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The Sports Section

The Sports Section



SPORTS: Spring football comes to a close PDF Print E-mail
By Michael Bielecki - May. 25, 2010, 3:26pm

There has been a ton of activity this spring involving the local high school football programs.  Let’s take a look at some of what’s going on with St. Edward’s and Vero Beach High School as spring practices wind down.

St. Edward’s -  The Pirates are going through a transition of leadership amongst the players and in the coaching staff.  Last year’s senior-heavy team is sending six starters off to play college football. 

 
Sports Blog: The All-Indian River County Football Team PDF Print E-mail
By Michael Bielecki - Dec. 1, 2009, 3:39pm

Offense

QB Collier Proctor, junior, SES - 709 yards passing, 47.4% completions, 11 TD 6 INT.  Collier had the best overall production of all the area QBs, as well as the best arm.  Wesley Wilson from SBHS will push best next year for title of best signal-caller in the county.

FB Cameron Budde, senior, SES - 439 yards 9 TD.  The best pure FB in the area, he blocks like a lineman and runs with fluidity.  Budde was banged up with a high-ankle sprain this year, but played through it.

RB Jormonte Hunter, junior, VBHS - 1,098 yards 16 TD.  He plays FB in the VBHS offense, but he’s clearly a runner first.  Hunter runs hard, hits the hole quick, and has surprising speed.  Colleges will be fighting over his services by summer.

RB Fred Macon, senior, SBHS - 1,037 yards 9 TD.  Macon played through nagging injuries in the middle of the season, and still turned in a good year.  He saved his best games for the best teams on the schedule, and is a Division I talent.  Fred and Hunter were the two best backs I saw all year, and have almost identical running styles.

WR Will Peckham, senior, SES- 13 catches 320 yards 4 TD.  This accomplished scholar lined up all over the field on offense and defense for the Pirates.  He filled in admirably at RB when his team needed him to, and had 4 interceptions on defense.

WR Stephon Clark, junior, SBHS - 20 catches 236 yards 1 TD.  Only playing in six games, Clark showed flashes of greatness this year when he wasn’t hurt.  He ideal size at 6-foot-3 and has outstanding jumping ability.  If he stays healthy next year, Clark should triple these numbers.

RT John Carter, senior, SBHS - The big man (6-foot-5 290 pounds) opened up holes for Macon all year, and was the cornerstone of a very good offensive line.

RG Jake Fojtik, senior, SES - This versatile player played mostly TE and OT this year, but has the ideal skill set to play guard.  He stayed healthy for the first time in his career this season.

C Gary Kagan, senior, SBHS - He was another key in Macon’s success this year.  The team captain will be missed next season.

LG Travonte’ Boles, senior, VBHS - Although he will play DT in college, Boles was one of the best blockers in the state over the past two years.  He’s almost as good of a football player as he is a person, and whatever school he goes to will be lucky next year.

LT Marcus Jackson, junior, VBHS - This soft-spoken young man is the most recruited offensive lineman on the Treasure Coast.  After verbally committing to Miami this summer, he turned in a great year for the Fighting Indians.

Defense

DE David Dixson, junior, VBHS - With a unique blend of speed and power, Dixon was unblockable at times this year.  He is one of the many talented juniors on the VBHS defense.

DT Tevin Bess, junior, SBHS - He was the guy that defenses tried to double-team and build a gameplan around all year.  Bess uses his size well (6-foot 300 pounds) and has the kind of mean streak you like to see in a defensive player.

DE Cody Horstman, junior, VBHS - Combining with Dixon, Horstman made the VBHS defensive line tough to block this year.

OLB Dion Holmes, junior, VBHS - He was the leading tackler for the Fighting Indians this year, and he will only get better.  Dion gets to the ball fast and hits hard.

ILB Daniel Lee, junior, SBHS - Lee was the Sharks version of Holmes.  He is always at the right place at the right time and a great tackler.  He led SBHS in tackles last year, and there is no reason why he shouldn’t do it again next year.

