Out-of-Door Academy football preview 2017: Thunder seek bounce-back season

At a glance

Herald’s forecast: 5-3

Out-of-Door Academy didn’t quite make the smooth transition to the Sunshine State Athletic Conference that other area teams have during the past few years. Out-of-Door struggled against its two Manatee County private-school rivals and couldn’t sneak into the postseason. The response for the Thunder: The triple option, a completely different offensive look fitting its small-school limitations.

Deep at: Linebacker

Thin at: Offensive line

Head coach: Ken Sommers

Career: Third year, 5-14

Needs a big season from: Ryan Ives, Soph., DE/MLB

The first practices of Ryan Ives’ freshman year at Out-of-Door Academy were a wake-up call. He had been a standout on Out-of-Door’s middle school team through a combination of rare size for his age and the ideal physical instincts a coach hopes for out of a pass-rusher.

Even with a relatively small Thunder varsity team, though, Ives’ natural advantages vanished. He couldn’t float by on raw ability and expect to torment opposing quarterbacks.

“I never got low in middle school,” Ives said. “I always stood up high and I always got jacked by my teammates in practice.”

Fortunately for ODA, the freshman was quick to learn. He found early success as a defensive end and continued his impressive rookie campaign even when head coach Ken Sommers moved him to middle linebacker. He was a bright spot in a frustrating first season for Out-of-Door in the Sunshine State Athletic Conference, finishing with 51 tackles, 3 1/2 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He was chosen as a second-team all-area defensive lineman by the Bradenton Herald and named second-team All-SSAC.

For the Thunder to climb back over .500, ODA will need its defense to complement a new triple-option offense, and Ives’ ability to blow up opposing drives single-handedly is Out-of-Door’s greatest weapon.

“He has a defensive mindset,” Sommers said. “He loves to hit. He loves to get after it.”

Ives will likely spend his entire season at defensive end this year as the Thunder move to a 3-3 stack to compensate for some of the size it lacks. At 6 feet, 4 inches and 250 pounds, Ives is something of an outlier for ODA and the heaviest player on the roster. And after spending part of last season as an interior linebacker, he feels more comfortable in his play against the run.

Ives rounded out his freshman year with a handful of camps, including an underclassman camp at Miami, and a pair of others at South Florida and Florida Atlantic, where he matched up against upperclassmen.

“It was a great opportunity,” Ives said. “It really opened my mind to the skill level around the state.”

Schedule breakdown

Who’s in: Fort Myers Canterbury, Fort Myers Gateway Charter, Lakeland Santa Fe Catholic, Kennedy Catholic (Somers, N.Y.), St. Petersburg Catholic

Who’s out: Zephyrhills Christian Academy, St. Petersburg Keswick Christian, Auburndale Jordan Christian Prep, Spring Hill Bishop McLaughlin Catholic, Windermere Prep

Upgrade: As an independent, playoff points don’t matter for Out-of-Door Academy. The most intriguing addition is a team from New York, marking Out-of-Door’s first game against an out-of-state team.

Impact newcomer

Jarred Flahive, Soph., RB

A transfer from Lakewood Ranch, Flahive will slot in immediately as one of the running backs in Out-of-Door’s triple option, lining up in an offset position as a slot back.

This story was originally published August 23, 2017 at 7:40 AM with the headline "Out-of-Door Academy football preview 2017: Thunder seek bounce-back season."