Palmetto football is searching for an offensive resurgence this spring

Shortly after Palmetto High School’s season effectively ended with a loss to Venice at Harllee Stadium, Dave Marino sat down with the junior quarterback who had already led them to six wins in 2016.

The Tigers had muscled their way into playoff contention on the back of an elite defense and often in spite of a stagnant offense. Marino wanted to try something different with Jason Spicer Jr., who had so far alternated seasons at quarterback and wide receiver in Palmetto.

The final game against Charlotte in Punta Gorda would be a chance to test the Tigers’ potential offense for 2017. Spicer, who had become a favorite target of former All-American quarterback Jack Allison in 2015, would slide back out wide. Anthony Marino, the coach’s son, would get a shot under center.

“Listen,” Spicer remembers Marino telling him when the two sat down for a meeting, “you’re our best athlete on offense, so we would like you back at receiver.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Spicer told him. “Anything for the team.”

Marino passed for 152 yards — 88 of those came on five catches by Spicer.

The path to success on offense for Palmetto after a season during which the Tigers averaged fewer than 17 points per game is finding ways to maximize the abilities of its most talented players. As far as skill players, it means putting Spicer in the best position to succeed with one of Palmetto’s younger quarterbacks positioned to get him the ball.

Spicer’s debut season as a varsity quarterback was hamstrung from the start. The starting running back from a year earlier, Octavious James, had graduated. Spicer himself was the Tigers’ top returning receiver. Palmetto’s next most productive receiver tore his anterior cruciate ligament before Class 7A-District 11 play began.

“It was very hard. After practice we had to just throw a lot and get the communication together,” Spicer said. “I just did all I could for the team.”

In one season, the Tigers’ offense transformed from a true pro-style attack into an option-laden, run-heavy plod up and down the field. Depending on whom Palmetto turns to at quarterback, the Tigers could continue in that direction or pivot back to the pro-style system Marino typically has preferred.

Should the head coach not opt to start Marino, the next option is Lajohntay Wester. The rising sophomore led the Tigers’ freshman team to an unbeaten season during the fall, and despite size limitations — Palmetto’s roster on MaxPreps.com lists the quarterback at 5 feet, 9 inches — his dual-threat ability makes him intriguing in both the long and short term.

Whoever slides in for the fall will not necessarily have it any easier than Spicer did this past season. The Tigers have four offensive starters returning, including two offensive linemen, a three-man running back rotation and Spicer.

And if it comes to it, Palmetto still feels it has a perfect bail-out option: Spicer led the Tigers to a winning record last season and with nine starters returning on defense, shortening the games as Spicer can do becomes even more valuable.

“To have a returning starting quarterback of that caliber,” Marino said, “if that’s what we need to do then that’s what we need to do.”

This story was originally published May 11, 2017 at 8:44 PM with the headline "Palmetto football is searching for an offensive resurgence this spring."