Congratulations to Tyler Hine and Nic Huether for winning a $500 Academic Scholarship at the 2009 South-Central All-Star Classic football game.

Mikhail Morgan was granted a complete release from Quincy University and has signed a full scholarship to Utah State University. The Aggies are a Division 1 school in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Also competing in the WAC are Boise State, Louisiana Tech, Nevada, Hawaii, Fresno State, San Jose State, New Mexico State, and Idaho.

We wish Mikhail the best as he enters this exciting chapter in his life.

 

Port Charlotte defensive lineman, Desmond Bowman, has committed to play football and attend Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, Nebraska.

Fellow teammate, Emmanuel Saint-Louis, will be attending Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa.

Patrick Paul, who played wide receiver and defensive back, will be attending Valley Forge Military Academy and playing defensive back.

Best wishes to these young men as they continue their education and pursue their desire to play college football.

Sam Thurston (QB) and Travis Marz (TE) have verbally committed to attend Geneval College. Geneva, a private four-year Christian college of the liberal arts and sciences, is located in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains, only 35 miles from downtown Pittsburgh. Geneva’s Golden Tornadoes compete in Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Senior Pirate offensive guard, Marcus Amick, has committed to attend school and play football at Concordia University, a NCAA Division III school in Mequon, Wisconsin.

Class 4A - District 11
Charlotte
Lakewood Ranch
Palmetto
Port Charlotte

CLICK HERE TO SEE 2009 GAME SCHEDULE

 

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: MARCUS SHAW, RB, DESOTO

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: TREY BURTON, QB, VENICE

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: BRANDON ROSS, LB, CHARLOTTE

OFFENSE

WR Mikhail Morgan
Port Charlotte, sr.
36 receptions, 545 yards, 2 TDs
"He's a big target and very good speed. He runs very good routes." - Hoffer

TE Brandon Harkeli
Lemon Bay, sr.
28 catches, 416 yards, 4 TDs
"He's got great hands, what what's surprising is how well he blocks. He's so solid as a blocker. He does all the things required as a tight end." - Lemon Bay coach Mike Messina

OL Byron Grant
Charlotte, jr.
"The kid's going to be a Division I football player. He's very explosive and has great agility. This was kind of his breakout year." - Charlotte coach Binky Waldrop

OL Carlos Ramirez
Hardee, sr.
"He's the type of kid that when we step on the field, he's a total warrior. When he steps off the field at the end of the game, you know without a doubt, he has left everything he has out on the field." - Hardee coach Tim Price

OL Brian O'Leary
Venice, sr.
"Our best offensive lineman. His motor doesn't stop and he's real coachable. He's a very, very smart ballplayer." - Venice coach John Peacock

OL Greg Summers
DeSoto, sr.
"He's a very physical football player. He plays so hard. I wish I had more like him." - DeSoto coach Gary Morton

OL Tony Jones
DeSoto, sr.
"He's a very smart football player. He knew where everybody was supposed to be and what they were supposed to do on the offensive line." - Morton

QB Trey Burton
Venice, jr.
1,699 passing yards, 14 TDs; 1,173 rushing yards, 28 TDs
"He's the biggest competitor I've ever met. He works hard, parepares hard. It's not just a thing where he shows up on Friday night." - Peacock

RB Marcus Shaw
DeSoto, jr.
2,407 rushing yards, 35 total TDs
"One person could not bring him down. He's 185 pounds, but he plays a lot tougher than that. He can do a lot of things when he gets the ball in his hands." - Morton

RB Mike Bellamy
Charlotte, soph.
1,955 rushing yards, 30 total TDs
"He's a natural playmaker. He's got great speed and great instincts. He still has a lot to learn. He has a chance to be one of the best ever." - Waldrop

RB Dri Archer
Venice, sr.
1,447 rushing yards, 17 TDs; 21 receptions, 411 yards, 5 TDs
"He is the most explosive player I've been around in high school football. É He had a chance to break it every time he touched the ball." - Peacock

Ath Troy McClary
Charlotte, sr.
1,008 rushing yards, 14 TDs; 18 receptions, 195 yards
"He's a great playmaker, a great return guy for kickoffs and punts. We'll miss him." - Waldrop.

