At Inverness

Countryside 28, Citrus 20

Spring game-breakers: Countryside ran the ball efficiently and displayed a solid passing game, while playing physical defense. The Cougars forced three fumbles, converting two into touchdowns. …Countryside quarterback Trent Chmelik had three touchdown passes and ran for a score. Trailing 13-7 after quarterback Desmond Franklin ran right through the  Cougars’ defense for a 65-yard touchdown gallop in the second  quarter, Countryside reeled off 21 unanswered points to take a 28-13 lead in the third quarter. In that span, Chmelik hit an open Chris  Ryan (two TD receptions) for an 18-yard touchdown strike off a rollout. Just before the half, Chmelik connected with a leaping  Slyvester Kimbrough for an 8-yard touchdown. Both of the  touchdowns before the half were set up by Citrus fumbles. …The Cougars were exposed in the passing game at times, as Citrus receiver Sam Franklin had four receptions for 131 yards and a 30-yard  touchdown catch.

Did you know? Pinellas Park coach Kenny Crawford made the trip from Pinellas County to watch his rival play.

Audible 1: “A lot of the guys I expected to make plays did. I’m proud of the kids for playing hard and physical. The quarterback did a good job finding open receivers, and the receivers did a good job competing for the ball in the air, and the backs ran hard and physical.” — Eric Schmitz, first-year Countryside coach 

Audible 2:“We showed what we could do with a lot of guys out.” — Chmelik

At Hawthorne

Admiral Farragut Academy 51, Hawthorne 8

Spring game-breakers: The Blue Jackets showed off a balanced offense, racking up more than 550 yards of offense in the rout. Donnie Crum, a freshman, had his first significant playing time at tailback and rushed for 210 yards and scored twice. Crum also had runs of 60 and 70 yards called back on penalties. …Ivan Clare and Dalton Collins alternated at quarterback, and combined for three touchdown passes. Collins also had 80 yards rushing. …Izzy Wood rushed for two scores and also picked off a pass.

Did you know? This was the first spring game for second-year coach Ryan Hearn, who was hired in June of last year.

Audible:“I’m super excited with how we played. Hawthorne had some great athletes, and we did what we wanted on offense and kind of wore them down a little bit. We had some great performances from our skill guys on both sides of the ball, and our young offensive line grew up a little bit.” — Hearn 

At Sarasota

Northside Christian 31, Sarasota Out-of-Door 14

Spring game-breakers: The Mustangs relied on a power running game  to wear down host Out-of-Door. Kamen Wilmington, a standout wrestler, did the bulk of the running and had three touchdowns, including runs of 20 and 17 yards that broke open a close game. Fiante Bell also scored on a 26-yard run for the Mustangs. …Northside got off to strong start, jumping out to a 12-0 lead. Ahead 12-7 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Mustangs scored twice within a three-minute span to go up 24-7.

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FORT MYERS — One run.

That was East Lake’s game plan against Kissimmee Osceola in Friday night’s Class 7A state semifinal. Find a way to get one run.

It took 13 innings, but the Eagles finally got that run and used the strong pitching of Brad Deppermann and Steven Plaskett to defeat the Kowboys 1-0 at JetBlue Park. East Lake (24-7) faces Hialeah American tonight at 7:30 for the state title.

“Long night,” centerfielder Sawyer Wirth said. “At the beginning of the game we told ourselves we need to get at least one run and let our pitchers take over.”

Wirth led off the 13th  inning with a walk. One out later, Nick DeSantis singled to right-center, moving Wirth to third base. Ian Lisle then lined out to rightfield, but the ball was hit far enough to allow Wirth to tag and score the game’s only run.

“I was just looking for a pitch I could drive,” Lisle said. “When I hit it I knew it was far enough. I’m just glad Sawyer crossed the plate.”

The way Deppermann and Plaskett pitched, one run would be enough. Deppermann pitched 8.1 innings and allowed only three hits while striking out 11. He had no walks. After he gave up his third hit in the ninth inning, Plaskett came on in relief.

Plaskett was unhittable. He had seven strikeouts in 4.2 innings and struck out the side in the 13th inning to clinch the victory.

“It was like having Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens out there,” East Lake coach Dan Genna said. “Those guys are so good. We figured if we could get one run, certainly two, we should win this game.”

The 13 innings played ties an Florida High School Athletic Association  state championship series record for the longest game played. It is also the fourth extra -innings game played by East Lake since the district tournament semifinals. 

The Eagles had several chances to avoid extra innings.

They left runners in scoring position in six innings. The best chance to score came in the fifth. Andrew Monahan led off with a double and reached third on a sacrifice bunt by pinch hitter Tyler Gardner. East Lake then tried a suicide squeeze on a 3-1 count to Christian James, but James didn’t make contact and Monahan was tagged out. One pitch later, James struck out looking to end the inning.

“We’re thinking at that point we just need to get one run,” Genna said. “We’ve been pretty good on squeezes this year so I figured it was worth a try.”

