Ask Me Anything Volume 2, Number 1

After a long and relaxing summer vacation, we're back to business here at the Miramar Sports Blog. I've been active on twitter, and posted a couple articles, but now, we're cranking back up to full-time Miramar Sports news. 

And, in that vein, here's the first article of the school year: Ask Me Anything, the Miramar Sports mailbag. Here we go:

Q: Who is going to be the Starting QB? –  From Kennetha @_HeadVsHeart_

Miramar Sports (MS): As I said in the QB Competition breakdown from the spring, Nick Jeanty looks like the frontrunner for the position. Through the first week of fall practice, I still have him in the lead to be the starter. (Note: Bud Martin is no longer a Miramar Patriot. He transferred to Dillard early this summer)

Both Jeanty and Gernald Hawkins have had their ups and downs, but overall, I just like the way the offense looks better with Jeanty out there, so I’m sticking with him as my pick.

Q: Who is the breakout Patriot that nobody is talking about? – From Shawn @ShawnFace

MS: I asked this same question to Jermaine Grace, Alex Lee and Mike Miranda for the Captains Corner feature (which debuts on Tuesday). I won’t give you any of the players the captains mentioned. You’ll have to read their article for that. But, here are 3 players that have stood out to me through the first week of fall practice:

• Junior Running Back Cameron Rigby – Apart from having the best name on the team, Rigby has been an absolute terror on the field. His playmaking ability has shown itself repeatedly in both the 1-on-1’s and 7-on-7 segments of practice. He will definitely be contributing heavily on offense this year, as well as on special teams as a punt returner.
• Junior Wide Receiver Tyler Williams – Williams burst onto the scene last year with his touchdown catch against Palm Beach Gardens in the Regional Semi-Final. He has used that day as the starting point to a great summer, and wonderful first week of practice. During every practice segment you can see Williams making plays. His all-around technique is very good, and his speed makes him a challenge for the defense on every snap.
• Sophomore Cornerback Jeffery Hill – One half of the super sophomore corner combo with Tyrek Cole, Hill has consistently played solid defense in practice. He had a pick-6 on the 2^nd throw of the fall in 7-on-7, and has displayed very good technique. Obviously, being able to watch Tracy Howard hone his craft last year has helped Hill, and he looks primed to be a solid player this season.

Q: What is the biggest overall challenge for this year’s team? – From Adam @Akosnitzky

MS: Easy: youth. Having only 5 returning starters on this year’s team means that there are a lot of players who will need to step into larger roles for the Patriots to maintain the level of success that we have had over the past 5 seasons. It’s never easy when you rely heavily on sophomores and juniors, and harnessing that young talent is a challenge the coaches will have to face throughout this season.

Q: Who is the one team you wish was on the schedule this year that’s not? – From George @Sportsnut_

MS: I’ll do you better. Here's my top 3 "I wish they were on the schedule" games:

1. The University School. Everybody is talking about how good they are, and I would like to see what we could do against them.
2. Miami Central. The only time we’ve played them in school history, the State Semi-Final in 2009, was an epic game. Central is loaded once again, has 2 All-American level Running Backs, and I’m sure they would relish the chance to avenge that loss. That would be a great game, and I wish it were real, instead of a fantasy in my mind.
3. Miami Booker T. Washington. Everybody says they're the best team around. I feel that Miramar is the best team around. Let's settle this on the field, and not in a message board.

Q: What game are you looking forward to OTHER THAN Bradenton Manatee, St. Thomas, and Cypress Bay? – From George @Sportsnut_

MS: Outside of “the big 3” games of the year, I’m very anxious to play Everglades. I’ve heard the whispers that they have been talking noise about beating the Patriots for the first time in 6 years, and win the district as well. This neighborhood rivalry has been very heated over the last few seasons, and I don’t see that changing this year.

Q: Who is going to step up and be the all-star #1 Wide Receiver? – From Nicole @Sweetchoc85

MS: I can always count on Nicole to ask me about the Receivers.

There is no easy answer, since we have 12 players who will see time at receiver this year. During practice, the offense subs them out in groups of 4, so there is a lot of talent at this position.

The easy answer is Sean Avant. He’s the leading returning receiver, was a starter on last year’s State Runner-up team, and figures to have a big season as a senior. But, since I don’t like easy answers, I’ll look another way.

My pick for the #1 receiver this year is Junior Kwasim West. He’s tall and thin, but runs great routes, has good hands, and above average speed. He will probably see his role increase dramatically from last year, and could emerge as the top target for whoever wins the job as starting Quarterback.

