail Jackson also rushed for a score.
Cardinal Mooney 35, Mitchell 7
TOP PLAYERS _ (CM): Quarterback Davin Davidson threw touchdown passes to Kymistrii Young, Bo O’Daniel, and LaRon Dues. Running back Connail Jackson rushed for a touchdown and Macaiden Brown returned an interception for a score.
WEDNESDAY
Manatee 35, Gulf Coast 22
BRADENTON – Running backs Caedon White and Keith Smith each ran for two touchdowns as the Manatee Hurricanes subdued visiting Naples Gulf Coast, 35-22, on Wednesday night in the spring game for both teams.
White, a rising junior running back, scored on the Hurricanes’ first two series. His 17-yard run gave the hosts the 7-0 lead with the PAT by Carter Eurice. His 4-yard run on Manatee’s ensuing possession capped a 10-play drive and increased the Hurricanes’ lead to 14-0.
Gulf Coast cut the lead to 14-8 on the first of two rushing scores by quarterback Mike Hope and the 2-point conversion run. But a 19-yard touchdown pass from Hurricane quarterback Logan Rogers to wide receiver J’kwan Williams with five minutes left in the second quarter gave Manatee a 21-8 lead at halftime.
Gulf Coast cut the lead to 21-14 on the opening drive of the third quarter, Hope taking it the final yard of a 14-play drive. But the Hurricanes quickly responded with a six-play drive, the final one a Smith 9-yard scoring run. In the fourth quarter the Sharks got a 6-yard rushing score from Javien Altine with seven minutes, 48 seconds left, but Smith’s second TD, this one from 1 yard out, accounted for the 35-22 final.
MANATEE TAKEAWAYS
1. Manatee fans got their first look at quarterback Logan Rogers, the transfer from Hillsborough High, who will take over for the departed Andrew Heidel. Against Gulf Coast the senior finished 5-for-12 for 68 yards and a 19-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver J’kwan Williams. “He’s a good leader,” Manatee head coach Jacquez Green said of Rogers. “His arm is stronger than Heidel’s. He just has to get used to how we do things. I think he’ll be good long-term, and spring is just the first part of it. The main thing was getting a bunch of those 10th-grade guys some reps in a real varsity game so they can see themselves on film and what they need to do and what they need to correct.”
2. Green may use a three-headed running attack this season with Caedon White, Malik Bryant, and Keith Smith, the younger brother of former Hurricane running back Keyshawn Smith. The three backs combined for 227 yards. “We’ve always had some backs,” Green said. “(These guys) can run. We feel comfortable with those guys.”
3. Green might feel the departures of run-stopping defensive linemen Ean Johnson-Kelley and Alvoid Kennon the most. The Sharks rushed for more than 150 yards. “You can’t replace those guys,” Green said. “We’ll just have to do some stuff scheme-wise to help the guys up front. Probably play more man-to-man to get more guys up in the box.”
GULF COAST TAKEAWAYS
1. Last season the Sharks were 5-2 before ending the season with three straight losses, missing the postseason. The team also graduated its starting quarterback, top running back, top two leading receivers, and the leader in quarterback sacks. The Sharks came into its game with Manatee with fewer than 10 rising seniors. “We got a ton of underclassmen,” said head coach Manny Evans, “and it was a good thing to come up here in this kind of environment to let them see what a championship-caliber football program looks like.”
2. One of the young Shark players is freshman quarterback Mike Hope, who rushed for two scores against Manatee and finished 4-for-11 for 62 yards and an interception. “It’s still an open competition,” Evans said. “Michael and Wyatt (Raymer) both played some tonight and we’re going to take the summer to evaluate.” The Sharks rushed 28 times for 160 yards; Gio Marceno led with 100 yards on 13 attempts.
3. Where Gulf Coast needs work is along the defensive front; Manatee runners rushed for a total of 237 yards, often reaching the second level of the Shark defense with little resistance. “The spring for us we got 18 of the 20 (practice) days in,” Evans said. “We came up here and played a well-coached team in a hostile environment. We’ll go back and review the film. We got all summer to fix it.”
– Doug Fernandes
Clearwater Central Catholic 23, Palmetto 20
PALMETTO – Khayse Barrett scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak in overtime on Wednesday night to lift Clearwater Central Catholic to a 23-20 victory over the Palmetto Tigers in a spring game at Harllee Stadium.
The game was tied 17-17 at the end of four quarters. Getting the ball first in overtime, Palmetto had to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Brandin Gallaway to give Palmetto the brief 20-17 lead before Barrett’s touchdown plunge.
“Obviously, they are a very good team,” said Eric Sanders, in his second year as head coach of the Tigers. “We fought them tooth and nail. They earned the win. If we could have a couple of plays back, we probably could have won that game.”
Palmetto took a 7-0 lead when the game was less than two minutes old. Zion Roberson recovered a fumble in the end zone on a snap that sailed over Barrett’s head.