The Eagles managed to load the bases with two outs in the sixth inning, but Osceola starter Jake Grenus got Cameron Churchill to fly out to second to end the threat. East Lake also left runners in scoring position in the sixth, eighth and ninth innings.

Osceola (25-7) left runners on second and third in the fourth inning, when it got two straight hits off Deppermannn. After that, the Kowboys had only one runner reach second.

This will be the second time East Lake has played in a state championship game. It lost to Lynn Haven Mosley in the 2002 final. Genna said either Ryan Wall or Churchill will get the start against American, which beat Tallahassee Chiles 7-1 in its semifinal game.

At Brooksville

Tavares 35, Central 22

Spring game-breakers: After an opening drive in which they lost 7 yards on offense, Central began to show some of the signs of life that new coach Chris Sands was hoping for. Although the numbers weren’t eye-popping, Bears quarterback Cody Brooks had some time in the pocket (10-of-31, 187 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions) and did well when he scrambled (17 carries, 104 yards, one touchdown). …RB Da’Vonte Bates (nine carries, 52 yards, two catches, 3 yards), ATH Breon Wyatt (two catches, 58 yards, one touchdown) and WR/DB Emmanuel Scott (three catches, 61 yards, one touchdown) showed some speed to open up holes for the Bears, and Wyatt and Scott did the job defensively when each picked off Tavares quarterbacks in the first half. …Defensively, Central started well, but missed many tackles in the second half. The Bulldogs racked up 318 yards on the ground, including four-touchdown effort from RB Ezekiel Thomas (11 carries, 138 yards). …The unit did have a clutch goal-line stand in the fourth quarter, led by linebackers Chris Hernandez and John Templar. Templar also blocked an extra-point attempt in the first quarter.

Did you know? Sands is surrounded by an experienced coaching staff. Defensive coordinator Mykel Benson was Sands’ roommate at Florida A&M, and is currently a fullback for the San Antonio Talons in the Arena Football League. Benson actually had to leave immediately following Central’s game Friday night because the Talons have a game at home against the New Orleans Voodoo.  …Associate head coach Jeff Woods has experience at a number of big college programs, on staff at Southern Methodist, Florida State, Georgia Tech and FAMU. Woods will serve as the team’s strength and conditioning coach in addition to being Sands’ right-hand man.

Audible 1:“Once we get our timing right and everything, we’re going to be scoring touchdowns and winning games. Everybody has come together more this year than they have in past years, and that’s going to help us on the field.” — Brooks

Audible 2: “The first thing people told me about (Cody Brooks) was that he was injury prone. I like to make those kinds of judgments for myself, and Cody is a tough kid.” — Sands

Each week, our HomeTeam staffers nominate Hot Shot athletes from each of the counties we cover (only males this week; all female sports are done for the school year). Then we turn the voting over to readers. These nominations span Saturday, May 10 through Friday, May 16. The winners get a T-shirt and bragging rights over every other school in the area. Read up on all of our nominees, then vote until noon Monday.

Male nominees

David Castillo, Sunlake baseball: In the Class 5A region final against Citra North Marion, the senior scored the tying run to send the game to extra innings. He also was strong on the mound, striking out nine in eight innings as the Seahawks won 6-3 to advance to their first state final four.  

Steven Plaskett, East Lake baseball: The junior came on in relief in Friday’s marathon Class 7A state semifinal against Kissimmee Osceola, pitching 4.2 innings. He struck out seven, including the side in the final inning, to preserve the Eagles’ 1-0 victory. 

Michael Sandborn, Jesuit baseball: The sophomore left-hander led Jesuit to its fifth straight state final four, giving up just two hits in seven innings pitched in a 1-0 win against Cape Coral. Sandborn, one of six JV players called up to play varsity in March, also earned the win in Jesuit’s district final victory against Robinson. 

Conrado Skepple, Bloomingdale baseball: The junior rightfielder hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift Bloomingdale to a 1-0 win against Park Vista in Friday’s Class 8A state semifinal. Skepple, who owns a team-leading .381 batting average, also scored the tying run in the Bulls’ 5-3 region semifinal win against Plant — a team they had lost to three times before this season — in extra innings. 

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FORT MYERS — Perhaps riding the momentum on which it had been cruising throughout the postseason, Bloomingdale got off to a good start in Saturday’s Class 8A state championship game against Homestead South Dade. 

For a team that has struggled getting hits and pushing runs across, a Doug Sandberg leadoff hit followed by a Logan Crouse RBI single was just what the Bulls wanted to see in the first inning of the biggest game in high school baseball. 

“When Doug got a hit, I thought this game was ours,” senior catcher Jamie Calloway said. “I thought we’d catch the momentum.”

They’d been riding it ever since a come-from-behind win against Riverview in the region quarterfinals, and the extra-innings victory against a Plant team, that on paper, should have won handily. 

But in the second inning at JetBlue Park, it stopped.

South Dade scored three unanswered runs and the Bulls’ incapability of getting timely hitting returned. Bloomingdale lost to the Bucs 3-1.

