10 high school football players to watch in east Manatee County

A new season of high school football officially began with non-contact practice July 28, which means it’s time to start looking ahead at what’s to come. 

I visited with each East County football team this spring and spoke with players and coaches to find out which players are the ones to watch. Combine that with some in-person evaluation and statistics from last season, and I think I have a good idea of which players will rise to the top.

Here are the East County Observer’s top 10 high school football players to watch in 2025: 

1. Allen Clark, Out-of-Door Academy senior (RB/LB)

Photo by Ryan Kohn

It would be almost impossible to ask more of Clark than ODA did last year, but that could be what he’s tasked to do this fall. 

Clark carried the ball 214 times (23.8 rushes per game) for 1,524 yards (7.1 yards per rush) and 22 touchdowns. When he wasn’t running the ball, he was playing linebacker, where he accumulated 29 tackles (five for a loss of yards), six quarterback hurries, two pass breakups and a forced fumble. 

His coaches see him as a legitimate Division-I player, and he could finish his career as the best player in program history.

2. Louisen Desinor, Braden River junior (QB)

Photo by Vinnie Portell

Desinor couldn’t have come to Braden River at a better time. The Pirates are coming off a 2-7 season and lost starting quarterback Lucas Despot to graduation. 

In comes Desinor from Southeast, where he completed 54.1 percent of his passes for 1,877 yards and 16 touchdowns to lead the Seminoles to a 5-5 record.

Desinor showed a sneak peek at what he can do in a spring game performance against Mariner in which he finished with 18-of-30 passing for 183 yards, two touchdown passes and an interception.

3. Dylan Walker, Out-of-Door Academy senior (DB/WR/K/P/KR)

Image courtesy of Dylan Walker

Walker is the most versatile player in East County. He plays in every phase of the game, from kicking and punting to receiving, playing safety and returning kicks. 

Last fall, Walker had eight rushes for 34 yards and a touchdown, three receptions for 42 yards, 46 tackles, (nine for a loss of yards), five pass breakups, an interception, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, a blocked punt, 47.3 yards per kickoff and 27.7 yards per punt, including three that settled inside the opponents’ 20-yard-line. To top it off, Walker also returned two kickoffs for 8.5 yards per return.

He received his first scholarship offer in July to Washington and Lee University in Virginia.

4. Cooper Orzel, Lakewood Ranch senior (TE/WR/LB)

Photo by Ryan Kohn

Standing at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Orzel is a physically intimidating presence for the Mustangs. He was the team’s leading pass-catcher last year with 13 receptions for 193 yards and a touchdown. 

Not only could he be more involved on offense this year, but he’s also expected to be a contributor on defense for the first time as well. Orzel has been training at linebacker this offseason and the coaching staff said he looked like he was a veteran at the position in spring practice.

5. Winston Crisci, Out-of-Door Academy senior (DE/TE)

Photo by Ryan Kohn

Crisci is a force off the edge at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds for a Thunder team in need of one. Last season, he made 29 tackles (10 for a loss of yards) along with a team-high four sacks and 38 quarterback hurries. He also broke up four passes, recovered a fumble, blocked a punt and made four receptions for 107 yards.

6. Ka’Marion Jones, Lakewood Ranch junior (CB/WR)

Photo by Vinnie Portell

Lakewood Ranch High lost most of its best players to graduation or transfer this offseason, but Jones stuck around, and should play a key part this fall. 

Jones was a standout in the secondary for the Mustangs last year with 32 tackles, six interceptions, five pass breakups and two fumble recoveries. He could put that athleticism to use this season on offense as well, especially after Lakewood Ranch lost three of its top four pass-catchers. 

7. Nicholas Cinelli, Braden River senior (WR/DB)

Photo by Vinnie Portell

Cinelli was the team’s backup quarterback until this past season when he stepped in at receiver. After spending the past year learning a new position, it looks as though he may have found where he fits in best. 

The coaching staff was singing his praises this spring, and he backed that up in the spring game with eight receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown. He also proved his worth on defense, recording two interceptions despite playing limited snaps at safety.

8. David Louis, Braden River junior (DL)

Louis played in two games at the tail end of his sophomore season last year and made two tackles with one sack. Judging by that, one might be wondering why he’s made this list.

Pirates coach Jason Grain is a big fan of Louis, who he said is an athletic freak who he fully expects to have a breakthrough season this year. When that type of praise is coming from someone who played on the offensive line at the University of Southern California, it’s hard to ignore.

9. Michael Garzia, Out-of-Door Academy sophomore (RB/LB/DB)

Courtesy of Out-of-Door Academy

Garzia played last season as a 5-foot-8, 140-pound freshman, but still impressed the coaching staff despite playing undersized.

He rushed 16 times for 156 yards (9.8 yards per rush), made 22 tackles (three for a loss of yards), an interception, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

If his spring game performance of six rushes for 102 yards and a touchdown on offense and four tackles and an interception on defense are any indication of what’s to come, this could be a big season for Garzia.

10. Darrious Pompey, Braden River junior (OL)

Pompey is a force on the offensive line at 6-foot-1, 320 pounds. His presence will be essential to keeping Desinor upright in the pocket and giving the Pirates a chance to win more than two games this season. 

With size like that and a former D-I offensive lineman as his head coach, Pompey has all of the tools to become one of the area’s best blockers.