Regular Season Grades - Offense

A good teacher gives instruction, then tests the students to see how they apply their knowledge. After the tests, students receive grades for their work and notes to help them improve for the future.

So, since I’m a good teacher, and this team has passed 9 tests, I’d like to give out grades for the regular season. Today we’re going to start with the offense. So, here goes:

Quarterbacks – B+

·         Camren Hudge has shown that he’s a player who can lead a team to victory in any circumstance. While he may be short for the position, his arm, and his heart, are more than big enough. Having passed for over 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns are numbers that prove he’s among the best in the State. He has a tendency, at times, to get locked into Malcolm Lewis, which can cause the offense to stagnate. Also, Hudge has had some fumble/snap exchange problems in the second half of the season.
·         Devonte Mathis has played well in the limited snaps he’s gotten at QB this year, particularly in the St. Thomas game. He’s a battle tested, 4yr Varsity player with immense talent. Definitely the best backup QB in the State, if not the Nation.
·         Sophomore Gernald Hawkins earned some valuable experience playing in blowouts against Northeast, West Broward, and Boyd Anderson. That will come in handy as he competes for the starting job in the Spring.

Running Backs – A

·         The thunder and lightning duo of D’Vontis Arnold and Alex Lee has been terrorizing opposing defenses all year long. With both players having run for over 800 yards (CHECK THIS STAT) in the regular season, they bring a dimension of physical balance to the potent HyperSpeed offensive attack. Arnold is a pure running back, with great instincts and vision. Lee is a solid runner whose breakaway speed can turn even a simple dive play into a long touchdown.
·         The most impressive player at this position could be Sophomore Trevon Rolle. He’s a big undersized, but has time to grow into a feature back. Nevertheless, his talent is remarkable: speed, quickness, vision, heart. He can do it all. Would be starting at 95% of schools in the state. You can’t help but wonder what he could have added to the offense with more carries.

Wide Receivers – B+

·         Malcolm Lewis proved over and over again why he is a top recruit. He made great plays every game, both on offense and special teams, and every team dedicated either 2 or 3 defenders to his side of the field in hopes of containing him. He showed up big in the biggest games (St. Thomas, Cypress Bay), and was the central figure in our potent passing attack.
·         Devonte Mathis was a matchup problem in every game. His combination of size and speed would be hard to deal with at the collegiate level, and even more so in high school. While he didn’t have as many catches as he would if he were the only high level receiver on the team, the catches he did have were usually first downs or touchdowns.
·         Charleston Jenkins was another matchup problem from his slot/TE position. He routinely stretched the field up the seam, and seemed to always be open against a blitz. His effort was, at times, not where you would like it to be, and he was prone to drops when he felt a defender near him.
·         Reggie Lennon, Tanares Robinson, and  Sean Avant all had their moments of brilliance during the season. Avant had a huge game vs. St Thomas Aquinas, and Lennon/Robinson both had their moments.  However, the mental or physical lapses from this group were far too frequent for my liking. Dropped passes, incorrect routes, and lackadaisical play were the main culprits.

Offensive Line – A-

·         This unit has lived up to it’s billing as one of the top in the state with it’s hard-nosed play, and exquisite technique
·         Tackles Clevonne Davis and Gerald Toussaint have done a pretty good job against the bull rush and outside moves. There has been a bit of trouble with inside moves against the better defenders, like the St. Thomas line, and Daumatas Venckus from Cypress Bay.
·         Guards Kevin Gonzalez and Daniel Lennon have been pretty steady on the inside. Their agility has come in handy on traps and power plays. Their inline blocking has been pretty good as well. They have been twisted on stunt action by the defense, and have had multiple holding calls because of it.
·         Mike Miranda and Darrell Brown have had their ups and downs at Center. Consistency in their shotgun snaps is something that has problematic, especially in the second half of the season. No offense can begin without a clean center-quarterback exchange. This needs to be addressed before the playoffs begin.
·         Overall, the play of the line has been greater than the sum of it’s individual parts. Complex blocking schemes, and timing plays such as draws, screens, and counters have been a staple for the offense this year, and that has only been possible because of the outstanding play by the line up front.

Overall Grade: A-

·                Almost 3,500 yards of total offense and 35 points per game are numbers that are rarefied air in the ranks of High School football. While I can nitpick over the little things (which I’ve done), I also need to praise the mountain of good that has been done. Even with the minor issues that I think could be addressed, this is the most explosive offense that we’ve seen since Geno Smith, Stedman Bailey, Ivan McCartney, Ryan Williams, and a whole host of others were around in 2008 and 2009. And THAT is high praise.

     So, those are my regular season unit grades for Offense. Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment and let's discuss.

Also, be sure you check back tomorrow for my Defensive unit grades.

Until next time,
Miramar Sports

Interview with U.S. Army All-American Tracy Howard

As you may have heard, Miramar Senior TRACY HOWARD was selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American bowl in San Antonio, TX. For more information about this prestigious honor, check out the following article:
Five-Star to Army Bowl - by Greg Powers of Scout.com

After the official nomination ceremony at the school, I had the opportunity to interview Tracy personally, and he gave me some great insights. Here's my interview:

Miramar Sports (MS): Congratulations! How does it feel to be named an All-American?
Tracy Howard (TH): It feels great! It's a wonderful honor, and I look forward to playing in the game.

MS: What do you hope to gain from this experience?
TH: I want to showcase my talents against the best players from around the county. I want to go through a week of practice and compete, and work to prove that I'm the best. And, I mean, I want to win too (DUH)!

MS: With Ivan (McCartney) being named an All-American 2 years ago, and you this year, what do you think this says about the Miramar Football Program as a whole?
TH: It shows that we're a GREAT program. We produce top notch talent, each and every year. We have amazing coaches, and they do a great job pushing us to get the most our of our talent every day. And that we're hungry, work hard, and don't stop...

MS: In your eyes, who could be the next Miramar player to go to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl?
TH: (Before I even finished my question) Jermaine Grace. No Doubt.
MS: Wow! That was fast. Why do you think that?
TH: Jermaine is a natural athlete. He can play any position on the field, and he's very fast. He's smart, and knows the game of Football very well. I grew up with him, and I know that he's a good, humble kid who is motivated to be the best. All you have to do is come to the games and it's easy to see why he should be, and probably will be, an All-American. He's really REALLY great, and I love playing on the same defense with him.

So, that's my first interview! What did you think? Leave a comment below and let me know!!

That's all for now.
Until next time,

Miramar Sports