#12 OAK RIDGE PIONEERS (8-2) at #4 MANATEE HURRICANES (8-2)
When: Friday, November 13, 2015, 7:30 P.M.
Where: Hawkins Stadium, 902 33rd Street Court West, Bradenton, FL 34205
TV: BHSN (Channel 47 and HD 1147)
Coaches: OAK RIDGE- Tyrone Sapp (8-2, 1st Season) MANATEE- John Booth (20-4, 2nd Season)
How they match up:
Manatee’s quest for a sixth state championship begins Friday night in the Hurricanes’ playoff opener against Oak Ridge. The Class 8A District 6 champs have an incredibly balanced offense, averaging 215 passing yards and 191 rushing yards per game. Junior quarterback A.J. Colagiovanni has three talented receivers to throw to who have all topped 580 yards this season: senior Kavious’ Price (40 Rec, 738 Yds, 8 TD), junior Tarique Milton (32 Rec, 595 Yds, 8 TD), and senior Reggie Carter (37 Rec, 583 Yds, 3 TD). Senior running back Lorenz Allen (1108 Rush Yards, 14 TD) has done a remarkable job after switching from playing wide receiver after the Hurricanes lost Johnnie Lang and Octavius James from their backfield. Head coach John Booth also has a solid 3-4 defense that has stepped up since Manatee star linebacker Kwanzi Jackson withdrew from school after week two. Three-year starter Travon Rumph is an outstanding safety who is one of the few Hurricanes players to ever be a two-year captain. Manatee rides a seven-game winning streak into Friday's game.
Oak Ridge is in the playoffs for the third straight year after finishing as the Class 8A District 5 runner-up to Dr. Phillips. Head coach Tyrone Sapp has four of the top recruits in Central Florida on his side: senior linebacker Jonathan Jones, senior defensive backs Chris Tooley and Cycoby Burch, and senior Tyrek Tisdale, a jack-of-all trades on offense. Jones is a monster defender who has 29 offers. He has already taken an official visit to Notre Dame, and Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh recently came to see him play. Sapp’s secondary is as good as they come, with Tooley at cornerback (offers include Louisville and Toledo) and Burch at safety (offers include Syracuse, West Virginia, and USF). Tisdale is an explosive running back, receiver, and quarterback who is great in space and plays with an aggressive style.
Three Facts to know:
1. FINAL FOUR REGULARS- Manatee has rolled its way to the State Semis in five of the last six seasons. The Hurricanes lost to eventual state champion Apopka in the Class 8A Final Four last season after beating Fort Pierce Central, Vero Beach, and Dr. Phillips in the playoffs. They also made the State Final Four every season from 2009-2012.
2. PIONEERS OF THE ROAD- Oak Ridge is 5-0 on the road this season, with wins over Jones, Evans, Freedom, University, and Olympia. But the Pioneers only traveled a total of 50.7 miles for those five games. Their trip to Manatee is more than double that total distance at 116 miles.
3. PILLARS OF SUCCESS- Manatee takes pride in its Character Development program, which was started by assistant coach Dennis Stallard. Stallard based the program on the book “The Winner’s Manual”, which was written by former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel. One important aspect of the program are Manatee’s “Five Pillars of Success”: commitment, effort, toughness, discipline, and pride.