DEFENSE

DL Desmond Bowman
Port Charlotte, sr.
8 1/2 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, caused 2 fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries "He's extremely quick off the football. He has a low center of gravity and a knack for making big plays." - Hoffer

DL Keenan Costello
Lemon Bay, sr.
"He's smart, strong, quick and a good leader. He's a really complete package." - Messina

DL Brandon Wilkinson
Venice, jr.
14 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries
"He's the real deal. He's probably one of the best defensive players we've ever had here." - Peacock

DL Robb Roys
Charlotte, sr.
"The kid just came into his own this year. He got serious about football. His motor never stopped running or chasing the passer. (His injury) was a big blow for us." - Waldrop

LB Brandon Ross
Charlotte, sr.
"He's been a three-year starter at middle linebacker. He's got a great football mind, and he did a great job of running the defense." - Waldrop

LB Cameron McQuay
DeSoto, sr.
"He's a good football player. He can read real well on defense." - Morton

LB Ethan Mix
Venice, sr.
109 tackles, 3 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries
"He hustles - he's just a football player. He's been our starter at middle linebacker for three years and was our leading tackler this year." - Peacock

LB Ricky Morgan
Port Charlotte, sr.
71 tackles, 3 sacks, five blocked punts/kicks
"He has a good understanding of what we're doing defensively. He's a leader on our defense - a good tackler, tenacious. He makes a lot of plays. He gives us spark." - Hoffer

DB Alex Mut
Charlotte, soph.
"There's not many things he can't do. He's led us in interceptions as a freshman and sophomore and led us in receptions as a freshman and sophomore. É He's got a great work ethic." - Waldrop

DB Justin Grant
Venice, sr.
23 tackles, INT
"He had to make all the calls (defensively). He's just a versatile football player. We would have been lost without him." - Peacock

DB Bensley Melidor
North Port, jr.
"The one thing Bensley does is he comes to play every day and works hard. He takes his leadership role very seriously." - North Port coach Sascha Hyer

P/K Sam Costa
Port Charlotte, sr.
"He's been a consistent kicker for us. He's an accurate place kicker, and an excellent punter." - Hoffer

HONORABLE MENTION
OL Bryce Neff, Charlotte; K Joey Masters, Charlotte; OL Jason Mills, DeSoto; DL Davis Marshall, DeSoto; LB David Newcombe, Hardee; QB Ezayi Youyoute, Hardee; LB Dan Jacobs, Lemon Bay; LB Jason Pugh, Lemon Bay; RB Bryce Johnston, North Port; K Jeromy Keen, North Port; QB Sam Thurston, Port Charlotte; LB Jeremy Brown, Port Charlotte; DB Josh Boyle, Venice; TE Beckett Wales, Venice

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

TREY BURTON, Venice, QB, Jr.
Completed 100 of 160 passes for 1,699 yards and 19 touchdowns and ran 176 times for 1,173 yards and 28 touchdowns.

FIRST TEAM

DRI ARCHER, Venice, RB, Sr.
Rushed for 1,447 yards, caught 21 passes for 411 yards and scored 22 touchdowns, 17 rushing.

MIKE BELLAMY, Charlotte, RB, Soph.
Rushed for 1,908 yards, caught seven passes for 73 yards and scored 29 touchdowns, 27 rushing.

STEVE IERULLI, Cardinal Mooney, RB, Sr.
Rushed for 1,969 yards, second in the area, and scored 21 touchdowns.

MARCUS SHAW, DeSoto County, RB, Jr.
Rushed for an area-high 2,380 yards, an average of 9.9 per carry and 183.1 yards per game, and scored 35 touchdowns, 34 rushing.

ANDRE BOOKER, Riverview, Athlete, Sr.
Rushed for 1,350 yards and scored 19 touchdowns.

DAMIAN COPELAND, Palmetto, WR, Sr.
Caught an area-best 52 passes for 718 yards and scored 11 touchdowns.

WILLIE MCNEAL, Braden River, WR, Sr.
Caught 48 passes for 724 yards, rushed 24 times for 107 yards and scored eight touchdowns, six receiving.

BECKETT WALES, Venice, TE, Jr.
Caught 21 passes for 295 yards and three touchdowns.

JAMIE COPELAND, Riverview, OL, Jr.
Leading blocker for the Rams, who tied for second in the area averaging 262.5 rushing yards per game.

NICK GAINES, Braden River, OL, Sr.
Top blocker for the Pirates, who finished sixth in offense, averaging 310.2 yards per game.

BRYON GRANT, Charlotte, OL, Jr.
Top blocker for the Tarpons, who finished third in the area in offense with an average of 345.7 yards.

