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Highlands Today

The Dynamic Duo

Jasmina Meyer/Highlands Today

Sebring sophomores Matt Grubb left and Devin Clarke were a dynamic duo for the Blue Streaks this season: Clarke led the Heartland with 979 yards receiving and seven touchdowns, while Grubb was the area's most prolific passer with 1,646 yards and 16 touchdowns.

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By CHRIS HOFFMAN

Highlands Today

Published: January 9, 2009

SEBRING - Chemistry and trust are ingredients that can make or break any offense.

In fact, the two elements are so important that players can often pinpoint the very moment when the mixture comes together, and everything suddenly feels like second nature.

Just ask Sebring sophomores Devin "Bubba" Clarke and Matt Grubb.

"It was the Hardee game," Clarke said. "We were down and needed a touchdown to keep pace with them. I sprinted down field and Matt delivered the ball right on target and I raced through the defense and into the end zone.

"That's when I knew that we had something special."

Grubb, in turn, can't say enough about his deep threat, a fellow underclassman who he's bonded with on and off the field. The pair could often be seen after practice, perfecting routes and working to make the spectacular seem routine.

"Devin is such a great athlete," Grubb said. "He's always in the right position on the field that it makes my job easier.

"When in doubt, I throw to Bubba."

The sophomore tandem, who've played together since eighth grade, connected on seven touchdowns through the course of the season and fought through the seven-game losing streak to show the Blue Streak fans what they have to look forward to for the next two years.

Clarke led the Heartland with 979 yards receiving for 15.06 yards per catch average and seven touchdowns, while Grubb was the area's leading passer, going 127 for 225 for 1,646 yards (164.6 yards per game) and 16 touchdowns for the Streaks.

For their dynamic game-breaking ability on the field and fearless attitude beyond their years, Clarke and Grubb are honored as the 2008 Highlands Today All-Heartland Offensive Co-Players of the Year.

Need more proof? Ask their coach.

Sebring skipper Jared Hamlin can hardly hold back his enthusiasm when he talks about the duo, which he says has unlimited potential and gives Sebring a great chance to compete for an elusive district championship.

"When you watch the two on the field, they have an amazing chemistry together," Hamlin said. "Matt has confidence in Bubba and that comes from being together for years and having the same desire to win."

Grubb's maturation process was accelerated this year by his rock-solid work ethic and his command of respect in the huddle.

"Matt was better than advertised this season," Hamlin said. "I knew he had the make-up to be a solid quarterback, but he made some plays that simply amazed me.

"Quarterback is one position that I don't have to worry about going into next season."

The sophomore QB says that he's dedicated to getting even better in the offseason and will hopefully have a chance to hook up with Clarke over the summer to work even harder to make Sebring a power in the district.

"I'm never satisfied with my performance," Grubb said. "I don't think you can be as an athlete. You have to constantly strive to get better because there is always a team out there that's better and you have to be ready to take on that challenge."

Clarke was motivated coming into this season to prove that he could handle the load that was left by the graduation of receiver Sam Robinson, who's now playing college ball in Mississippi.

"I wanted the coaches to know that they could count on me when the game was on the line," Clarke said. "And once Matt and I had a chance to work on our timing, it all came together for us both."
Hamlin says that Clarke exceeded his expectations and he was impressed mostly by his maturity and consistency throughout the season.

"Anyone can make an amazing play once," Hamlin said. "But Bubba was consistent and he took the time to learn the nuances of each play we ran. Every time the ball was in the air, he felt that was his ball no matter where it was.

"He's the type of weapon you can build an offense around and Matt is the perfect quarterback for him. They compliment each other so well and I'm excited about next year to see what else is in store."

The Team

Albert Moses, senior, Avon Park A stabilizing force on offense, Moses took over the position full-time under first-year head coach Andy Bonjokian and overcame a preseason injury to post some positive numbers this season.

The two-year varsity starting quarterback went 51 for 94 for 640 yards and six touchdowns. His best game was against LaBelle, when Moses was nearly perfect (10-for-11) en route to 161 yards and two touchdowns in the Red Devils first win of the season.

