Published: Friday, Oct. 16, 2009

Updated: Friday, Oct. 16, 2009

Manatee offenses spread wealth

BRADENTON — It was a performance fit for a time capsule.

Alex Jackson, Bayshore’s senior running back, had just torched the Booker Tornadoes for 216 rushing yards — in one half.

How many yards would he end up with? 300? 400?

More?

Slowed by a balky knee, Jackson was limited to just four more yards. And though it stunted his stats, it did little to stop Bayshore’s attack last Friday. The Bruins scored 50 points, rushed for 383 yards and kept themselves in the Class 3A-District 10 playoff chase by scoring a win over the Tornadoes.

The reason? Versatility. With Jackson serving as nothing more than a decoy, fullback Dominic Everett scored two of his four touchdowns after the break.

“It’s a good feeling,” said Bayshore coach Jean P. Gordon, “because if somebody goes down, you’re not out luck.”

Much to their delight, other area coaches find themselves in the same situation as Gordon — ringleaders of offenses that feature more than just one threat.

Be it by land or air, multi-pronged offenses are a trend this fall.

There is no greater example than at Manatee, where the Hurricanes have scored at least 30 points in all five of their wins. Fronting the attack is quarterback Brion Carnes, a four-year starter who has committed to USF. Carnes has thrown for 867 yards and 11 touchdowns, tossing darts to guys such as Ace Sanders (29 catches), the area’s leading receiver who has fielded nearly half a dozen Division I offers, or Quenton Bundrage, who is averaging nearly 21 yards a catch.

And if Manatee chooses to stay on the ground, there’s Mike Blakely, a junior who has been offered by USF, Clemson and Syracuse and is averaging more than 6 yards a carry, and the speedy Craig Carnes.

“In the past, I was concerned I had the right formation, because we may have had only one guy who was the go-to guy,” said Manatee coach Joe Kinnan. “That’s not the case now. This offense give me a little bit more flexibility, as far as what we’re doing.”

Allan Gerber can relate. Bradenton Christian’s football coach employs two quarterbacks — Sean McCarthy and Myles Braxton-Johnson — and has seen at least five players rush for touchdowns. And three Panthers — Colton Goodwin, Josh Thomas and David Schopfer — have caught at least 11 passes.

Yet Gerber said none of his players are caught politicking for the football.

“To be frankly honest, coming from college where you have to deal with a large amount of egos, I addressed that immediately,” Gerber said. “There’s no me, There’s no I. If you address those issues immediately, it helps your locker room chemistry.”

Gordon notices the same sort of selflessness in Everett, a sophomore, and Jackson, a senior, both of whom are among the area’s top 10 rushing leaders.

“Dominic is a very unselfish kid. He’ll do anything for you. If you tell him to block all game, he’ll do it,” Gordon said. “Alex is a senior, he’s come up through our system and we feature him.”

Kinnan said his Canes have bought into the notion that winning, no matter who scores the points, is the ultimate objective. Blakely, who also catches passes and returns punts, agreed — especially since one good players makes everyone else better.

“If a team keys on me, that makes it easier for the rest of the teammates,” he said. “If teams key one me, they’re going to get hurt, because I’m not the only person on the team.”