“We were confident that we were going to be able to get the big hit when we needed it, because we’d been doing it game after game,” said Sandberg, who went 1-for-3 with one run scored. “Everybody had to be confident. Everybody had to know what they were doing. We just got ahead of ourselves.”

After pitching ace Logan Crouse in Friday’s 1-0 state semifinal win against Lake Worth Park Vista, Bloomingdale coach Kris Wilken went with junior right-hander Daylon Owens on Saturday Owens threw 4 2/3 innings, giving up seven hits and striking out one, and looked sharp through most of his outing.

But in the fifth frame, South Dade — which scored the tying run in the second inning on an Alek Manoah RBI single — had a pair of hits to put runners on the corners before scoring the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. The Bucs scored again moments later on a Gabe Cruz RBI single.

Down by two runs with time running out, the Bulls desperately tried to get back their prized momentum. Tommy McLaughlin came in for Owens in the fifth, and Calloway ended a rough inning for the Bulls by making a diving catch for a popup, tumbling into the South Dade dugout as he came down with it.

“That ball that went up in the air, I just wanted to get my heart out and get it, whatever it took, maybe just to fire us up, get some momentum back for us,” Calloway said. “I thought it did there at first.”

Bloomingdale (21-10) responded in the top of the next frame. Conrado Skepple — who came through just a day before with a walk-off single in the eighth inning to send his Bulls to their first ever state championship game — drew a walk. Crouse did, too.

Austin James followed with a two-out single, but Skepple was caught off base rounding third, and the runners were stranded. It went quickly after that, with South Dade (24-7) and Bloomingdale each going three up, three down to end the game.

Despite barely missing the end goal, it was a season full of unexpected triumphs for the Bulls. The most integral ingredient, though, was no surprise to Wilken.

“We’ve had some extremely talented teams — more talented than this one — but you can’t replace team (chemistry). You cannot replace it. And that’s what these guys rode on,” Wilken said of the Bulls’ improbable postseason run. “I’ll take this team over any talented team I’ve ever had. No doubt, just because of their guts and their chemistry.”

Kelly Parsons can be reached at kaparsons@tampabay.com or on Twitter @_kellyparsons.

State semifinal
Class 5A: Jesuit vs. Sunlake, 4 p.m.
When/where: Wednesday; JetBlue Park, Fort Myers
Admission: $9 per day; parking is $8.
TV: Finals, BHSN

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FORT MYERS — Throughout its run to the Class 7A state final, East Lake managed to get timely base hits and avoid big innings. That pattern ended Saturday night against Hialeah American.

East Lake gave up four fourth-inning runs and could not dig out of the hole in an eventual 5-2 loss at JetBlue Park. This was the second time East Lake has finished second in the state tournament; it also happened in 2002. This is American’s first state championship in baseball.

“The fourth inning got away from us a little bit,” East Lake coach Dan Genna said. “(Starting pitcher) Ryan (Wall) went through the order no problem the first time around and then he gave up some hits. In high school baseball, 80 percent of the time the team with that big inning is going to win it.”

Wall cruised through the first three innings but things fell apart in the fourth. East Lake looked like it might avoid trouble when Keegan Maronpot threw out Kevin Williams at third base for the inning’s first out. Willliams reached second on a misplayed line drive to rightfield. But after an Eric Gonzalez stolen base, Romy Gonzalez doubled to leftfield for the game’s first run. It was also the first hit of the game for the Patriots.

Steven Alvarez then singled in Romy Gonzalez to make it 2-0. One out and one walk later, Jake Norman doubled off the leftfield wall to make it 4-0. Wall was pulled and Riley Choate came in to get the final out.

Wall pitched 3.2 innings and allowed three hits and four runs.

“After we got that first out (in the fourth) I thought we had a chance to get out of it,” Maronpot said. “I always think we have a chance. We’re that kind of team.”

American (28-6) tacked on to its lead in the fifth inning. Romy Gonzalez got a two-out single off reliever Cameron Churchill that drove in Edison Cabrera to make it 5-0.

East Lake (22-10) made some noise in the sixth and seventh innings. Christian James and Brad Deppermann were both hit by pitches in the sixth, which put runners on first and second with one out. Ian Lisle, who had three hits, singled past second base to score James. Deppermann then scored on a wild pitch by Alex Blanco to make it 5-2.

Blanco was removed after striking out Maronpot for the second out. Andy Figueroa relieved, and his first pitch to Nick DeSantis was popped to first base to end the inning.

In the seventh, Sawyer Wirth led off with a walk. One out later, Churchill singled up the middle to put runners on first and second. But Christian James struck out for the second out and Andrew Prozzillo flew out to second base to end the game.

“I honestly thought we had a chance to come back,” Lisle said. “We’ve done it all year. But things just didn’t fall in place for us.”

During its run to the final, East Lake played four extra-inning games, including 13 innings Friday night in the semifinal against Kissimmee Osceola. Genna said he was hoping his team had one last comeback in it.