CASEY GROSS, Booker, OL, Soph.
Top blocker for the Tornadoes, who finished seventh in the area, averaging 286.1 yards per game.

MIKE LOPEZ, Venice, OL, Sr.
Top blocker for the Indians, who led the area in offense, averaging 408.6 yards per game, including 262.5 rushing.

GREG SUMMERS, DeSoto County, OL, Sr.
Top blocker for the Bulldogs, who led the area in rushing with 309.3 yards per game.

BRANDON TARPLEY, Palmetto, kicker, Jr.
Kicked 14 field goals in 18 attempts, four from 40 yards or longer, including a season-best 46-yarder, made all 40 PAT kicks and had 16 touchbacks on kickoffs.

CO-COACHES OF THE YEAR
GARY MORTON, DeSoto County
Guided the Bulldogs to a 9-4 record and a berth in the Class 3A-Region 3 final, where they lost to Cocoa. DeSoto won its second straight district title.

BINKY WALDROP, Charlotte
Guided the Tarpons to an 11-2 record and a berth in the Class 5A-Region 3 final, where they lost to Largo. Charlotte avenged its first loss, defeating Venice in the region semifinals.

HONORABLE MENTION

Cam Ayala, Saint Stephen’s, Jr.

Ben Axon, Manatee, Sr.

Trevor Barnes, Braden River, Jr.

Brandon Bechtel, Southeast, Sr.

JuJuan Bell, Braden River, Jr.

Jeremy Butler, Booker, Sr.

Brion Carnes, Manatee, Jr.

Jamie Copeland, Riverview, Jr.

Sam Costa, Port Charlotte, Sr.

Steven Fischer, Braden River, Jr.

Eric Fridenberg, Bradenton Christian, Sr.

Steve Gainey, Braden River, Jr.

Ethan Gilbert, Palmetto, Sr.

Josh Grabski, Southeast, Sr.

Tony Gurry, Out-of-Door, Sr.

Bryce Johnston, North Port, Sr.

Marcus McNeal, Lakewood Ranch, Sr.

Brian O’Leary, Venice, Jr.

Jamie Onufrank, Out-of-Door, Sr.

Austin Rieter, Lakewood Ranch, Jr.

Ace Sanders, Manatee, Jr.

Garrett Secor, Bayshore, Jr.

Mark Smith, Cardinal Mooney, Jr.

Tim Smith, Palmetto, Jr.

A.J. Strong, Out-of-Door, Jr.

Sam Thurston, Port Charlotte, Sr.

Ortavious Washington, Lakewood Ranch, Jr.

Eric Williams, Manatee, Sr.

Jared Williams, Bradenton Prep, Soph.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
KEDRIC JOHNSON, defensive end, Palmetto, Sr.
Broke school record for single season sacks (21.5) and career sacks (49).

FIRST TEAM
ERVIN JOHNSON, Manatee, DL, Sr.
Voted team defensive MVP, had 11 sacks, 16 tackles for losses. Led linemen with 75 tackles (47 solos).

TEVIN MITCHELL, Booker, DL, Sr.
The defensive end led the Tornadoes with 11 sacks and had 6 tackles for losses; also, 48 tackles, including 17 solos.

BRANDON WILKINSON, Venice, DL, Jr.
Had 55 tackles (40 solos), 10 sacks, 5 QB pressures, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 blocked kick.

JUSTIN PIETARILA, Southeast, DL, Jr.
Led the Seminoles with 91 tackles (39 solos) and had 6 tackles for losses, 5.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 11 QB hurries and 2 pass breakups.

DALTON WERTZ, DeSoto, DL, Soph.
Catalyst for a defense that created 27 turnovers, led its district in least points allowed (60) and had four games in which it held opponents to seven points or less.

CAZAVIOUS RAY, Booker, LB, Sr.
Led the Tornadoes with 116 tackles, including an impressive 79 solos. Picked off 3 passes, forced 3 fumbles, had 2 fumble recoveries and 8 tackles for losses.

CARLTON, SHELLEY, Riverview, LB, Sr.
Topped the Rams with 106 tackles, (15 tackles for losses/7 sacks). Caused 6 fumbles, recovered 1 fumble, 8 QB pressures, 5 tipped passes and 2 blocked kicks. Finished career with 274 tackles.

ETHAN MIX, Venice, LB, Sr.
Credited with 70 tackles, including 31 solos. Registered 3 sacks and recovered 3 fumbles. Had a combined 23 tackles in victories over Charlotte and Manatee, which enabled Indians to win district title.

