Numbers Game: Area teams getting set for playoffs

Playoffs? Don't talk about playoffs! You kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win another game.

Yes, Jim Mora, it's playoff time here at Numbers Game. The former Indianapolis Colts head coach secured his place in history with that sound bite.

But sound bites don't satiate our appetite.

It's all about the digits. And we have some fun ones to slice, dice and serve in this week's edition that will have you prepared for the playoffs!

25

A hallmark for Braden River's second consecutive unbeaten regular season is the defense, with 25 takeaways (20 interceptions). Junior defensive back Demetrius Lawson leads the group with six picks, while sophomore Tyrone Collins, who has three interceptions, has a team-high 11 pass breakups. In the process, the unit has yielded 81 points this season, though 17 came in the fourth quarter of the victory at Sarasota when the starters were yanked.

11

Amount of 100-yard rushing games Manatee's Lorenz Allen and Southeast's Kevin Johnson have tallied this season. Allen has five as the Hurricanes' featured tailback, while Johnson has six as the Noles' running back/quarterback. Allen now looks to help Manatee win a 10th straight playoff opener. The Canes last lost in the first round in 2003 at Naples. And since 2009, Manatee has made the state semifinals five times, advancing to the state title game twice with a championship secured in 2011.

Meanwhile, Braden River tailbacks have accrued five 100-yard rushing games. Raymond Thomas has four of them, but is out for the year. Dexter Hodo Jr. eclipsed the plateau in his first start last week.

.634

Combined all-time playoff winning percentage for this year's four participants. The Hurricanes lead the way with a 60-23 record, while Southeast also has a winning mark. Braden River and Cardinal Mooney do not. The Pirates have never won more than one playoff game in a season, while it's been nine years since the Cougars last won multiple playoff games in the same season. Southeast is making its first postseason trip since 2012, and will visit Fort Myers Dunbar, who have only beaten teams with a combined .318 winning percentage while losing two games to playoff-bound clubs. The Seminoles are 5-3 all-time against Fort Myers-based programs in the postseason, all under former head coach Paul Maechtle.

3

Current area head coaches to take their teams into the Florida High School Athletic Association playoffs in their first season. That honor belongs to Manatee's John Booth, Palmetto's Dave Marino and Cardinal Mooney's Drew Lascari. The Hurricanes advanced to the state semifinals in Booth's first year last season. Marino sent the Tigers into the postseason in his first season in 2010, before guiding them on a memorable state semifinal run the following season. Meanwhile, Lascari is the only head coach in Mooney history to earn a playoff berth in his first season. John Heath, who the football field is named after at Mooney, didn't make it in his first year -- but later won a state title in 1972. Mike Dowling, who captured a region title in 2006 and coached for 28 seasons, didn't advance to the postseason in his first year at the helm in 1979. The Cougars went 10-0 that year, too, but played as an independent. And Josh Smithers, Lascari's predecessor, had to wait until his second season to take the Cougars to the postseason. Three is also the number of programs with state titles (Manatee with five, Southeast with two, Mooney with one) that qualified for the postseason this year.

42

Points-per-game Saint Stephen's has scored in nine victories this season. The Falcons' prolific offense has led them to the 2015 Florida Bowl, the title game for the Sunshine State Athletic Conference. However, they produced just 21 points against this Saturday's opponent, Lakeland Santa Fe Catholic, when the two locked up in the regular season. It was the Falcons' lone defeat this campaign. Saint Stephen's was held to 213 rushing yards on 36 carries in that loss, which is below its season average of 249.42 rushing yards in seven regular season wins. In the SSAC playoffs, the Falcons are rushing for 344.5 yards per game.

Jason Dill, sports reporter, can be reached at 745-7017 or via email at jdill@bradenton.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jason__Dill and like his Facebook page

at Jason Dill Bradenton Herald.

This story was originally published November 9, 2015 at 10:29 PM with the headline "Numbers Game: Area teams getting set for playoffs ."