“We’ve been through so many of these battles this season,” Genna said. “They fought, which is what they know how to do. I was actually hoping it would go extra innings. We’re 5-0 in extra innings this season. But, hey, one more hit our way and it’s a different game.”

Rodney Page can be reached at page@tampabay.com or on Twitter @RodneyHomeTeam.

New Boca Ciega coach Max Smith inherited a team that was 3-7 last season and low on confidence. Not only that, but two of the Pirates’ top players, Saivion Smith and Sekendric Biddines, transferred to Lakewood. 

Since taking the job in February, Smith has tried to build his team’s confidence and recruit new players from the student body. He said he has seen a good attitude during spring practices and some talent. 

Smith convinced basketball player Raeshon Dunbar to try football. At 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, Dunbar will play tight end and defensive end in the Friday’s spring game against DeSoto County. A sophomore, Dunbar has the size to be a threat. 

Senior Kenyatta Anderson and sophomore Wayne Watson are two players Smith pointed out during a recent practice. Anderson will play cornerback and also running back and wide receiver. Watson is a talented wide receiver.

“He’ll have 20 to 30 offers by this time next year,’’ Smith said of Watson.

D.J. Cook will be the starting quarterback and one of many seniors Smith will look at during Friday’s spring game. 

“I’ve got 24 seniors on this team,’’ Smith said. “Usually, in Year 1 it’s hard to change things. It’s usually Year 2 that you see a difference. But these seniors don’t have a Year 2. I’ve talked to them about buying into what we’re doing. I will say that I’ve got a lot of players who want to be out there. They want to play football and they want to learn.”

Quarterback carousel

At one point last offseason there were four quarterbacks vying to replace former East Lake star Pete DiNovo.

Jake Hudson eventually won the starting job and quarterbacked the Eagles to the Class 7A state semifinals. The other three — Garrison Bryant, Jordan Leston and Brandon Swift — all transferred and are now starters at other schools. Here is how they fared in their spring games. (Hudson and East Lake play at Osceola on Friday.)

Garrison Bryant, Clearwater: Threw for 160 yards and a touchdown and ran for 30 in a 14-7 win over Ocala West Port. 

Jordan Leston, St. Petersburg Catholic: Finished with 167 passing and three touchdowns and ran for another 36 in a 27-12 win over Avon Park.

Brandon Swift, Palm Harbor University: A shoulder injury prevented him from playing in a 34-14 loss to Largo. Swift said he should be healthy in two weeks.

Three-team jamboree

Here is how the jamboree at Northeast will work on Friday night. Northeast will play Tarpon Springs for one half. That will be followed by Gibbs vs. Tarpon Springs. The third half will be Gibbs vs. Northeast.

“It’s good because it lets every team play an entire game,’’ Gibbs coach Rick Kravitz said.

For fans, it will be like watching a game and a half. 

A torn knee ligament kept Andrew Ivie from playing a full high school game with his older brother, Joey.

He’ll finally get a chance to accomplish that goal at the next level.

Ivie, a soon-to-be senior defensive tackle from Pasco, orally committed to Florida on Thursday. He’ll join Joey as a defensive lineman for the Gators.

“Looks like the University of Florida’s going to become an Ivie league school,” said their father, Joe Ivie.

When Ivie, a three-star recruit, started landing offers, he knew UF would be hard to beat. He grew up rooting for the Gators, but the 6-foot-3, 273-pound Ivie wanted to hear from other coaches this spring before deciding.

“I knew in the back of my head Florida was there,” said Ivie, who chose the Gators over UCF, USF and Wisconsin, among others. “That’s where I always wanted to go.”

The chance to reunite with Joey is another perk.

Ivie tore his ACL in the spring game before his sophomore season, so he watched from the sidelines as Joey dominated the North Suncoast as a senior that fall.

This year, Ivie went to five or six Gator games to watch his older brother and couldn’t believe the level of competition.

“I was really happy for him,” Ivie said. “I was dumbfounded to think I would ever get an offer from UF.”

Ivie, also a standout wrestler, had 62 tackles and two sacks last fall, and recently bench pressed 390 pounds and 315 in the clean and jerk for a fifth-place finish at the state weightlifting tournament. 

Oral commitments are non-binding until recruits sign letters of intent during their senior years.

Gibbs has been a popular place for college recruiters this spring. 

Coach Rick Kravitz, a longtime college assistant, has hosted several coaches and has plenty of players for them to look at. 

Topping the list is defensive back Craig Watts, a rising junior who holds several offers, including one from Ohio State. Watts will rarely leave the field in the fall. Aside from defensive back, he’ll also carry the ball and return kicks. 

“There are a lot of schools in the mix for Craig,” Kravitz said. “And there’s going to be even more.”

The most interesting player this spring is defensive back/receiver Marquez Walls. Without ever playing a full varsity game, the rising sophomore already has offers from Louisville and UAB. He played a full season on the junior varsity and despite scoring eight touchdowns and dominating defensively, Walls was not promoted until the final game of the season.