ILB Michael Lamos, senior, SES - Far and away the leading tackler for the Pirates, he avoided the injury bug that bit most of the rest of his team. Lamos didn’t get much press this year, but his play was far from unnoticed.

OLB Cortez Ash, senior, SBHS -  Perhaps the most dynamic player in the county this year, Ash could have made this list at any of four or five different positions.  He is the perfect blend of size, speed, power, and football intellect.  Ash’s final game against Treasure Coast should have been enough alone to get him a Division I football scholarship.

CB Jevon Jones, senior, SBHS - Also a track star, Jones developed into a solid cover corner this year.  He plans to both run track and play football next year in college.

CB Chris Barbato, senior, SES - Hurt off and on all year, Barbato’s season went far from planned.  His speed and ball instincts are great, and when healthy he was a playmaker for the Pirates.

FS Calvin Christian, senior, SBHS - Fast enough to be a CB, Calvin was around the ball all year.  He also claimed the middle of the field as his own with a few spectacular hits on receivers.

SS Larry Franklin, junior, VBHS - Franklin’s last few games were his best, but he was a key player for VBHS all year.  Nobody hit receivers harder this year, and he’ll be fun to watch in 2010.

KR/PR Joe Garafalo, junior, VBHS - Though he didn’t run any kicks or punts back for scores this year, he did a nice job all season.  He consistently got good yardage on his returns and showed reliable hands.

K Pat Baker, senior, VBHS - Baker was one of the three best kickers I saw all year—the other two are going on to play Division I football.  Baker showed he could make a 50-yard FG this year, and he consistently drove his kickoffs into or out of the end zone for touchbacks.

P Todd Fennell, junior, VBHS - He was the master of the coffin-corner punt.  Todd was an important part of Coach Gary Coggin’s gameplan, where field position is of ultra-importance.  Along with Baker, he gave VBHS a decided advantage in special teams play over every other team they played this year.

 
SPORTS BLOG: 11 VBHS Football Questions answered for the 12th man PDF Print E-mail
By Michael Bielecki - Nov. 4, 2009, 6:00pm

1) To the residents of Vero Beach and surrounding area, was that thud you heard last night Homecoming fireworks, or 40 years of hard core football tradition coming to an end?

Great question 12th man — let’s find out. I investigated, and as it turns out, VBHS did (*gasp*) practice this week! VBHS is 7-1 and has a playoff seat locked up going into the last game of the year. A loss at Palm Bay is possible, but it’s a game that means little to Coggin and the boys. If anything, it will be a good tool for the VBHS staff to learn how to deal with another great defense. Palm Bay has given up just over 9 points per game this year and has a 6-2 record.

 
SPORTS BLOG: Clash with the Titans PDF Print E-mail
By Michael Bielecki - Oct. 29, 2009, 11:24am

By Michael Bielecki

Friday night’s contest at the Citrus Bowl may be the the most physical game the people of Indian River County see all year. Treasure Coast High School comes to town boasting one of the best defenses, if not the best, in the state.

In spite of having major problems on offense, the Titans are 4-2 and undefeated in the district (2-0). Their two losses have been a 0-37 drubbing at the hands of powerhouse Mainland High School, and a 0-7 heartbreaker to an always-tough Palm Bay High School team.

Vero Beach is 7-0, and 3-0 in the district. Some people say they haven’t played anyone, but Coach Gary Coggin points to common opponents when asked about the game with Treasure Coast.

 
SPORTS SECTION BLOG: The Motor City Blues PDF Print E-mail
By Michael Bielecki - Oct. 15, 2009, 10:21am

As a kid from the suburbs, I never got it. Why did the people on TV make fun of Detroit?

The city was the coolest thing to me, because when I was there it was for something special. I would go there for Tiger games, for the occasional play with my parents, or for a random event like hydroplane racing. What was so bad about all of that? What was so special about the other cities in the 1980s that they had a right to clown us?

Cleveland? That city was so bad that they let Lake Erie catch on fire due to chemical pollution. The Browns always choked; the Indians were horrible, and the Cavaliers were hapless. And the Ohio State Buckeyes? Michigan owned them (I miss those days).

 
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