BMAC’S OPINION PIECE: The young Palm Harbor Hurricanes — with some strong upperclassmen leadership — are getting it done so far in 2022. But the season’s about one-third old.
There were way more questions coming into 2022 than coming into 2021. And so far, this unique and apparently fired-up group has held up.
PHU’s three-point, season-opening loss to Seminole Osceola was to a current 3-0 Warriors team who has beaten its past two opponents (Dunedin and Tarpon Springs) by a combined score of 85-11.
And since that fourth quarter, kneel down affair vs. Seminoles Osceola? This young ‘Canes team has made mistakes — as would be expected for a younger team — but has still found a way to win games. That’s a key sign that PHU’s building something special. But they’re not world-beaters just yet. Check back around Thanksgiving to answer that question. There’s much to learn, and the coaching staff knows it.
Can you imagine what could happen when this team begins to truly find itself? It’s up to them, and there’s time.
SEASON PREVIEW: Palm Harbor Football 2022
So this week, PHU heads 15 minutes up the road to Tarpon Springs — a natural, regional rival, as head coach Mike Mullaney refers to it. The Spongers have played football since 1925, nearly 100 years. PHU has played since the late 1990s. That obviously means nothing this week … but two weeks ago PHU knocked off the oldest football-playing school in Pinellas County: St. Pete High (1915). Now it plays the third-oldest up at Tarpon Springs (second-oldest is Clearwater HS, 1922 — not on the sked).
Wouldn’t it be a nice bonus to knock off two of the three oldest football-playing schools in Pinellas?
When it comes to individuals …
Junior LB/RB Gunner Fodor has been beyond outstanding through three games, and arguably more critical to this year’s team than his teammate and talented buddy Luke Yoder was to last year’s team. Fodor has rushed for 247 yards in three games, with clutch first downs left and right — and it is obvious the coaching staff is trying not to wear him out on offense so he can do what he does most naturally: Captain the defense (27 tackles so far).
Sophomore QB Will Seibert has shown composure under center after showing composure starting in the secondary last year as a freshman. Seibert even got nicked up in week one and still has powered the attack — mostly on the ground. He’s made clutch plays, and there has been some improvement in the passing attack over the past few weeks.
Junior Walker Danneman continues to show that he’s the top lineman prospect on this team. Nobody in football is more important than a hard-nosed, contributing lineman — on both sides. He’s doing that well. If Walker gets even more gnarly with the opponents than he already is, football won’t end in the next few years unless he wants it to. And that’s coming from somebody (me) who has covered CFB recruiting nationally. Keep grinding, young man. This could get very interesting for you. And your team needs you. Be mean.
Freshman Alex Malyszko has proven to be as critical to this team as his brother Erik (now a USF walk-on) was as a jack-of-all-trades last year. The younger brother is second on the team in tackles, and plays like his brother on offense when asked — unselfishly. His future is bright, and he’s an example of what’s coming through the program at the younger level.
Juniors Mykehl Boebert, Logan Givens, Matt Gunn, Alex Schmid, Zavion Roberts, Jason Ice, Hunter Hewitt, sophomores Brady Messick, Cortland Stricker, Zach Horner … I could go on and on and on about young men contributing already. Can you keep it up?
And most importantly, this is happening because of the leadership and grace of a small group of seniors who are contributing greatly: Drayton German (the defensive playmaker), Mason Kryk (the sparkplug of the offense and return team), Isaac Jeffre (the WR to watch who WILL make a game-winning play this year — my prediction), Ken Quach (the grizzled vet on the O-line not looking for glory), John McGlinchey (the bowling-ball like defensive playmaker), etc.
These seniors weren’t handed their final season on a silver platter, but they’re still here grinding. They aren’t pouting about being surrounded by younger players … they’re helping to pave the way in the PHU program for the younger group, and so far it appears they aren’t cool with just being a transitional class — they’re ready now.
It’s September, right? The season is nowhere near done. There’s no question, PHU, you have games ahead of you where you can win, and there are games you won’t be expected to win. Things get tougher in October going forward, just like last year after a 3-1 start. Life’s full of challenges. But it’s up to you how it unfolds.
I’m 100 percent sure your coaches have made you aware of the above, and they’re spot on. But you’ve scrapped well so far. And obviously — there’s no reason at this point for a young PHU team to take anybody as a gimme win. Those wins don’t exist. You have to get ticked off and approach each one that way.
This has all been said before: So many programs have to go outside in the offseason their school zone to fill their holes. PHU so far has found success filling its holes with seniors willing to execute on the field on both sides of the ball, and underclassmen who have proven strong enough to do the same and do it early.
It hasn’t been a perfect beginning. But it has been beyond expectations in terms of having players go both ways after losing key players to graduation and other situations in the offseason.
If you want to know more about how you can build the best team/era in PHU’s 25-season history? Just ask Coach Mullaney and Coach Lepain — they were here for that success at PHU about a decade ago, and they know what it takes. Their teams won 15 games combined in 2011-12 and made the playoffs both seasons in a row when 2022’s current players were little guys.
The truth is? This isn’t a one-night, one-season or four-season story for PHU.
TWO STRAIGHT WINS: Palm Harbor wins again, three points away from 3-0
THE GAME PREVIEW
THE RECORDS: Tarpon is 1-2, PHU is 2-1 and on a two-game win streak.
COMMON OPPONENTS:
ST. PETE HIGH: TS lost to 48-12, PHU won 27-6
OSCEOLA: TS lost to 35-8, PHU lost 23-20
TARPON’S TOP PLAYERS:
Sr. Jacob Korfias (5 TFLs, 11 tackles); Jr./RB Parkees Harris (417 yards rushing, 3 TDs); Fr. Jaylan Embry (27 tackles to lead team — a top WR, 1 TD reception);
ALL-TIME SERIES:
First played in 2003, last played in 2016
PHU has 6 wins, TS has 6 wins — TIED 6-6 ALL-TIME
NOTES: PHU won the last 3 times these schools played: 2016, 2015, 2012. Last PHU loss was 2011 (score 37-31).