BRUCE KELLY, Southeast, LB, Sr.
Disruptive force, led Seminoles with 4 forced fumbles. Had 109 tackles (41 solos), 6 tackles for losses, 3 sacks, 5 qb pressures, and 2 blocked kicks.

BRANDON ROSS, Charlotte, LB, Sr.
The three-year starter was the key figure in a defense that led Charlotte County with 15 interceptions and held opponents to seven points or less in five games.

JON DOWLING, Southeast, DB, Jr.
Led area with 15 interceptions and had 8 pass deflections with 70 tackles (22 solos). Scored 2 defensive touchdowns. Filled in at receiver in district tie-breaker and caught 2 TD passes.

KIERON JAMES, Southeast, DB, Sr.
Started at safety, was credited with 6 pass deflections, intercepted 3 passes and forced one fumble. Finished with 58 tackles (29 solos).

VANTREZ YARN, Palmetto, DB, Sr.
Led the Tigers secondary with 53 tackles (37 solos) and was tied for the team overall lead in interceptions with four. Broke up 10 passes and forced one fumble.

ROBERT FORDHAM, Venice, DB, Sr.
Versatile athlete, played cornerback and receiver; Had 2 interceptions, 2 pass deflections with 12 tackles and one fumble recovery. Caught 12 passes for 259 yards (21.6 avg).

CHRIS CONLEY, Manatee, PUNTER, Sr.
Punter/kickoffs. Averaged 37 yards on 25 punts with a long of 53 and had four inside the 20. On 40 kickoffs, averaged 48 yards with 5 touchbacks. Led ’Canes with 76 tackles.

HONORABLE MENTION:

Willie Brown, Bayshore

Aaron McRae, Booker

Jason Skhodnik, Bradenton Prep

Trevor Barnes, Braden River

Nick Olitsky, Braden River

Don Ward, Braden River

Ty Williams, Braden River

Stuart Cobb, Bradenton Christian

Colton Goodwin, Bradenton Christian

Scott Barletta, Cardinal Mooney

Alex Mut, Charlotte

Danny Zarella, Lakewood Ranch

Jake Berwind, Lemon Bay

Keenan Costello, Lemon Bay

Jason Pugh, Lemon Bay

Carmin Galati, Manatee

Duncan Isiminger, Manatee

Gabarri Reeves, Manatee

Bentley Melidor, North Port

Alex Portee, North Port

Danny Segal, North Port

Dan Lappiererer, Out-of-Door Academy

Kerchal Byrd, Palmetto

Jamal Dunbar, Palmetto

Ty Scott, Palmetto

Quinton Tate, Palmetto

Jeremy Brown, Port Charlotte

Desmond Bowman, Port Charlotte

Ricky Morgan, Port Charlotte

Nafees Jones, Riverview

Barry Martin, Riverview

Taylor Peiper, Riverview

Garrett Waggoner, Riverview

James Allen, Saint Stephen’s

Josh Breitwieser, Saint Stephen’s

Cole Misztak, Saint Stephen’s

Brook Peters, Sarasota

Jamiel Jackson, Sarasota

Giovanni Francois, Southeast

Cody Hunter, Southeast

Quentin Mays, Southeast

James Auxier, Venice

Justin Grant, Venice

Ben Steele, Venice

The 2008 Pirate Football Awards Banquet, sponsored by Brian Chapman State Farm Insurance Agency, was held on Tuesday, December 16th. Award recipients included:

Varsity Scholar Award
Tristan Gibbs

Junior Varisty Scholar Award
Jack Koch & Nick Rosa

Outstanding Offensive Lineman
Marcus Amick

Outstanding Defensive Lineman
Desmond Bowman

Outstanding Offensive Player
Sam Thurston

Outstanding Defensive Player
Jeremy Brown

Outstanding Special Teams Player
Sam Costa

Most Improved Player
Pat Paul

The Commitment Award
Awarded for his commitment, selfless service, and dedication to becoming a better student, athlete, and person
Tristan Gibbs

The Watson Award
Exhibits the true spirit of volunteerism, sacrifice, and willingness to go above and beyond for their brothers,school, and team
Nic Huether

The Coaches Award
Awarded for his hard work, persistence and willingness to rise above and beyond on the field
Josh Serrano

The PRIDE Award
The heart and soul of the team. His actions are uplifting and are devoted to encouragement and support of their team and teammates
Ricky Morgan

Coach Hoffer was presented a Pirate letterman jacket by Valerie and Chuck Gibbs for his commitment to the players, program, and school.

