Bald Predictions – Spring Football Week One
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Spring time Bald Predictions?
No. That's unheard of.
Not anymore it's not.
Because football does not sleep in South Florida, we've decided to crank up the BP's for this feverish two-week period that is high school spring football.
I, like most of everyone else, really enjoy spring football. From the time the season ended in December and we raced to National Signing Day in February, all the football die-hards had to live off of were camps, combines and a couple of 7-on-7's.
Those offseason events are good and serve a purpose in the grand scheme of things, but give me real football – with the pads on, with the offensive and defensive lines on the field and under the stadium lights.
While this time of year gives us some real football, it should be kept in mind that it is still the spring. The regular season is still another three months away; plenty of things can – and will – change – for better or worse – and no one can win or lose a state championship in May.
What does happen is: the players get a chance to see if the ladder drills they've been videoing themselves doing actually help them during a game, the fans can get enough to chew on for the next few months – getting a small glimpse of what their favorite program could look like in the fall and coaches get game film to dissect so they can know which direction they need to go in before August gets here.
Everybody wins.
Plus, the added bonus – just about every college in the country with a football team has one or more assistant coaches here watching kids and handing out scholarship offers.
Because more and more teams are electing to go the intrasquad route when it comes to a spring game, the slate of games won't look as large. But there's still a nice variety pack of games and the competition level is sure to be high.
14 games picked this week with three games in the Bald Predictions Spotlight.
Dillard Panthers vs. Miramar Patriots
Wednesday at Miramar, 6pm
This is the perfect spring game. Two teams that have won big in the past and are trying to climb back into that elite class.
Both of these programs always have plenty of talented kids.
No matter how many kids leave Dillard – whether through graduation or transfer, the Panthers keep producing a competitive team year in and year out. This season is no different. Dillard's defensive line is slated to be one of the best South Florida has to offer.
6-foot-5, 260-pound defensive end Jonathan Ford has quickly become one of the hottest commodities in the state. He plays with power but is agile enough to rush the passer on a pretty consistent basis. On the other end of the Panthers' line is emerging football star Jordan Wright. Wright helped Dillard win a state basketball title this past season and now returns to the gridiron for his second year of high school football.
The question that needs to be answered for the Panthers this spring is where its offensive production is going to come from on a consistent basis.
Miramar is in a similar situation. The Patriots are entering year two under head coach Pierre Senatus and they too are a team with multiple difference makers on the defensive side of the ball.
The Patriots have to fill some holes on offense and see some new guys step up this spring and into the fall.
As far as the game goes: weather (rain) could play a factor and spring games tend to have a few exceptions in terms of how they are played – no live special teams, pre-game agreed upon terms of how long the starters will play – so it can be tricky to pick.
Still, I think I saw enough out of Dillard's offensive unit during the Austin 34 Referee Clinic Scrimmages to give them the edge.
I expect a lot of vanilla play-calling from both teams, but still a competitive game – that Dillard wins close.
Bald Prediction = Dillard wins 18-14
South Dade Buccaneers vs. Carol City Chiefs
Thursday at North Miami Stadium (FIU North), 6pm
Here's another game that I think is the perfect spring football matchup.
South Dade is a program that I hold in high esteem under the direction of Nate Hudson. The Buccaneers are another one of those squads that always seem to reload and have new players emerge regardless of who all left one way or another.
The Bucs will be relying heavily on linebacker Chei Hill and offensive line man Kyron Taylor. Both are state champion wrestlers and have the experience of helping South Dade win a Class 8A title three years ago.
Carol City has been one of the hottest teams this offseason. The Chiefs welcomed former Miramar head coach and West Virginia University assistant coach Damon Cogdell in as their new defensive coordinator.
Cogdell was the architect of Miramar's "Dark Side Defense" and now he's going to work his magic with Carol City.
For South Dade, spring should be about seeing who the new offensive playmakers are. Gone are the Bucs' stable of running backs – Ivan Smith and Jawon Hamilton – so they're going to need to find a new offensive bell cow.
Carol City's roster is loaded with talent. They had a handful of impact players transfer in to mix in with all the returning pieces already on the roster. It'll be interesting to see what strides quarterback Lorenzo Floyd has made since the conclusion of the 2015 season.
Floyd, who will be a sophomore in the fall, has to show that he can run the offense and get the ball in the hands of one of Carol City's many skill players.
I think the Chiefs offense will surprise some people. They have too many talented players – Nayquan Wright, Kevaughn Dingle, Caleb Thomas – not to be able to put up at least 20 points per game.
South Dade will fight hard and play physical, but I think the Chiefs have too much – even in the spring.
Bald Prediction = Carol City Wins 28-20
Killian Cougars vs. Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs
Thursday at Cardinal Gibbons, 6pm
A cross-county matchup between a pair of teams that are under the direction of new head coaches.
After watching Cardinal Gibbons during the Referee Clinic Scrimmages, I couldn't help but be impressed with the young and talented prospects on the Chiefs' roster. Matt DuBuc takes over for Mike Morrill, but DuBuc has been on Gibbons' staff for quite a while and he knows the program inside and out.
I sense a recurring theme here, but Killian is also another one of those programs that despite who leaves – the Cougars still trot out one of the more athletic teams in South Florida.
Javi Valdes enters as the new head coach and he's already putting his stamp on this team. Killian looked impressive at the Referee Clinic Scrimmages and they have one of Miami-Dade's top offensive linemen in Delone Scaife.
I can easily see this game being close throughout. Both teams have good size across its offensive lines, so it'll be a good test for each to see which group can find a rhythm and pave the way for its offense.
I think Cardinal Gibbons will be a team that surprises some people in 2016, but I also feel that way about Killian.
The Cougars pull out a close one.
Bald Prediction = Killian wins 21-20
Other Games
Fort Lauderdale vs. Calvary Christian = Fort Lauderdale wins by 13
Coral Reef vs. Miami Springs = Coral Reef wins by 7
Ferguson vs. Reagan = Reagan wins by 12
Coral Park vs. Sunset = Coral Park wins by 14
Archbishop McCarthy vs. Clewiston = Archbishop McCarthy wins by 10
Delray Beach Atlantic vs. Northwestern = Northwestern wins by 4
South Miami vs. Hialeah Gardens = South Miami wins by 16
Palmetto vs. Varela = Palmetto wins by 14
West Broward vs. Dr. Krop = West Broward wins by 6
Edison vs. Naples Golden Gate = Edison wins by 7
Pompano Beach vs. Boca Raton Pope John Paul = Pope John Paul wins by 12
Cooper City vs. Monarch = Cooper City wins by 21
