Mustangs may be without Lindsey for entire season

LAKEWOOD RANCH — This was supposed to be the year Reggie Lindsey blossomed.

Entering his third season as a starting quarterback, the Lakewood Ranch senior was the triggerman for an offense that had a talented running back and a huge offensive line.

He was the final piece of the puzzle, but unfortunately the Mustangs will have to find someone else to fill his spot.

The 6-foot-4, 185-pounder broke his right wrist in the second quarter of the Mustangs’ victory over Braden River last Friday night and will be out for an extended period of time that might cost him the entire season.

Lindsey went to the hospital after the game where doctors confirmed he fractured the wrist on his throwing arm. He is due for another visit this week to get an estimate of how long he might be out.

“I kind of new that’s what happened before I got to the hospital, so I was prepared for the news,” Lindsey said. “I just fell the wrong way. I was up in the air and running and when I fell my wrist was bent a little. It’s disappointing, but I am trying to deal with it.”

It’s the second major injury for Lakewood Ranch, which lost senior linebacker Kyle Riley-Hawkins, considered its top defensive player, before the season started.

“Losing Reggie is difficult. When he was in the other night we moved the ball pretty quickly,” Ranch offensive coordinator Mic Koczersut said. “He does some things for us not only football wise, but mentally. He understands what we want and our options so losing all that experience hurts.”

The job now rests in the hands of junior Jeren Kowalewski, who struggled in the first half against Braden River, but settled down after intermission.

“At halftime, we had a little talk, and now we understand each other,” Koczersut said. “He just needed to understand that he needed to play with a little more sense of urgency, and I kind of explained that to him. I am not going to necessarily tone down the offense. I am just going to expect more out of him.”

Kowalewski struggled in the first half getting tackled for losses five times for minus 52 yards. He threw an interception on Ranch’s first possession of the second half, but then looked more poised, completing two straight passes, including a five-yard scoring strike to Daniel Clifford.

“In the second half, I picked up my pace mentally,” said the six-foot, 155-pounder, who turns 17 this month. “I’ve been a quarterback all my life and feel confident that we are going to win a lot of games. It feels good to have a big offensive line, and Taryn Laws is a good running back. For me, to be a good quarterback I just have to be a leader.”

Kowalewski will get a good challenge Friday night against a Southeast team that is seeking redemption after losing last year to the Mustangs and have one of the best defenses in the state led by linebacker Desmond Blue and defensive back Brian Poole.

Ranch head coach Shawn Trent is disappointed in losing Lindsey, especially with all that experience under his belt, but believes Kowalewski can get the job done. His Mustangs also won’t change their philosophy, which is to run Laws again and again behind their mammoth offensive line.

“I don’t know if he (Kowalewski) does anything better than Reggie, at the same time I don’t think he is hapless,” Trent said. “He is an athlete and can do some good things. He throws a nice ball and is a smart kid. We feel comfortable with him.”