Tristan Gibbs and Sam Thurston were each awarded a $500 academic scholarship at the 2008 South Central All-Star Classic, held at Firemen's Field in Sebring, Saturday, December 13th.

Gibbs earned a scholarship for his 3.9 grade-point average. Thurston also earned the honor by achieving a 3.6 grade-point average.

The South team, comprised of coaches and senior football players from Port Charlotte, Charlotte, Lemon Bay, North Port, Desoto, Labelle, and Moore Haven, were victorious in a 29-13 contest over the Central in the 10th Annual South-Central All-Star Game on Saturday at Fireman's Field. The Central team was held scoreless the first three quarters of play and scored two late touchdowns.

The South’s relentless 3-5 defense, coordinated by Port Charlotte’s Dave Hoffer, saw great play from Lemon Bay linebacker Dan Jacobs who made several tackles, including two quarterback sacks and three additional tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Jacobs also forced a fumble, recovered two fumbles and blocked punt, which went out of the back of the end zone for a safety. His efforts earned him Most Valuable Player on defense.

Outside linebacker Robert Ford of Labelle, assisted by Charlotte linebacker Brandon Ross, recorded a tackle for a loss in the end zone to record an additional safety for the South. Port Charlotte linebackers Richard Morgan and Tristan Gibbs contributed with several tackles during the game, three of which were in the backfield. Outside linebackers, Cameron McQuay (Desoto) and Jason Pugh (Lemon Bay) also had good performances.

The defensive line, consisting of Lemon Bay’s Keenan Costello; Port Charlotte’s Desmond Bowman, Jeremy Brown,and George Smith; Charlotte’s J.P. Long; and Desoto’s Jakeem Gant, applied constant pressure on the offense throughout the evening. Costello was in on several tackles and broke up a couple of screen passes. Bowman had a tackle for a loss and blocked a field goal. Jeremy Brown recovered a fumble during the 1st quarter of play and was a key contributor on special teams, hurdling a potential blocker and running down the Central kick returner for a minimal gain.

Lemon Bay’s Jake Berwind, Josh Sayad of Charlotte, North Port Bobcat Antjuan Randall, and Port Charlotte’s Pat Paul and Joe Bennett provided solid performances in pass coverage and run support from the secondary. Randall (NP), Berwind (LB), and Bennett (PC) intercepted passes while patrolling the field. Bennett’s interception during the final two minutes of the game sealed the victory for south team.

The offense, headed by Charlotte’s Larry Marsh, scored three rushing touchdowns thanks to the blocking efforts of Dylan Cox, Jesse Kirschner, and Cody Mooney of Charlotte, Marcus Amick, Emmanuel Saint-Louis, and Travis Marz of Port Charlotte, Branden Harkeli of Lemon Bay and Jason Mills of Desoto.

Charlotte's Troy McClary had a 3-yard touchdown run and a 30-yard scamper to help set up a 2-yard scoring run by Bryce Johnston of North Port. Johnston, who was named Most Valuable Player on offense, scored another touchdown from 1-yard out which was set up by his 60-yard run earlier in the drive. North Port running back, Alex Portee added a few nice runs, including a 47-yard jaunt.

Port Charlotte's Sam Costa scored 7 points including field goals of 24 and 42 yards.

Thirteen senior representatives of the Port Charlotte Football program have been selected to participate for the South in the 10th annual South Central All-Star Classic.

These young men, combined with the efforts of seniors from Charlotte, Lemon Bay, North Port, Desoto, Labelle, and Moore Haven will compete against the Central team comprised of seniors from Avon Park, Bartow, Haines City, Hardee, Lake Placid, Lake Wales, Mulberry, Okeechobee, and Sebring.

Senior Pirate Football players
selected to the 2008 South All-Star Team

Marcus Amick (offensive line)
Joe Bennett (defensive back)
Jeremy Brown (defensive line)
Desmond Bowman (defensive line)
Sam Costa (kicker)
Tristan Gibbs (linebacker)
Travis Marz (tightend)
Mikhail Morgan (wide receiver)
Ricky Morgan (linebacker)
Patrick Paul (defensive back)
Emmanuel Saint-Louis (offensive line)
George Smith (defensive line)
Sam Thurston (quarterback)