Commentary

Plant Panthers vs. Manatee Hurricanes

Updated: August 27, 2010, 11:31 AM ET
By Corey Long | ESPN Recruiting

Two of the nation's best high school football teams meet when the Tampa (Fla.) Plant Panthers play the Manatee (Fla.) Hurricanes on Friday night. The game, airing on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET, is part of the ESPN RISE High School kickoff, a series of eight games over three days televised on ESPN's family of networks.

PLANT PANTHERS

Coach: Robert Weiner
Record: First game (Last year, 13-1)
Team overview: Heading into his seventh season, Weiner has already won three state championship (2006, 2008, 2009) and established himself as one of the best high school coaches in Florida. Before Weiner's arrival Plant's last era of football prowess was in the late 1970s.
Prospect history: In recent years Plant has been known for its quarterbacks. Robert Marve was Mr. Florida Football in 2006 and committed to Miami, where he started for much of the 2008 season before leaving the program and transferring to Purdue. He was named the starter at Purdue last month. Marve broke several state records in 2006, including touchdown passes in a season. Following Marve was Aaron Murray, who broke Marve's record for touchdown passes in a season during his junior year in 2007. Murray returned from a severe leg injury to win a state championship for Plant in 2008. He committed to Georgia at the start of his senior season and will start for the Bulldogs this year. Several other players from those teams have made their way into FBS programs, including offensive lineman Rhonne Sanderson (Florida State), wide receivers Derek Winter (Auburn) and Allen Sampson (Hawaii) and running back Lovell Jackson (Wake Forest). Plant alum Mike Williams was an All-America wide receiver at USC and was drafted in the first round by the Detroit Lions. Unable to stick in the Lions organizations, Williams is trying to get his career back on track in Seattle under his old college coach Pete Carroll.
Top prospects: Despite being the No. 2 athlete in the country and having big upside as linebacker, James Wilder wants to be a running back at the next level. In high school the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder will play both ways. He rushed for a touchdown against Manatee in the Class 5A state championship game that was heavily replayed. Last week Wilder committed to Florida State, choosing the Seminoles over Florida and Georgia. Quarterback Phillip Ely (6-1, 192 pounds) is 26-0 as a starter in varsity and JV competition at Plant. A tireless worker, Ely doesn't have the strongest arm on the block but he's accurate and understands all elements of the offense. With more than 20 offers, Ely surprised many by choosing Alabama over LSU, Clemson and Wake Forest. Offensive lineman Tony Posada (6-4, 325 pounds) is the leader up front and will set the tone for the type of aggressive blocking that is expected from Plant linemen. Once Posada engages an opponent, it's tough for the player to get away before being sent to the ground. Posada committed to Michigan over offers from South Florida and Missouri.
New face: Junior wide receiver Austin Aikens (6-0, 175 pounds) transferred to Plant from nearby Tampa Catholic and showed some nice skills during the Nike 7On tournament. With Plant graduating most of its receivers from the 2009 championship team, Aikens will have plenty of opportunities to become Ely's favorite target.
Keep an eye on: Defensive back Eric Patterson turned some heads during the spring when he neutralized wide receiver Andre Davis (Tampa, Fla./Jefferson) despite giving up four inches. The 5-9, 190-pounder is working on consistency issues but it's likely he's going to sign with an FBS school in February.
Other prospects: Wide receiver Tyrell Mills is going to be another one of Ely's primary targets in 2010. At 6-3, 190 pounds, the rising junior is a big target and will be a dangerous threat inside the red zone this season. Running back Antonio Crawford (5-10, 185) put on some muscle during the offseason and will be in the backfield every down this fall -- sometimes in tandem with Wilder. Like most Plant running backs, Crawford, a junior, is going to have to be able to run out of the shotgun and be a factor in the passing game.
Bet you didn't know: Plant's most notable alumnus is Hall of Fame third baseman Wade Boggs, a 1976 graduate.

VS.


MANATEE HURRICANES

Coach: Joe Kinnan
Record: First game (Last year, 13-2)
Team overview: During his two stints at Manatee (1981-2000; 2005-present), Kinnan has a record of 240-67 and was honored by the Florida State High School Athletic Association as one of its top coaches of the 20th century. The Hurricanes have won four state championships under Kinnan (1983, 1985, 1989 and 1992) and were state finalists in 1993 and 2009.
Prospect history: Probably the most decorated and beloved former member of the football program was quarterback Tommie Frazier. The 1992 Manatee graduate won two national titles at Nebraska, was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 1995 and was MVP of both bowl games that determined the national championships. Defensive back Tyrone Williams, another former Cornhusker, played nine seasons in the NFL with the Packers, Falcons and Cowboys. He was a starter for the Packers in Super Bowl XXXI. Williams joins Alvoid Mays (Redskins), Bill Anderson (Packers) and Henry Lawrence (Raiders) as former Hurricanes with Super Bowl rings. Lawrence started for all three of the Raiders' Super Bowl-winning teams. More recently, two members of last season's state runner-up team -- quarterback Brion Carnes (Nebraska) and wide receiver Tracy "Ace" Sanders (South Carolina) -- are battling on the depth charts for playing time as true freshmen.
Top prospects: Four-star running back Mike Blakely is heading into his fourth year as a major contributor in the Hurricanes' offense. The 5-foot-9, 190-pounder's career began as a backup quarterback to Carnes and a return specialist. Since then Blakely has been used everywhere he can touch the ball but is most comfortable as a running back who can also beat you in the passing game. Blakely has more than three dozen offers from major FBS programs but has Auburn and Florida tied at the top. Wide receiver Quenton Bundrage is often left off the list of top Florida wide receivers but the 6-foot, 180-pounder quietly racked up strong numbers in his first two years as a starter with the anticipation of having a breakthrough year in 2010. So far, Cincinnati is high on his list with offers from Iowa State, Marshall and Colorado State in his possession as well.
New face: It's rare for Kinnan to rave about an underclassman but he believes big things are in store for sophomore quarterback Cord Sandberg. As the son of an assistant coach, Sandberg has been around the program for many years and showed a lot of his promise by throwing five touchdown passes in the Hurricanes' spring game.
Keep an eye on: Defensive lineman Quinton Pompey (6-2, 250 pounds) is the most talented senior on a defense that is loaded with prospects. He has to work on his consistency to draw the attention of the big schools but the talent is there, as evidenced by his double-digit sack season a year ago.
Other prospects: The rest of Manatee's defensive line isn't too shabby. Defensive tackle Drakkar Wilson (5-10, 290 pounds) is a little undersized for the big programs, but he's the team's emotional leader on defense and a reliable battler on the interior. Defensive end Chris Pompey (6-3, 200 pounds) is going to continue to wreck havoc as a pure pass rusher. On the offensive line one guy to watch is senior Prince Matt (6-4, 260 pounds), who is moving to tackle from tight end. Matt is pretty raw but he is taking well to coaching and has good athleticism for the position. The Hurricanes have two underclassmen on their defense who should get plenty of attention come Sept. 1. Linebacker Darius White (6-1, 200 pounds) and safety Clinton Heaven (6-0, 178 pounds) are coming off strong sophomore seasons and have impressed during offseason camps.
Bet you didn't know: Manatee High School is in its 114th year of operations and claims alumni in all 50 states and more than 20 countries.

Corey Long

Reporter, RecruitingNation
  • Covers recruiting in the Southeast
  • Joined ESPN in 2009

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