"Albert's maturity is really what stood out for me this season," Bonjokian said. "He kept the team focused when things could've gone haywire on the field.

"He struggled after missing the first two games due to injury, but once he got his confidence, he showed what he really could do."

Avery Young, senior, Lake Placid The senior wideout proved to be a powerful asset to the Green Dragon passing game in the later stages of the year.

"Avery is extremely versatile and he was a huge threat for us downfield," said first-year LP head coach Jason Holden. "He had the speed to get separation from most of the defensive backs he faced. We just had a hard time getting him the ball."

Young's best game came against Bishop Verot when he caught four passes for 69 yards.

JC Howard, senior, Sebring: Already named to the All-Heartland defensive team, this three-sport athlete didn't have the most catches on the team, but the senior receiver was more about quality over quantity.

Howard caught 25 passes for 368 yards and seven touchdowns this season, including the game-winning touchdown against arch-rival Avon Park.

"JC was as versatile as they come on the football field," Hamlin said. "He caught passes and played cornerback, not to mention return kick-offs for us.

"He did a little bit of everything and excelled in all areas."

Teddy Allen, junior, Avon Park: With the graduation of Virgil Cooper and Moses, Allen will no doubt be the focal point of the Red Devil offense next season.

The junior tailback has very deceptive speed and agility and rushed for 821 yards and five touchdowns this season while splitting time with Cooper.

"Teddy is a workhorse and I'm really happy we got him the ball so much in the later stages of the season," Bonjokian said. "He has all the tools to be a 'game-breaker' and he'll be depended on next year to give us not only yards, but leadership to a very young offense."

Caleb McGee, senior, Sebring: Most of the time punters fail to receive any recognition in the year-end "best-of" lists, but McGee bucked the trend this season.
Hamlin says that McGee was "the main reason" that Sebring beat Port Charlotte in the season finale.

"Caleb punted the ball 60-plus yards that helped pin Port Charlotte down deep at their end of the field late in the game," Hamlin said. "His leadership and character were tremendous and he's a player that, when given a chance, can be a difference maker."

McGee finished the season with 15 punts for 611 yards for a 40.73-per punt average.

Navahri Holden, junior, Lake Placid: Quickness and power is what separates Holden from many backs in the Heartland.

The LP junior displayed those attributes against district foe Bishop Verot when he powered his way for 89 yards on 10 carries and a pair of touchdowns.

"Navahri is just a hard-nosed football player who has a great feel for the game," Coach Holden said. "He had some great runs for us this season and he'll definitely be one of the focal points on offense next season."

Alonzo Robertson, sophomore, Avon Park: This 6-foot-5 wideout may have not had the numbers Clarke had, but the AP sophomore showed that he's the deep threat the Red Devils haven't had in years.

"Alonzo causes so many match-up problems for teams just because of his size and he's got some speed as well," Hamlin said. "A lot of cornerbacks look like midgets compared to him. I know we burned us for a couple of big gains and we had to adjust our defense to try and deny him the ball."

Robertson missed the beginning of the season with a back injury but still managed to catch 17 passes for 309 yards and five touchdowns for the Red Devils.

"Alonzo has great hands and is extremely fast down the right side," Bonjokian said. "What I like about Alonzo is that he isn't afraid to go over the middle and take the big hit yet still hold on to the football.

"I can't wait to see what he's going to be like next season after getting him in the weight room."

Dewey Sebring, senior, Sebring As captain of the offensive line, Sebring took his responsibility of schooling the younger players in the Streaks' way of playing in the trenches.

"Dewey had the pulse of the offensive line," Hamlin said. "He had the right attitude for the position and was tough as nails. He was never satisfied with his performance and always strived to get better."

Sebring teamed up with Kevon Daughma to shore up the left side, which made the running attack that much more effective and gave Grubb more time to find the open man.

Jacob Campbell, junior, Lake Placid Campbell was a solid receiver for the Green Dragons, whose passing attack was secondary to the ground game.

