By STEVE JACKSON
The high school football season opens under the lights this Friday night, Aug. 16. Three of the five South Shore grid squads play their first games this week, while two others open the 2024 campaign next Friday, Aug. 23.
The Observer News print and digital newspaper has been covering the five high schools in the southeast corner of Hillsborough County exclusively for years. Articles and photos appear on a weekly basis during the high school regular season and, of course, post-season games involving any of the five teams.
The five high schools covered by this newspaper include Lennard High in Ruskin, East Bay High in Gibsonton, Riverview High in Riverview, Spoto High in Riverview and Sumner High in Riverview. Complete 2024 schedules were posted in last week’s print newspaper as well as on the permanent digital site at ObserverNews.net/. Overall, the five squads posted a 31-24 record in regular season and playoffs last year. The top mark was 11-2 posted by Sumner. East Bay won eight and lost three in 2023. Riverview was 7-4. Lennard had a 3-7 mark. Spoto registered two wins and eight losses.
Lennard High opens its season at Ruskin under Head Coach KB Belton. The Longhorns are designated in 6A District 11.
Their opponent is a weak Freedom High team from Tampa, which brings a 4A District 8 squad that was 0-10 last season to Ruskin for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. On Aug. 23, Lennard hits the road to Dade City to take on Pasco High, which was 2-8 last season. Another road game follows for Lennard on Aug. 30 at Spoto High, a 2-8 team last season. The Longhorns return home Sept. 6 to battle Blake High of Tampa, which posted a 7-4 mark last year.
The East Bay Indians also kickoff the 2024 season Aug. 16. Coach Mike Gottman takes his squad to his former place of head coaching at Durant High on the outskirts of Plant City. Coach Gottman has had three years of winning seasons for East Bay since taking over for ex-coach Frank LaRosa in 2021. The Indians are coming off of an 8-3 record from 2023. Following the tough opener with Durant, which went 9-3 in regular and post season playoffs last year, East Bay hosts its first home game with Strawberry Crest, Aug.23. A couple of road games for the Indians at Hillsborough High on Aug. 30 and at Newsome, Sept. 6, precede an East Bay home game on Big Bend Road with the Bloomingdale Bulls Sept.13. The Indians play in 5A District 8. Coach Gottman’s record at East Bay was 8-3 in 2023, 10-2 in 2022, and 8-3 in 2021.
The Riverview Sharks, under Head Coach Tony Rodriquez, went a surprising 7-4 last season. The Sharks will be hard pressed to match or better this record in Coach Rodriquez’s third season at Riverview. Riverview jumps into action this Friday versus Pinellas Park High in Largo at 7:30 p.m. Two more away games face Riverview: a visit to Tampa for an Aug.23 clash with Hillsborough High and then a trip to play Sarasota High on Aug. 30. The Sharks come back to host Middleton High in Riverview on Sept. 6. Riverview plays in 6A District 7. In addition to the Sharks 7-4 mark last season, Coach Rodriquez was 5-5 in 2022.
Up slightly to the north of East Bay is Spoto High. Playing under veteran Head Coach Keith Chattin, the Spoto Spartans open next week, Aug. 23, at Davenport, a team that went 5-5 last season. After going 4-6 in 2022 and then 2-8 last year, the Spartans are hoping for improvement record wise this season with Coach Chattin. Following the away opener at Davenport High, Spoto hosts Lennard, Aug. 30, and then Plant City, Sept. 6. The Spartans are in the same classification as East Bay, 5A District 8.
The newest high school in the South Shore is Sumner High, which had a remarkable 11-2 record last season under former Head Coach Alonzo Ashwood, including a tough 20-14 loss in the post season to Plant High of Tampa. With new Head Coach George Selvie at the helm, the Stingrays will have a tough route getting back to the post season in 7A District 7 as they also graduated exceptional quarterback Greg Smith and lost several other top players.
Sumner opens away next week, Aug. 23, at 7 p.m. with perennial powerhouse Bartram Trail High in St. Johns. Home opener for Sumner is Aug. 30 at 7:30 p.m. versus Armwood High. Ironically, Sumner has no opponents from the four other South Shore football teams this season on the regular schedule.
