- April 29, 2024
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Did you know there actual dates attached to the phrase "dog days of summer?"
It's true. According to "The Farmer's Almanac," the dog days of summer are July 3 through Aug. 11. Those are supposedly the most unbearable days of the year. Respectfully, I don't think anyone who made the decision on those dates has been to Florida during the summer, otherwise the window would be a lot bigger. I think we're in the spiritual dog days already, is what I'm saying.
That being the case, there isn't much in the way of live, competitive sports happening. To fill the void, I've decided to write about the sport I can't wait to arrive: football.
I've compiled my list of the top senior football players to watch in the Sarasota area come fall 2023. The list is not necessarily of the best returning senior players in the area, though the players below are quite talented. It's filled with players I will be watching closely, so-called "glue guys" who may not get other accolades but are crucial to their teams' outlook.
Gisotti became the ultimate utility player for the Cougars' offense in 2022.
Gisotti began the season as a wide receiver, and caught 18 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown through three games. But the team soon had a need at quarterback and asked Gisotti to step up. He did.
Gisotti mostly served as a running quarterback, rushing for 362 yards on 62 carries and adding four touchdowns. But he did throw the ball some: he completed 24 of 59 passes for 292 yards in six games at the position, throwing four touchdowns and just one interception. His performance buoyed the team's offense down the stretch of the season.
I don't know how Gisotti will be used in the Cougars' 2023 offense — it's likely too early for the team itself to be entirely sure — but I can say with some confidence that he'll be able to handle whatever is asked of him.
With the Rams' four leading tacklers from 2022 all graduating, they'll need others to carry the load, and Fioriglio seems like a likely candidate.
Fioriglio was fifth on the team with 25 tackles while playing defensive end/defensive tackle. He added two tackles for loss and one sack. It can be tougher for guys playing in the middle of the line to get attention, as their play is often not flashy, but Fioriglio — who is 6-foot-3, 260 pounds, according to MaxPreps — has earned offers from schools like Carnegie Mellon University and Tennessee Technical University.
It's impossible to separate these two players when talking about their roles on the Sarasota offense. Last year, while the Sailors' passing game was struggling, Judge and Ziegler churned through defenses. The duo combined for 1,477 yards, and almost had an even split: Ziegler had 750 yards to Judge's 727 yards. They combined for 10 rushing touchdowns.
Judge also contributed as a receiver, adding 268 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 14 catches.
Now that former Manatee High head Coach Josh Philips has taken over the reins of the Sailors program, expect him to lean on the team's backfield duo for a repeat performance in 2023.
Hunter, a rising senior running back, does not have the attention from colleges that some of his teammates have received, but he's been wildly productive as a high school player.
Hunter ran for 1,212 yards on 229 carries in 2022, good for a 5.3 yards per carry average. That total yardage was 12th-best in Class 2S, and he got it despite sharing carries with now-graduated quarterback Will Carter Jr. (68 carries for 579 yards). Hunter added 12 rushing touchdowns, proving he can still find room when the field gets shorter and the yards get tougher. His production was balanced, too: Hunter ran for more than 100 yards in six of Booker's 13 games.
If Booker's offense remains steady in 2023, he'll be a big reason why.
Two recently graduated members of the Cardinal Mooney defense's front seven earned walk-on spots at big-time schools this offseason: Jack Mackinnon landed at the University of Michigan and JR Rosenberg is taking his talents to Texas A&M University. Members of the secondary, like Teddy Foster and Chris McCorkle, have earned multiple Division I scholarship offers as well.
But it was George Leibold who led the Cougars in tackles last year with 117 (84 solo), 20 more than second-place Rosenberg.
Leibold also had eight tackles for loss and two sacks. With Rosenberg and Mackinnon now gone, the Cougars will be more reliant on Leibold than ever to swallow up opposing skill players on defense.
He's not just a track and field star.
Evans, a safety, has carved out a nice career in the Tornadoes' secondary. In 2022, Evans had a team-leading 66 total tackles (21 solo), eight tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks, using his speed to get into the backfield. He also made some game-changing plays, recovering three fumbles and recording an interception against Wiregrass Ranch High.
Booker will have most of its top tacklers back in 2023, so Evans won't have to shoulder as much responsibility in that area as other players on this list may, but the team will graduate defensive backs Dior Keys and Gavin Stanford. In that respect, Evans' coverage skills will likely be under a greater spotlight. But Evans' natural skills should allow him to roll with the changes.