After the Marauders tied the game at 7-7 later in the first period, Palmetto quarterback Matthew Hennesey tossed an 11-yard scoring pass to Nazir Pitchford to retake the lead.
Gallaway nailed a 44-yard field goal in the third quarter to tie the game at 17-17.
“I’m proud of the way our guys have competed all through the spring,” Sanders said. “We’re starting to play football the right way. We can control our own destiny as far as we go. I don’t think a lot of teams can say that. I’m happy where we’re at.”
PALMETTO TAKEAWAYS
1. The Tigers don’t need to worry about kicking the football. Not as long as Gallaway and his left leg remain in business. The rising junior was banging home field goals from 50 yards and beyond during pregame warmups and punting the ball higher and farther than that.
In addition to kicking field goals of 44 and 24 yards, Gallaway had the distance, but was wide right on a 51-yard attempt against the Marauders. His kickoffs are simply automatic touchbacks. One of them hit the right upright on Wednesday night.
“Distance is not an issue for Matthew,” Sanders said. “He’s an incredible kicker. This was a great learning experience for him. He’s amazing.”
2. Palmetto’s quarterback has plenty of poise and a strong arm. Wednesday night was the first start of Hennesey’s varsity career. He remained calm and collected when facing a heavy pass rush. He was 11-of-25 for 174 yards and had one tipped pass intercepted.
“All things considered, I love the way he competed” Sanders said. “I liked his demeanor and the way he handled his emotions. It was a fantastic start for him.”
3. Palmetto had a defensive nose for the ball: The Tigers forced CCC into six turnovers, including four fumble recoveries and two pass interceptions. Yam Vantrez collected both interceptions.
However, the Tigers would give up 298 total yards in offense to the Marauders in the first half. Barrett finished the game with 187 yards and also ran for 109 more.
“In spring ball, it can get sloppy at times on both sides of the ball,” Sanders said. “We’re headed in the right direction.”
– Jim Brockman
TUESDAY
Venice 34, Naples 27
NAPLES – Naples looked poised for a statement win over the defending Class 7A state champions, holding a 20-0 lead over Venice midway through the second quarter
Instead, the Indians left Staver Field with a 34-27 win over the Golden Eagles.
“There were some good things, and there were a lot of bad things,” said Venice head coach John Peacock. “When running a tempo offense and you go three-and-out, that doesn’t really put you in a good situation. I think we got one first down in the first half… we’ve got to be able to put drives together and be a little bit more efficient at moving the ball.”
Venice scored three unanswered touchdowns that helped close the gap. Venice, staring at a third-and-25, scored on a screen pass to Dorien Irving-Jones midway through the third quarter. A touchdown pass to Colton Lynch evened things up at 20-20 just three minutes later.
Some late heroics from Naples running back Sam Sparacio, who punched in a 32-yard pitch, gave Naples the lead back with 1:38 to play.
Cue quarterback Sean Long, who led the Indians to a game-winning drive with four straight completions, including a 36-yard strike to Aiden Fogo with just over 30 seconds to play. The clutch connection set up a 6-yard touchdown pass to Lynch, and John Ford III punched in the two-point conversion.
Naples coughed up the ball on their attempt at a game-winner, and Anthony Beckom took the recovery to the house for the win.
Here are three takeaways from the Indian’s comeback win at Naples.
What we learned about Venice football
1. Dorien-Irving Jones is ready to lead Venice’s title defense. Venice started the game flat, with three-and-outs, fumbles, and interceptions littering their first-half possessions.
Irving-Jones served as a calming presence for the Indian offense and started to piece together timely runs that got Venice back on track. He finished with over 100 rushing yards and two scores on 14 touches while reeling in two passes for 40 more yards.
2. Venice quarterbacks are still jostling for the starting gig. Alex Shafer got the starting nod for the scrimmage, but split reps with Long pretty evenly throughout the game.
While Long led the game-winning drive, Shafer helped spur the comeback with a touchdown pass to Irving-Jones midway through the third quarter. Peacock says the experience is much needed for his signal-callers.
“I don’t think either of them separated themselves tonight,” Peacock said. “Schafer did a good job, he had a touchdown pass on third and long and had some nice runs. Sean had some nice runs and he was able to have that last drive and make that beautiful throw… I’d like to sit here and say this guy is our starter, but neither of them have really separated themselves. They both did some really good things, though.”
3. Venice’s defense answers the bell with Asharri Charles out. Indian edge-rusher Asharri Charles, a highly-touted recruit ranked as the No. 28 overall player in the USA TODAY Florida Top 100, did not suit up for Tuesday’s contest. His absence was felt heavily in the first half as Naples pounded the ball down the field and jumped out to a 20-0 lead.
“I thought the defense played really well, especially without one of our best players,” Peacock said. “And that would’ve been a big difference, a big boost of Asharri played.”
