Well after watching the game via the link, heres my thoughts...
I was very impressed by Manatee, they looked in midseason form and executed well on both sides of the ball, ST could use a little work though.
Offensively I was very impressed by the QB Colagiovanni, he was accurate and made good decisions and has that added dimension of mobility to his game, I imagine his height (listed as 5'10", maybe less in reality) costs him a lot of offers he might otherwise get. The WR core is deep with 4 guys who are very athletic and sure handed. The RB was also impressive, big physical dude who is very athletic for his size. The OL is a little undersized and has room for improvement, especially in pass protection but the QBs quick release helps alleviate that.
Defensively they are very young returning only 2 starters from last year yet still performed well. They bent a lot but rarely broke and routinely stepped up when they needed to most. The DL consistently got pressure on Armwood's QB all night and the back 7 was solid vs a loaded Armwood receiving core. To think that they had only 2 returning starters is crazy and with the inexperience they should only get better and better as the season goes on.
I was not high on Manatee coming into this season but after watching them vs an elite opponent I change my mind. They don't have any blue chip studs like those past Kinnan teams and not even that many FBS offered guys for that matter, but what they do have is a lot of really good FCS/D2/D3 level hsfb players all over the field, in addition a lot of their players are young so they should continue to improve throughout the season.
I wasn't expecting much from them before but now I definitely believe they will be a player in 8A north
As for Armwood all I can say is sloppy! sloppy! sloppy! While Manatee looked sharp and in midseason form, Armwood was obvious they were playing their first game of the season.
Penalties absolutely killed them, too many to count. They showed their explosive potential offensively and were able to move the ball but drives always ended up getting killed by penalties or mistakes like bad snaps. The QB Black was a bright spot for them, very impressive. Was under duress the whole game yet was very elusive and only sacked once or twice I think, consistently made plays with both his legs and arm while under pressure. The OL is big but not terribly athletic, penalties aside they were the root of Armwood's failure to find a rhythm offensively
Defensively penalties were a problem as well, and there were too many busted coverages including one that resulted in Manatee's first TD (granted Im pretty sure they were playing without a USF committed safety who was out with an injury)
Sloppy game overall however its the first game and was still a close game to a good opponent despite all the self inflicted issues. They will improve as the season goes on and come playoff time they should roll through 6A north towards Miami Central again.
Armwood is a very good football team. They will be tough to beat this year once they clean some things up offensively and on special teams. The junior QB they have is going to be a great player, but I think they should commit to pounding the rock. They have a giant offensive line and two D1 RBs. That should be their calling card.
I think the story in this game is how well Manatee played up front. They are smaller than usual on the offensive line, but those kids are strong and athletic. They opened up lanes for Josh Booker, a junior RB, who is a 215lb bruiser at RB for the Canes. Plenty of weapons on the outside for Manatee as well. Should be a fun season for the Hurricanes. The sky is the limit.
According (and courtesy) to Campus Insiders. he is expected to make his decision on 8/24. Ohio State is apparently the likely choice - for what it's worth. Wherever he goes, some team will have themselves a damn good WR for the next couple years.
jgking83 got a reaction from james ricks in Manatee 14 Armwood 13 half