By STEVE JACKSON
The scores did not count. The statistics did not count. And that is just as well!
All five South Shore high school teams were looking forward to their first competitive football games of the 2025 football season last Friday evening. Lightning flashes and rain disrupted the five games, which were also scheduled in advance as practice games or exhibition games. Barring more storms this Friday night, all five South Shore teams will be ready to play for keeps in their first official clashes of the 2025 season.
Lennard High in Ruskin hosts the weak Pasco County Pirates from Dade City. Sumner High greets Bartram Trail High from St. Johns County. Riverview High takes on venerable Hillsborough High in the Sharks’ lair. The Spoto High Spartans welcome the Davenport High Broncos from Polk County in Spoto’s bid for its first win. The fifth game of the five South Shore openers pits the East Bay Indians on the road versus Strawberry Crest High in Dover.
To recap the South Shore “practices” from last Friday evening, Coach KB Belton’s Lennard squad started out like a house afire. Only lightning and rain slowed down or actually stopped the talented and powerful Longhorns. By the time the sky lit up with lightning, Lennard senior quarterback Jacob Mobley had tossed three TD passes. Lennard shot out to a 28-0 lead, but the game was called temporarily and, eventually, permanently.
The Horns were obviously superior to Freedom High. Coach Belton was disappointed that he did not have the chance to play several of the Lennard back-ups to create some depth.
Senior wide receiver London Green (a Western Carolina commit) started the offensive onslaught with a 15-yard TD catch from Mobley. Senior running back Ronnie Wilson snared two 50-yard passes from Mobley that both went for touchdowns. Senior running back Michael Merritt (2025 Region 4 100-Meter champion) took a handoff 45 yards to the end zone. The Longhorn defense was also firing on all cylinders with big plays from senior edge rusher Devin Barrnett (two sacks and a tackle for loss) and senior linebacker Jaiden Jones (one sack, three tackles for loss). Freedom was overwhelmed early.
In other games last Friday, new East Bay Coach DeAndra Simmons knows it is unofficial but is still delighted his Indians topped Durant 13-9. Riverview Coach Tony Rodriquez feels likewise as his Sharks shut out Pinellas Park High 19-0. Sumner High dueled Jesuit High but lost in a storm-delayed game at Sumner, 7-0, that, similar to all the other South Shore 5 games, carried no weight.