But Venice’s defense stood tall as the offense pieced together scoring drives, and held the Golden Eagles out of the endzone for nearly 30 minutes of gametime.
− Nick Wilson
SATURDAY
St. Petersburg Keswick 35, Sarasota Christian 7
SARASOTA – Quarterback Ben Milliken hurled a 55-yard touchdown pass to Travis Miller on the second play from scrimmage to give Sarasota Christian the lead in its spring football game.
Despite the positive early omen, visiting St. Petersburg Keswick Christian went on to dominate the clock and the scoreboard with a 35-7 victory over the Blazers on a sunny and steamy Saturday morning.
The Crusaders maintained possession of the football on a single drive for the entire third quarter and didn’t even score, using a punishing ground game featuring running backs Frank Martinez and Caleb Nordenbrook.
Keswick finally gave the ball up on downs three plays into the fourth quarter before the Blazers got another crack at running their offense.
In some limited playing time, Milliken still managed to complete 13-of-21 passes for 201 yards.
“You can’t lose a spring scrimmage,” Milliken said. “We’re all out here trying to get better.
“It doesn’t go on our record. We’re just out here playing some football and trying to get ready to go for the upcoming season.”
Like Milliken, the versatile Justin Brock has been around for all four seasons under the guidance of head coach Jacob Spenn. After playing the eight-man game for the first two seasons of their high school careers, the two have been around for the transition to 11-man football that began last season.
“I have always liked how we play our offense,” said Brock, who runs the ball, catches it, returns kicks, plays some defense, and can even kick if called upon. “The spring is always good for getting experience. It’s good to get out and play some other people, besides just practice.”
Travis Miller led Blazer receivers with four receptions for 95 yards against the Crusaders. Brock hauled in three catches for 57 yards. Brock also caught a 62-yard scoring pass from Milliken during the fourth quarter that was nullified due to a holding penalty.
“We were a little bit out of sync with our offense all day,”Spenn said. “That was frustrating. I would have liked to move the ball “But it’s a scrimmage. We wanted to see some things and try to get better. We were able to do that.”
The Blazers open the regular season at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School on Aug. 29.
– Jim Brockman
FRIDAY
Parrish 34, Osceola 0
AT: Osceola
TOP PLAYERS _ (P): QB Brycen Volz threw TD passes to Brandon Trucano, Nathan Schueller, and Ashton Fischer. Cameron Houston and Mike Crutchfield added rushing scores, and the Bulls got big plays on defense from LB Markeyon Maxwell, DL Jair Speaks, and DL Kaleb Exume.
THURSDAY
Lakewood Ranch 27, George Jenkins 14
LAKEWOOD RANCH – Lakewood Ranch High looked sharp and disciplined on Tuesday night, especially for a spring football game.
The Class 6A Mustangs jumped out to a 27-0 lead over visiting Class 7A Lakeland George Jenkins and went on to defeat the Eagles, 27-14, as they capped off three weeks of spring practice.
Scott Paravicini, a former Mustangs linebacker who graduated from Lakewood Ranch in 2012, is in his third season as the team’s head coach.
“I think it’s a testament to these guys and the hard work they have done in this three-week period,” Paravicini said. “I think they have worked their butts off and it was fun to watch them get out there and see what we have. It was a good opportunity for everybody to go out and compete.”
Everett Russ played quarterback in the first half for Lakewood Ranch and completed 5-of-7 passes for 112 yards. One of those completions was a 70-yard scoring strike to Kamarion Jones with only 48 seconds remaining in the first half for a 21-0 lead.
Brett Travers quarterbacked the Mustangs most of the second half and also turned in a solid performance. Travers completed three passes, including a 10-yard touchdown toss to Vik Monoki for a 27-0 lead midway through the third period.
Defensively, Lakewood Ranch forced four George Jenkins turnovers. Jackson McGill and Ethan Storbeck collected interceptions and Jayden Rivers and Cooper Orzel recovered fumbles. Karson Rathbun also registered a sack for the Mustangs.
Lakewood Ranch held the Eagles to just 64 yards in total offense in the first half. The Mustangs only committed one penalty in the first half on an illegal block.
“I was happy with what I saw,” Paravicini said. “We still have a way to go on some things. We had some mental mistakes. But they played their tails off tonight. I am pleased with them.”
Colton Dempsey, the Mustangs’ top rusher last season, ran for 64 yards and scored the first touchdown of the night on a 3-yard run to cap Lakewood Ranch’s first drive in the first quarter.
Elidrick Berry led Lakewood Ranch rushers against the Eagles, picking up 70 yards on the ground.
– Jim Brockman
Merritt Island Christian 22, Bradenton Christian 18
AT: All Saints Academy
TOP PLAYERS _ (BC): Holland Hume threw touchdown passes to Dylan Jones and Connar Henderson. The Panther quarterback also scored on a 5-yard run.
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