“We wanted to keep him down there and gain experience,” Kravitz said. 

Walls will surely be on display tonight in the jamboree against Northeast and Tarpon Springs.

Some other players who have caught the eye of scouts, according to Kravitz: offensive linemen Roy Williams and L’Dre Barnes, linebacker Javon Morgan, defensive end Troy Killens and cornerback Dorian Jackson. On the down side, Gibbs will be without as many as 15 players due to injury and grades for tonight’s jamboree. The Gladiators will suit up about 27 players.

“We’re only dressing 10 players who had varsity experience from last year,’’ Kravitz said.

He expects nearly all of the players to return in the fall. 

Shucking their roots

For the past 24 seasons, Osceola has featured the wing-T formation, which has become as identifiable with the program as the spears on their orange helmets. 

The Warriors are not getting away from what they do best. But there is a significant wrinkle with the pistol (shotgun) being used to run out of the traditional wing-T stuff. 

“We went to a clinic and heard a guy talk about using nothing but the wing-T out of the pistol,” said Osceola coach George Palmer, who is entering his 25th season with the program. “It just seemed to mesh with a lot of the things we were already doing.”

The pistol offense is defined by misdirections and options, similar to the wing-T. The quarterback takes snaps almost exclusively out of the shotgun formation. The running backs line up behind the quarterback, not beside him.

The offense will run more smoothly thanks to the return of quarterback Ryan Allan, a junior-to-be.

“The offense has looked good so far,” Allan said. “We’re getting a feel for it and it gives us more balance. We’re going to shock some people.”

Rising senior Wilan Harvey will be counted as one of the main ball carriers, and is the top returning rusher from last year. Jamil Morris and Quadarius Patterson, who combined for almost 1,800 yards rushing last season, are graduating. An intriguing target could be Darien Hooker, a 6-foot-4 basketball player who played football for the first time last season and will be used as a tight end. 

“We’re still playing around with the offense, and we’ll see how things go in the spring game,” Palmer said.   

Change of pace

East Lake’s balanced, ball-control offense still is the same. What has changed, at least this spring, is how quickly the Eagles run it. 

A hurry-up, no-huddle attack has been installed, in part because of the personnel. Only four starters return from an offense that scored a school-record 603 points last season. Among those who graduated are left tackle Mason Cole (Michigan) and receiver Artavis Scott (Clemson). 

The offensive line returns both starting guards, Zach Castle and Julian Santos, though Santos is moving to tackle to replace Cole. Jake Hudson is back at quarterback. So is receiver George Campbell.

In the no-huddle, the offense gets to the line of scrimmage as soon as the officials spot the ball after a play. Defenses have little time to substitute or alter schemes. 

“We’re picking up the offense pretty quick,” Campbell said. “It’s different. The pace is a lot faster. But we’ve grown a lot and we keep improving. There’s motivation for all of us because we want to keep the momentum going from what we had last year and strive to get that ring.”

Friday’s games 

• Gibbs, Tarpon Springs at Northeast, 7 

• DeSoto County at Boca Ciega, 7

• Lakewood at Ocala Vanguard, 7

• East Lake at Osceola, 7:30

Junior wide receiver and safety Jackie Tucker had a breakout game for Zephyrhills on Thursday night as the Bulldogs lost 36-21 at Orlando Oak Ridge in their spring game.

Tucker, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound athlete, caught several long passes and scored a touchdown while also coming up with a big interception for the Bulldogs on the other side of the ball.

"He definitely kept us in the game tonight," coach Reginald Roberts said. "He had an MVP-type game for us."

Athlete Antwione Sims, fullback Lorine Parker and running back Jaylen Pickett also scored touchdowns for Zephyrhills. Like Tucker, Pickett excelled on both sides of the ball, Roberts said, as he played defensive back, too, guarding FSU commit Nyqwan Murray.

And while Roberts said he was grateful to see his kids in action, he was even more thankful for the chance to play against a tough Pioneers team.

"It was awesome to have this type of competition for a spring game," he said. "I think God smiled on us when he allowed us to go to Orlando tonight."

TAMPA — Jayson Roberts was the football coach at Tampa Bay Tech for only a couple months when he got a phone call from the school’s front office. There was a parent waiting to see him.

Roberts rushed down to the office to find Celia Thompson and her son, Deon Cain. Thompson had just one thing to tell Cain's future coach.

“My son is an incoming ninth grader at Tampa Bay Tech,” Roberts recalled her saying, “and I just wanted to let you know he’s going to be your starting quarterback.”

Less than two years later, Cain was. And Friday, before a crowd at the very school his mother knew he was destined to lead, the 2015 athlete committed to play football at Clemson. 

Cain, a four-star recruit who has been the starting quarterback at Tampa Bay Tech for the past two seasons, has been largely recruited as a wide receiver. Before Friday, he had narrowed his choices to Clemson, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and LSU.

Thompson said she’s always been confident about her son’s future in football. That certainty, she said, started with Cain when he was just 8 years old.