Q: Do you think  West Virginia will win the Big12 in their first year in the conference? – From WVNation @WVNation

MS: I think they have a great chance to be special. The offense will obviously have to carry them, and with Geno Smith, Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, and Ivan McCartney, that shouldn’t be a problem. The defense is one of the stronger units in the conference as well, so I think the Mountaineers have a good chance to make some noise.

You should respect every team on the schedule. That being said, to me, they have 2 big challenges on the schedule:

1. The first challenge is the back-to-back trips to Texas in October to play Texas and Texas Tech. Those are longer trips, and that travel could play a role in the team not being fully in sync at gametime.
2. The second challenge is a late season trip to Iowa State. The Cyclones are a decent team who obviously gets hype for big games. They ended Oklahoma State’s run to the BCS Championship game last year, and would love nothing more than to do the same thing to a highly ranked West Virginia team this year.

Q: Based off their performances at MHS, how would you rank the past QBs: Cam Hudge, Ryan Williams, and Geno Smith? – From George @Sportsnut_

MS: Ok, here goes:

• Geno Smith – Took the Patriots from being good to great. Had a State Championship season ruined in 2007 after a questionable brawl vs Flanagan. He did things I’d never seen before from a HS player.  He was 2 time first team All-State, a Parade magazine All-American, Elite 11 MVP, took Miramar to our first State Semi-Final, and set the stage for our continued success. He has to be #1 on the list. 

Here’s a story for you:
In the middle of the 2008 season, Coach Cogdell held a 6am practice on Thursday before the Piper game. A few players were late and were suspended for the first half of the game, including Geno and Stedman Bailey. On the first play of the second half, Geno and Stedman checked to a double move (pump and go), and hooked up for a 76 yard touchdown. As soon as he threw the ball, Geno started walking off the field with his arms up in the typical “make some noise” stance. When I saw that, I knew he was a special player.

• Ryan Williams – His only season at Miramar started slowly but ended in fine fashion. Struggles vs. Monsignor Pace in the opener were repeated mid-season vs. St. Thomas Aquinas. But, apart from those 2 games, he progressed every week of the year. His performance in the playoffs was outstanding. He beat Miami Central with a 56 yard bomb to then-sophomore Malcolm Lewis, and shattered records in the State Championship game vs. DeLand. Many people say he finished the job that Geno started, but I look at his accomplishments on their own. If he had another year as a Patriot, he could have been #1 on this list. Still, 2nd behind Geno Smith isn't too shabby.
• Cam Hudge – He played on Varsity for 4 years, backing up the other 2 players on this list as a Freshman and Sophomore, respectively. Hudge saw some game action, and showed plenty of promise, including a huge arm in his 5’9” frame. Hudge added a running threat that neither Smith nor Williams had. Hudge led the team to the second State Championship game in school history, and, while that game ended in a loss, his impact over his 2 years as starter cannot be understated.

As a bonus, here's a video of that famous Williams to Lewis play from 2009. (And yes, it's called Patriot Missile. So fitting.)

Q: Favorite Miramar athletic memory BESIDES winning the 2009 6A State Championship in football? – From George @Sportsnut_

MS: Funny story: I wasn’t at the 2009 State Championship game. A close friend of mine got married that day, and I was a groomsman in his wedding. So, my connection to that day is not the same as most other Patriots’.

Anyways, my favorite Miramar Sports memory would have to be beating St. Thomas Aquinas in football last year. We’ve had some good games against them (although the final score might not indicate it), and I really felt that we had a great chance to dethrone the Raiders as the kings of Broward County. After some, ahem, QUESTIONABLE calls let St. Thomas hang around, coming through with that blocked field goal, then goal line stand to win the game, and give us the first win against St. Thomas in forever, the elation of running around the field victorious was absolutely amazing.

Since this is my article, I’ll add another one: Beating Central to get to the 2009 State Championship game. I won’t wax poetic about this one. But if you were there, you know the emotion that was in that stadium that night. Powerful stuff, man.

Q: Early prediction on where Jermaine Grace will play his college football? – From almost everybody who I’ve spoken to since last signing day

Before I answer this one, let me give you a disclaimer: The following response represents MY OWN INDIVIDUAL THOUGHTS. Now that that’s out of the way…

I think the University of Miami is the clear leader at this point. The coaches would like to see Country add more size to his frame, but I don’t think they will risk missing out on his completely. Apart from that, he lists Tennessee as a finalist, and notes that Florida State has been in heavy contact with him.

In the end, my feeling is this is Miami’s race to lose. For a bit more on Jermaine’s recruiting, check out an interview I did for CanesInSight.com last week. The link is here: http://canesinsight.com/content.php?412-Jermaine-Grace-talks-Recruiting

That's it for this edition of Ask Me Anything. Welcome back, Patriots.

Until Next Time,


Cameron J. Underwood
Miramar Sports