What to watch for in sports in 2014: Matanzas football


Pirates coach Jeff Nettles wants to turn around the program. (File photo by Andrew O'Brien)
Pirates coach Jeff Nettles wants to turn around the program. (File photo by Andrew O'Brien)
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On the other side of town, Matanzas (3-7) has even more questions heading into its second season under coach Jeff Nettles.

(For the full list of WHAT TO WATCH IN 2014, click here.)

Throughout most of last season, the Pirates struggled with depth, at one point falling to about 30 players on the varsity roster. Many played both offense and defense. For a team that’s looking to win more games than it loses for the first time in years, that’s going to have to change. Lack of participation and the ability to field a deeper team will raise some serious questions.

On the field, there is talent.

Quarterback Jeremiah Wilson will be a senior. He has two seasons as a starter under his belt, and it will be gut-check time for him. But who will he get the ball to? Rahim Booker, Al’Kwazi Spencer, Marcaus Cooper and Stefan Tucker are all seniors, and so they won’t be around next season.

Wilson could look to Andre Bodison and Philip Moultrie on offense. But many of the other positions will be open for battle this spring.

Kicker Ian Hubbs, who has been extremely consistent in the kicking and punting games, will be back as a senior. But the Pirates will need more than a consistent kicker to be competitive. 

 

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