“’He just came to me and he said, ‘Momma, I’m going to play for the Chargers,’ ” said Thompson, dressed in bright orange. “Ever since then, he’s played football, he’s advanced. I’ve never doubted his dream.”

Last season, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound quarterback threw for 1,853 yards and 13 touchdowns, leading the Titans to a 6-4 finish. Cain will compete in the 2015 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, joining Plant offensive tackle Jake Fruhmorgen, who has also committed to Clemson.

Roberts said he knew Cain had potential to play at the next level after he quarterbacked the Titans as a sophomore — a season in which he threw for 1,627 yards and 10 touchdowns — only to return the next year and do even more to help the team.

“There were some games where we were biting our fingernails, and then you’d see him mature from that season to his junior season, being a confident leader,” Roberts said. “We always knew the athleticism was there, but once he got the confidence to go with it …we knew the sky was the limit for him.”

Cain took an unofficial visit to Clemson in March, during which the rising senior said he fell in love with the campus and felt right at home. Combine that with the Tigers’ track record of taking Florida athletes like running back C.J. Spiller and wide receiver Sammy Watkins and turning them into NFL players, and Cain had no doubt in his mind where he wanted to go.

Cain, who called Clemson coach Dabo Swinney to make it official just 30 minutes before his 3 p.m. commitment ceremony, just couldn’t keep it a secret any longer.

“It was kind of hard to keep it in,” he said. “So I was like, ‘Man, I’m not going to keep it in, because I know where I want to go. I might as well let the whole world know.’ ”

Kelly Parsons can be reached at kaparsons@tampabay.com or on Twitter @_kellyparsons.

Bloomingdale’s Mandy Schuerman has been named the state’s softball coach of the year by the Florida Dairy Farmers. The first-year coach earned nine of the 26 first-place votes after leading the Bulls to a 28-3 record and the Class 8A state title – the school’s first since 1993.

Canterbury’s Jody Moore finished fifth in the voting as the coach of the 2A state champs.

West Florida’s Korina Rosario was named Miss Softball. Bloomingdale ace Lace Smith finished fourth in voting for that award, and Academy at the Lakes’ Lauren Evans was seventh.

TAMPA — Rumblings of “here we go again” swept through Middleton’s dugout after the Tigers gave up six unanswered runs to Blake, losing their 7-1 lead .

Middleton came into that April 8 game 0-17. For 12 boys and one new coach trying desperately to hold his team together, it was a familiar feeling.

“It’s my job to keep them positive,” coach Blake Nation said. “So I said, ‘Hey, we’re still winning, so let’s go win.’ ”

The Tigers scored a run in the top of the seventh inning to tie the score at nine. The Yellow Jackets, though, had one more left in them and scored in the final frame to win 10-9.

Nation’s Tigers had lost by as many as 28 runs prior to that night, and they would soon wrap up an 0-22 season, which followed a 2013 campaign that saw just a single win by forfeit. But, Nation said, it was never harder to address his team than after it came close, but just not close enough.

“I was almost ready to quit,” centerfielder Kameron Lewis said. “But I love the game a lot. And I have this weird optimism that, hey, we are able to be a winning team.”

• • •

Nation spent six years in professional baseball, three with the Seattle Mariners organization. But in September 2013 the former pitcher called it quits and moved to Tampa with his wife, a PhD student at USF.

The 27-year-old, who had spent two years as an assistant at East Georgia State College, was desperate to get back into coaching. Nation soon got set up with Plant coach Dennis Braun, a fellow Georgia Southern alumnus, and assisted the Panthers for several weeks in the fall.

Once Braun let him know about an opening for a head coach at Middleton, his days at Plant were numbered.

“He told me straight up, ‘It’s going to be a very, very tough gig,’ ” Nation recalled. “There was a lot of talent here — and there is — but it’s just about keeping the kids eligible, keeping them motivated, getting them better and getting disciplined kids.”

Nation inherited a team that went through the 2013 season with an interim coach, a guy Nation said didn’t have much baseball experience. The Tigers finished 1-22 and team morale was low.

But it hadn’t always been that way.

Vernon Slater, now an assistant at Strawberry Crest, coached the Tigers for six years, starting in 2006 when Middleton finished 21-7. Slater, who grew up in the area and attended Brandon High School, said his familiarity with his surroundings helped him find the talent and develop it.

“I never had a state team, but we did develop and we did get them to the point where they were competitive,” said Slater, who said he had six players drafted and 30 receive college baseball scholarships. “Every time we went out to play, no matter what team we played, every team was worried about us.”

Slater said he’s not sure of the reason for the sharp dropoff — they’ve won just six games in the past three years — but thinks stability in the coaching position will help them get back on track.

Twenty-two kids tried out for the team in January; Nation kept 16. Many of the Tigers are now playing baseball again after taking a multi-year hiatus from the sport. Four have quit since joining the team, but for those that stuck it out, a common thread links them all.

“I love the game more than I love winning,” said Lewis, who led the team with a .271 batting average.