"Jacob played fullback and receiver for us and did a great job in both positions," Holden said. "He's a very sharp kid on the field and works hard on every play."

Isuel Guzman, senior, Avon Park Double teams were a common sight for Guzman during his tenure on the offensive line for the Red Devils. This 5-foot-11, 220-pound lineman could play multiple positions on the offensive line and played with an intensity few could match.

"Not many people know this, but Isuel played the entire season on one knee," Bonjokian said. "He injured his right leg but never once wavered and showed everyone what kind of courage it takes to play the position.

"The offensive line was completely different with him in the lineup and his intensity really helped us throughout the season."

Daniel Burnett, junior, Sebring: A deceptively fast tailback who had some huge shoes to fill with the graduation of last year's All-Heartlad Offensive Player of the Year TJ Williams, the Sebring junior didn't disappoint.

Burnett led Highlands County in rushing this season with 892 yards on 196 carries for a 4.55-per-carry average while scoring eight touchdowns.

"Daniel has a great desire to win," said Hamlin. "He wants to be a great running back and he has tremendous work ethic. What everyone saw out of Daniel this season is nothing compared to next year. He's only going to get better."

David Edmundson, junior, Avon Park: Allen and Cooper can thank Edmundson in part for all those rushing yards, as the AP junior who made many of those holes that allowed the AP rushing attack to be so successful.

"David is such a hard worker," Bonjokian said. "He's one of the strongest kids on our team and he showed that he can handle his own against some of the best defenses in the region.

"I'm excited that I have David coming back next year."

Steven Guelff, junior, Lake Placid: The Green Dragon placekicker spent the summer going to kicking camps and working on his accuracy and distance, and the LP junior showed that he has the tools to be a solid kicker at the next level.

Guelff hit a 47-yard field goal against Celebration that wrote his name in the record books as the longest field goal in Lake Placid football history.

"Steven just loves to be a kicker," Holden said. "He loves the competition and doesn't feel any pressure when asked to kick a long distance kick with the game on the line.

"For him, he treats that situation like practice."

Virgil Cooper, senior, Avon Park: Not much else can be said about the diminutive Cooper, who showed that size doesn't matter and it's more about heart and the desire to win on the football field.

"Virgil gave us so much in terms of leadership that I think we really needed, especially at the beginning of the year when things weren't going so well for us," Bonjokinan said. "And when Virgil adjusted his running style, that made our running attack that much more effective."

Cooper carried the ball 54 times for 394 yards and a pair of touchdowns and was a solid kick-off and punt returner for the Red Devils.

His best game came against district rival Braden River when he ran for 94 yards on eight carries after working with assistant coach Willie English on his running technique.

"We watched films of when Willie was playing and I saw the way he would run and it helped me adjust what I was doing on the field," Cooper said. "I wasn't using my speed and allusiveness to my advantage."

Cleveland Nobles, junior, Avon Park: In '07, Avon Park used the "by committee" approach to the punting duties, but this season Nobles was handed the job and help shore up one of the weakest links on the Red Devil chain.

"I remember watching games last year and so many times the opposing teams would get the ball near midfield after a really bad punt by us," Bonjokian said. "I really wanted to focus on finding a quality punter and Cleveland kicked the ball a few times in practice and that's all it took.

"He pinned opponents back on their side of the field on numerous occasions and gave our defense a chance to make plays."

Nobles finished the season with an impressive 43.7 per punt average for the Red Devils.

Thomas Quigg, senior, Sebring: This first-year starter impressed and amazed Hamlin with his prowess on the right side of the offensive line.

"Thomas was the most improved and most consistent player this season," Hamlin said. "He's a big and imposing kid. You know you were blocked when he gets those hands on you.

Coach Of The Year

The Lake Placid football team found itself without a coach three weeks before the season with the sudden resignation of Tim Grant, but LP alumnus Jason Holden took the reigns and steered the Dragons in the right direction this year. By the end of the season, Holden's passion was evident and his team responded, laying the foundation for success for years to come.

Chris Hoffman can be reached at 863-386-5837 or choffman@highlandstoday.com.

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