Jason Dill: Tight end Neuzil causing matchup headaches for Braden River High opponents
EAST MANATEE
It's called "Pirate Ball," a take on Ultimate Football. It's two-hand touch with throwing and pitch-backs whenever you want.
That's where Ryan Neuzil, entering his junior season for Braden River's football program, flashed soft hands.
An offensive lineman to that point at 6-foot-3 and 260 pounds, Neuzil had just created a nightmare matchup for every future Braden River opponent when head coach Curt Bradley moved him to tight end after the departure of Marcus Balliette to graduation.
Now a senior, Neuzil demonstrated the difficulties of defending him during two key first-half drives in Friday's Class 7A-Region 3 semifinal win over Venice.
He only caught two passes, but both came in the second quarter and covered 62 total yards. Neuzil banged off would-be tacklers, pushing the Pirates' offense forward on extended drives.
His last grab gained 42 yards before he was finally taken down, and it came on a pivotal third-down play late in the second quarter.
Both catches came during scoring drives that stretched Braden River's lead to 17-0 by halftime.
That was also the final score, and it sent the Pirates into the first region championship in program history. They'll visit Plant City, which defeated Tampa Bay Tech 35-15, next Friday.
"You have to account for him in the run game because he's so physical at the line of scrimmage. As much as we run the football, it's easy to kind of get your eyes in the wrong spot," said Bradley about Neuzil, who also played linebacker and fullback before the switch to tight end. " We can flex him out, he blocks well outside, you can put him on the line of scrimmage, you can put him in the backfield, he has great hands and he's tremendously smart."
Braden River's defense notched its fourth shutout this season behind Tyrone Collins' pass breakup, two interceptions, and the unit's two turnover on downs in the second half with Venice peering down two potential scores. But it was Neuzil that set the club up with such an advantage with his catch-and-runs in the final two offensive drives of the first half.
"Everyone tries to go at my knees, and I'm pretty elusive for my size," Neuzil said. "I can just spin off, stiff-arm to the ground. I can do many things."
When Braden River needed to punt, the guy you'd least think would take the snap and boot the ball downfield is the one that is called upon.
That's right; Ryan Neuzil isn't just a linebacker/fullback, turned offensive lineman, turned tight end.
He's also the Pirates' punter, and he pinned the Indians inside the 10 twice, causing Venice to march a long, long way against Braden River's stifling defense.
"I just get the ball and kick it as hard as I can," said Neuzil, who took a roughing the punter penalty early in the fourth quarter that allowed Braden River to chew up more clock. "I don't have any form or nothing."
The victory, the second time this season over Venice -- a traditional Sarasota County power -- marked a turnaround from Bradley's first season, when the Indians drilled the Pirates, 42-7, in the final game of a nine-game losing streak that opened his coaching tenure.
The team, including Neuzil, hit the weight room and began the work-hard mentality that shows up Friday nights.
"They kind of have that fever now, where they have some success and they don't want it to stop," Bradley said. "So credit to those guys that have been through the mud and been through the dirt, and now they're trying to come out clean on the other side and it's pretty special. So we're going to ride this thing as long we can and see what happens."
Neuzil first found his pass-catching groove with one-handed snags and tip-toe footwork during the Pirate Ball session in the summer ahead of his junior year.
Now, after Neuzil's catch-and-runs, after running back Dexter Hodo Jr.'s display of both balance and broken tackles en route to pay dirt late in the game, after tailback DeShaun Fenwick's play in which he hobbled on one long first down run amidst the countless other hard yards gained, "Pirate Ball" has taken on a new meaning.
"We definitely didn't want to lose (Friday)," Neuzil said. "And it really showed in the field, finishing every run (and) getting yards after catch, yards after contact."
This story was originally published November 20, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Jason Dill: Tight end Neuzil causing matchup headaches for Braden River High opponents ."