The job is just as challenging as he was warned it would be, Nation said. But some of the greatest rewards have come with the hardships.

And when his players finally take something they’ve learned and use it in a game, Nation can forget all about the score. 

“Some of the guys here, they didn’t really know the situational stuff behind baseball, then all of a sudden they do it, and you weren’t expecting them to,” Nation said. “They come in (the dugout), you give them a high five even though we’re down by 20 runs.”

• • •

Nation lights up when he talks about the possibilities next season will bring. He can easily point out the areas in which the team has grown in just a year.

The Tigers escaped the 10-run mercy rule to make it to the seventh inning five times last season, an improvement from the year before. They fell to district opponent Jesuit 21-0 in the fourth game of the 2014 season, but held the future state champs to just 11 runs the next time they met.

For junior catcher Logan Seligman, those things give him a reason to be hopeful.

“I just hope it carries on even more next year, to where we might even win a game,” he said. “The wins we have next year, if any, will seem that much better, too.”

Nation has already teamed up with new Middleton football coach Jeff George Jr. to help raise potential players’ grade-point averages’ to the 2.0 requirement. He’s working on finding his kids a home to play summer ball, so they’ll be even more ready come fall. 

Because if he can keep them excited about the game and the little victories — even if they’re not on the scoreboard — the rest will fall into place.

“If we can continue doing that, I guarantee you we can start winning some games,” Nation said. “And they believe in that, too.”

at Wesley Chapel

Sunlake 33, Wiregrass Ranch 22 

Spring game-breakers: After rushing for 1,504 yards with 16 touchdowns last season, Sunlake rising senior Nathan Johnson picked up where he left off against Wiregrass’ defense. Johnson finished with 15 carries for 99 yards and two TDs, including a 36-yarder in the first quarter. …Wiregrass’ Shane Bucenell was solid, completing 7-of-15 passes for 245 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. The senior-to-be also had a rushing score. …Wiregrass receiver Brendon Kozicki had three catches for 115 yards, which included a 46-yard TD reception in the second quarter. …Led by linebacker Austin Yeloushan, Sunlake sacked Bucenell four times and forced two fumbles.

Did you know? Wesley Chapel originally planned to participate in the jamboree. But after the game was moved to Friday because of lightning, the Wildcats could not to play due to scheduling conflicts with graduation and testing. …Wiregrass coach Mike Lawrence said his team was without numerous players for undisclosed reasons. …Bulls linebacker Jaye Miner, who has offers from several Division I programs, lined up at receiver for a few plays and had a 14-yard catch in the first quarter.

Audible 1: “This spring, I kept all of my kids in weightlifting and track and we didn’t do any of (the 7-on-7 passing competitions). So I wanted to work on the throwing game and I think it was effective.” — Sunlake coach Bill Browning on the game plan for rising sophomore quarterback Justin Hall, who threw two touchdowns

Audible 2: “I’m very proud of our kids and what they accomplished tonight. People probably thought we were going to come out here and just get the (expletive) beat out of us. But we competed. Even when we were down, they fought back and never gave up.” — Lawrence

at St. Petersburg  

Tarpon Springs 10, Northeast 0

Gibbs 18, Tarpon Springs 7

Gibbs 14, Northeast 7

Spring game-breakers: In the win over host Northeast, Tarpon Springs running back Sergio Troncoso had a hard-fought 7-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the second quarter to ice the game. …Sponger quarterback Brandon Casler hit 3 of 4 passes in the second quarter for 65 yards. …Tarpon Springs tight end Mitchell Wilcox will be a prime target in the fall. He caught two passes for 38 yards and was overthrown on two others. …In the second game, the Spongers struck first when a Gladiator fumble was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. …Gibbs replied with a 9-yard touchdown catch by Quandel Inmon. …Gibbs quarterback Verqueze Mitchell  threw for 47 yards and two touchdown passes. …Craig Watts Jr. led the Gladiators with 60 yards on the ground. …The Tarpon Springs offense was paced by Damarian Gulley, who caught two passes for 33 yards and totalled 81 kick return yards. …Gibbs’ Reggie Hinton concluded the scoring with a 37-yard interception return for a touchdown that included several broken tackles. …In the third half against Northeast, Gibbs threw for two touchdowns. Mitchell hit Javon Morgan on a 20-yard pass and Jermaine Ivory hit Sam Jones on a 25-yard TD pass. …Northeast quarterback/running back Devin Bowers was a bright spot. He rushed for 92 yards in both games and scored the Vikings’ only touchdown in the second quarter against Gibbs. 

Did you know? Tarpon Springs rising senior running back Michael Ford missed the jamboree with a broken foot but is expected to return in the fall. … Northeast rising junior running back/linebacker Khyri Wright is the son of St. Petersburg boxer Winky Wright. Khyri had a sack in the 10-0 loss to Tarpon Springs. …Gibbs running back Tayveon Landsm left early in the game vs. Northeast with a leg injury and did not return …This was Northeast coach Jeremy Frioud’s first game as a head coach. 

