2021 SUN Preps All-Area Athletes & Teams
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1466350
www.yoursun.com Page 17 FOOTBALL FROM PAGE 16 S — Jackson Fleming (Venice senior) The emergence of Fleming as a playmaker gave Venice the deepest and most dangerous secondary in the area. The senior safety was a game-changer for the Indians, intercepting a team- high five passes, defending three, and blocking two punts. He also finished with 60 total tackles. The turnovers Fleming forced proved to be huge. He intercepted both Clearwater International Academy and Riverdale on their first possessions — setting the tone early in two big wins. In one of Venice's biggest wins of the year — a 41-20 victory at Lakeland — Fleming had two interceptions. K — Tyler Amaral (Charlotte junior) Amaral got a taste of kicking under pressure last year when he had to make a kick to keep his team's season alive in the regional playoffs. This year, Amaral was faced in a similar spot as the Tarpons and Pirates were deadlocked at 28-28 with seconds to play. He came up big again, making a 28-yard field goal to give Charlotte the victory. He finished the season a perfect 34- for-34 on extra point kicks and also went 4-for-6 on field goals with his longest coming from 42 yards. P — Marek Houston (Venice junior) Houston didn't have many chances to punt this season as Venice put a running clock on several opponents. Still, the junior shined when given the opportunity. He punted 21 times over eight games, averaging 37.3 yards per punt with a long of 49. He also pinned two punts inside the 20-yard line. Coach of the Year — Don Southwell (Lemon Bay) Southwell's Mantas had a dramatic turnaround from last year's 3-7 mark — going 8-2 as they won the first playoff game in 17 years at Lemon Bay. The Mantas dominated on both sides of the ball in the process, scoring at least 40 points in six games while posting four shutouts as well. Second Team QB — John Busha (Charlotte senior) There wasn't a player in the area who was responsible for more of his team's scoring than Busha. The senior threw for 1,348 yards and 13 touchdowns to seven interceptions and ran for 1,008 yards and 16 touchdowns. RB — Dylan Turner (Venice Senior) A player who transferred from Cardinal Mooney, Turner split carries with Da'Marion Escort but eventually emerged as the Indians' lead back in the playoffs. He turned 116 carries into 635 yards and 14 touchdowns along with two catches for 16 yards and a receiving touchdown. WR — Myles Weston (Venice junior) Weston might have been good enough for a first-team selection if not for all of the other talented receivers around him. The speedy junior finished with 33 receptions for 533 yards and four touchdowns. WR — Keyon Sears (Venice sophomore) Sears was just a sophomore in a crowded receiving corps, but nonethe- less established himself as Venice's go-to big-play threat. He caught only 26 passes, but still recorded 552 yards and five touchdowns — including ones from 24 and 99 yards in the win over Lakeland. WR — John Gamble (Charlotte sophomore) One of the area's best leapers, Charlotte took advantage of Gamble's reach advantage as a 6-foot-6, 195-pound receiver. He only caught 17 passes, but still recorded 295 yards and four touch- downs with a long gain of 54 yards. TE — Keimar Richardson (DeSoto County senior) Standing at 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, Richardson stood out among a group made up mostly of underclassmen. He was a disruptive pass-rusher — running 45 yards for a scoop-and-score vs. Estero --and a big-play tight end on offense — catching a 23-yard touchdown in a one-point loss to LaBelle and another touchdown in a loss to Cypress Lake. OL — Chris Ferrentino (Port Charlotte senior) A three-year starter for the Pirates, Ferrentino played guard, center and tackle over his time — making himself one of the team's more versatile and valued players. OL — LaDarius Bowie (Port Charlotte senior) Another three-year starter for the Pirates, Bowie played right tackle — holding off a pass rush on several of Logan Rogers' 20 touchdown passes. OL — Maverick Menzer (Charlotte junior) Charlotte had one of the area's best rushing attacks as 11 players combined to rush for 1,684 yards and 23 touch- downs. The 6-foot-4, 285-pound junior played a big role in opening holes and buying time for QB John Busha. OL — Zach Allen (Venice junior) Allen's emergence as a junior came at a pivotal time for Venice, which had a dynamic passing and rushing attack that needed protecting. The 5-foot-11, 255-pound center often played above his size. OL — Kalen Dixon (North Port senior) A senior center for the Bobcats, Dixon was a little undersized for the position, but didn't miss a game all year and held his own — helping keep QBs Kevin Riley and Sean Silverberg upright in the team's two wins while providing consistent snaps for them. DT — Dekwann Martin (Port Charlotte senior) A leader of a young defense, Martin was at the heart of Pirates' efforts. He recorded 29 tackles, three sacks and four tackles for loss — including a sack in Port Charlotte's regional playoff loss at Palmetto Ridge. DE — Damon Wilson Jr. (Venice sophomore) Alongside Piggins, Wilson Jr. gave Venice the best pass rush in the area. The explosive sophomore made 79 total tackles (4 for loss), six sacks and blocked a field goal. DE — Nequis Graham (Charlotte junior) Along with Newton, Graham helped form a formidable pass rush for the Tarpons. He finished with just 23 tackles, but had five tackles for loss, two sacks and a pass defended. LB — Desavion Cassaway (Venice junior) Cassaway missed several games with an arm injury, but still produced numbers even when he came back with a cast. He recorded 72 tackles (4 for loss), one sack, two passes defended and a fumble recovery. LB — Jaden Opalach (Charlotte senior) One of the Tarpons' top tacklers, Opalach finished with 79 total tackles (3 for loss), one sack, one interception, five passes defended, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. LB — Jaekwon Pringle (Port Charlotte sophomore) A top tackler for the Pirates as a soph- omore, Pringle showed his promise with 82 tackles (10 for loss) and four sacks. LB — Nelson Daniels (Charlotte junior) Daniels transitioned well from DeSoto County to Charlotte, finishing his first year as a Tarpon with 59 tackles (3 for loss), two passes defended and two fumble recoveries. CB — Elliot Washington (Venice sophomore) Washington has already earned mul- tiple Division-I offers as a sophomore, and for good reason. He played both cornerback and safety, finishing with 51 tackles (1 for loss), two interceptions and four passes defended. CB — Aaron Pasick (Lemon Bay junior) A two-way player for Lemon Bay, Pasick was the team's top receiver with nine catches for 351 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran six times for 56 yards and played cornerback — coming up with an interception in Lemon Bay's first-round playoff win. CB - Keon Jones (Charlotte junior) One of the area's most versatile players, Jones passed the ball, ran the ball, played defense, returned kicks and was the Tarpons' leading receiver. He finished with 22 rec. for 333 yards and two touchdowns on offense and one interception and two passes defended on defense. S — Jeremiah Laguerre (North Port sophomore) A dynamic young playmaker for the Bobcats, Laguerre played as a safety, running back, receiver and kick return- er for North Port this year. He had four interceptions, a forced fumble and over 50 tackles on defense. K — Trevin Howard (Port Charlotte junior) Howard was nearly automatic for the Pirates. The junior made 31-of-34 extra point kicks and also converted 2-of-4 field goals, with a long of 34 yards. P — Logan Rogers (Port Charlotte senior) Rogers would have made this list as a quarterback if not for the record-break- ing performances of other area players. He threw for 1,636 yards and 20 touch- downs to nine interceptions, running for 229 yards and six touchdowns. His ability to also punt from under center allowed the Pirates to catch defenses off guard on fourth down. He averaged 27.3 yards per punt.