People always ask me: “Underwood, what do you think about
(insert player/position/scheme/playcall here)?” So, to answer everybody’s
questions, here is your first installment of my Regular Season Grades.
Today, we’re starting with the Offense.
Here goes:
Quarterbacks – C+
After transferring from Archbishop
McCarthy, Nick Jeanty won the job as starting QB and came out with a powerful
statement on his first drive as a Patriot, leading the team down the field
against National #1 Bradenton Manatee, capping the drive with a touchdown pass
to Sean Avant. Apart from that, Jeanty’s play has been up and down. His
completion percentage is strong (66.5%) and he has shown a good arm, and
confidence in the pocket. He’s been the victim of some drops at key moments,
but has also thrown into coverage a bit too often, resulting in 12
interceptions on the year. Jeanty appears to be either holding back, or being
held back by the coaches (I’m not sure which one it is). Jeanty can still be a
great player, but to do that the turnovers need to be cut down.
Gernald Hawkins has played some
good football. When faced with starting defenses, the Junior struggled mightily,
although he did progress as the season wore on. Late in the year against
Western and Flanagan, Hawkins came into the games ready to throw, and throw
deep. He connected on touchdowns each of the last 2 weeks, and showed that,
when given time, he can be an effective player.
Joseph Testamark and Demari
Simpkin did a good job running the scout and JV teams, respectively. Testamark
has a live arm and good athleticism. Simpkin took over for Testamark/Hawkins
and led the JV team to their 3rd consecutive undefeated season.
Running Backs – A
Alex Lee came onto the scene this
year as a man possessed. He opened the year with 133 yards on just 11 carries
against Bradenton Manatee and didn’t stop there. The highlight game for him was
the win against St. Thomas Aquinas, where he had 148 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Lee’s spotlight season was cut short with a knee injury in game 6 at Boyd
Anderson.
Cameron Rigby has added an element
of shiftiness that was missing from the backfield after Trevon Rolle decided to
leave the program. A polished receiver and dynamic returner, Rigby’s talents
were frequently on display in many areas of the game. I would like to see him
dance a bit less and get up the field, but that’s a minor gripe for a player of
Rigby’s caliber.
Embodying the feast or famine
nature of this season is junior RB Eric Pittman. Known to his teammates as E,
Pittman’s lackadaisical punt return with premature celebration cost us the
Cypress Bay game. But, Pittman did not let that mental lapse define his season,
and he came back to rush for 227 yards and 4 TDs over the crucial season ending
games against Western and Flanagan. Pittman has shown that he is a special
player, and could possibly be the best RB on the roster. Which is saying
something with the talent we have in the backfield.
Khalil Lewis put his toughness and
blazing track speed on display repeatedly this season. The junior RB found
great success the past 2 seasons on JV, and continued to excel on the Varsity
level. He didn’t get as many carries as I’m sure he would have liked, but it’s
tough to balance 6 quality players at 1 position. He’ll see his role increase
next season for sure.
Alex Anderson had an interesting
season. Too big/good to be on JV, but stuck behind 4 other players on Varsity.
Anderson, who looks like a grown man standing 6’1” 212lbs and with a full beard
as a SOPHOMORE, ran like Adrian Peterson when he got on the field, leaving
defenders on the ground in the wake of his path. He ran for over 100 yards in
very limited time, but he will definitely be a key player in near future. Just
watch.
When the spread offense needed
some more bulk, FB Malik Mapps came in to open holes and lead the way for the 5
RBs on the team. His contribution to the team goes further than stats, and his
willingness to do the “dirty work” allowed for the skill players to find space
and put points on the board.
Wide Receivers – B
Sean Avant was clearly the
headliner of this group. He led the team in catches and receiving yards, and
made tough catches over the middle when the offense needed them most. His
leaping touchdown grab in the opener against Bradenton Manatee showed the elite
ability he possesses.
Apart from Avant, the passing game
was spread between a host of other playmakers. Tanares Robinson, Geonte Smith,
Delano Whitehead, Khalil Webster, Alex Lee and Cameron Rigby all had 10+
catches. Add in Tyler Williams and Kwasim west, and you have a receiving corps
that can put many different players on the field without any drop in
production.
Drops were a particular scourge in
losses to Northeast and Boyd Anderson. This wasn’t the only thing that contributed
to those losses, but they didn’t help the team either. There were also times when receivers ran wrong routes or quit on their routes (didn't run them full out to the end). Both areas kept this unit from being more successful and dynamic.
On the season, 17 different
players caught passes for the Patriots. This wasn’t the same explosive
offensive season that we’ve had over the past 6 years, but there is still a
wealth of quality talent at the receiver position.
Offensive Line – B
The play of the line mirrored that
of the team this season. When they played well, they were GREAT. When they
struggled, it was terrible.
Center/Guard Mike Miranda was the
only returning starter to this unit, and he led admirably. His in line run
blocking was the catalyst for the running game many times this season. He
struggled at times with his shotgun snaps, which hurt the offense. He will
probably move to guard full time at the next level.
Leeward Brown and Delvin Arnold
played well at guard. Brown, a Sophomore, could be one of the top college
prospects to ever come out of Miramar. Arnold eats up defenders as he drives in
run blocking situations. Both struggled at times in pass protection, but they
both improved over the course of the season.
Tackles Daniel McGhie and Damone
Thomson struggled against quick pass rushers, particularly in the games against
Northeast and Boyd Anderson. They played very strong games against Cypress Bay,
Bradenton Manatee and St. Thomas Aquinas. Consistency is the only thing keeping
this pair from being
great. Overall, their play was solid if unspectacular.
Definitely nothing to be ashamed about.
Stewart Boyd was a capable player who freely rotated at both Center and Guard. He will be a key to the success of this team in the future.
DTs Ja'Quan Smith and Telvin Arnold pulled a bit of double duty, playing on offense when the line was thinned out due to injuries later on in the season. They added a nasty streak and very good strength up front, and their additions, though intermittent, paid big dividends for the offense.
Overall Grade: C+
This season saw the offense struggle at times, and look like a well oiled machine at others. It’s taken some adjusting to find the strengths of this year’s team, mainly running the ball and timely ball control passing.
I lamented the struggles of this unit throughout the season,
but also celebrated its successes. An average season from this unit was still
good enough when it needed to be to earn a spot in the playoffs. Tailoring the
offense to the talents of this year’s team has taken some time, but I think
that the late season performance and production is more indicative of this team’s
abilities than the early season struggles.