Audible 1: “I wasn’t expecting them to look like a state championship team. We’re not. But they looked much improved and they never quit. They played hard until the last play.” — Frioud after the loss to Tarpon Springs 

Audible 2: “We’re young and inexperienced, but I thought we played pretty well. (Gibbs) got us moving side to side and they are fast. We are not a blazing fast team by any stretch. I think we got a little tired.” — Tarpon Springs coach Ron Hawn

Audible 3: “I thought the offense looked very good. We were like a well-oiled machine. I had huge holes to run through all night.” — Gibbs’ Watts

at Seminole

East Lake 54, Osceola 14

Spring game-breakers: Jake Hudson deftly directed the Eagles’ new no-huddle offense, finishing 12-of-14 for 202 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. … Hudson’s favorite target was George Campbell, one of the nation’s top recruits, who had five catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns including one on a 62-yard post pattern. … Hudson’s other touchdown pass was a 9-yarder to Trevor Okuniewski. … Bobby Goldinak relieved Hudson in the third quarter and was 4-of-4 for 50 yards, including  a 24-yard touchdown pass to Zach Jarman. … Kyle Howarth hit a  field goal to round out the scoring for East Lake’s varsity in three quarters of play. … Osceola’s varsity had 184 yards rushing. The Warriors touchdowns came on runs of 2 yards by Nick Shytle and 7 yards by Wilan Harvey. … Bronson Lynch finished with 65 yards rushing on nine carries for Osceola. … East Lake led 38-14 during the three quarters that the varsity played.

Did you know? East Lake’s junior varsity tacked on two more scores in the fourth quarter. … Coaches from Florida Atlantic, Georgia, Michigan and Virginia Tech attended the game. … Osceola’s Frank Lattimore was  knocked unconscious after tackling Okuniewski on a reception late in the second quarter. … Lattimore was taken off on a stretcher for precautionary reasons.

Audible 1:“I talked to some of the coaches before the game, and I wanted to bring some fire and electricity for this game. But Jake and a lot of other receivers brought electricity, too. We kept a good tempo and looked pretty strong on offense.” — George Campbell

Audible 2: “The offense has looked good in practice, but (we wanted to)  have success with it in a game against another team. We’re all a lot more comfortable and now everyone will be buying into what we’re trying to do.” — Jake Hudson

at Gulfport  

Arcadia DeSoto County 7, Boca Ciega 6

Spring game-breakers: DJ Cook hit Raeshon Dunbar on a 4-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to give the Pirates a 6-0 lead. …Boca Ciega’s defense was solid all night and allowed eight first downs, four of which came on penalties. …In the final two minutes, Cook threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown to give DeSoto the win.

Did you know? Pirates coach Max Smith said the team did not work much on special teams during the spring and he decided to go for a two-point conversion that failed on the lone score in the second quarter.

Audible: “The loss was on me. I shouldn’t have called a pass play at that point. I should have had our quarterback run out the clock. The defense played great and should be really good in the fall. It was a typical new offense that was installed in the spring. We took a couple steps forward, but then shot ourselves in the foot with mistakes. We can’t have that.” first-year coach Smith

at Ocala  

Lakewood 14, Vanguard 6 (all-varsity half)

Spring game-breakers: Lakewood rising senior quarterback Ryan Davis was 11-of-16 for 97 yards and a touchdown. …After a scoreless first quarter of the second half, the Spartans drove down to the Vanguard 3 from their own 42 when Davis lost the ball on a botched snap. The Lakewood defense atoned for the mistake when defensive lineman Tyrik Robinson came up with a big hit that jarred the ball loose, as Stevie Richardson recovered at the Knights’ 2. The Spartans’ Tyriek Hopkins scored on a 2-yard touchdown to make it 6-0. The two-point conversion failed. …Robinson came up with a fumble recovery on the next Vanguard drive to set the Spartans up at the Knights 21. …Davis increased the Lakewood lead to 12-0 when he connected with Adrian Adams on a tight spiral pass off play action. Running back Romello Presely scored on a tough run on the two-point conversion to make it 14-0. …Spartan defensive lineman Jordan Edwards had two big sacks. …Vanguard didn’t score until the last play of the game when N’Kosi Perry hit Eddie Jackson for a 16-yard touchdown pass.

Did you know? The first-half action was against the Knights’ JV squad. Davis connected on a 25-yard touchdown to Sekendric Biddines and also ran for a 7-yard touchdown. Tyrell Hubbard-Smith caught the two-point pass in a 14-3 Spartans’ victory. …Lakewood has six players with a grade-point average greater than 4.0. …The game was delayed 45 minutes due to lightning.

Audible 1: “During my tenure, we have never won a spring game, and that shows a lot about what the guys have been doing in the offseason. …I’m really excited to coach this program.” — Lakewood coach Cory Moore

Audible 2:“We’ve got a full head of steam going into next season. …I feel really confident getting faster and stronger and building chemistry with my teammates.” — Davis