Football fever
Packers plan to rely more on passing game
By LEE DIEKEMPER
Article published on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008
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![[Image]](/content_images/082708_lle-01.jpg) |
| Photo by TOM GERMOND |
| Quarterback Ryan Eppes is expected to lead the Packers’ passing game. |
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LARGO – What a year the Packers had last year. Largo had its greatest season winning 13 straight games before losing to eventual Class 5A state champion Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas in the state semifinals at the Packers’ home field dubbed, “The Dog Patch.”
Largo is 19-1 in its last 20 games played on The Dog Patch, the lone loss was to Aquinas.
There is hope and concern as the pages of the calendar turn to the 2008 season.
The concerns:
The Packers lost their leading passer, Leonard Johnson, now a starting defensive back at Iowa State.
The Packers lost their top rusher, Brynn Harvey, who set the Pinellas County single-season rushing record with 2,566 yards. Harvey is now a running back at Central Florida.
The Packers lost their leading receiver, Reggie McCray.
The Packers lost their leader in sacks, Daniel Delguidice.
The Packers lost most of their front seven on defense.
Then there’s the hope:
Other than the large holes to fill, Largo looks strong. Really.
Transferring from Countryside High School is quarterback Ryan Eppes. The senior quarterback split duties last year at Countryside.
“He’s a blessing,” Largo Coach Rick Rodriguez said. “We will be able to throw the ball now.”
While Johnson was an adept thrower, he was more suited for a running offense. Rodriguez plans to utilize Eppes’ arm.
Then there’s the offensive line. The Packers return four starters and the line averages 260 pounds a man. The way the Packers like to run the ball, a line that size is near manna from heaven.
Defensively, Largo returns some studs. First there is linebacker Mike Marry. The 6-3, 205 senior is ranked by Rivals.com, a college recruiting network, as a three-star linebacker. He is being recruited by, among others, Kentucky, Ole Miss, North Carolina, South Florida, Stanford and West Virginia. He had 142 tackles, four sacks and three interceptions last year.
Then there is safety Mike Lang. So talented is the senior that Cincinnati, Louisville, Florida Atlantic and Missouri are after his services.
Despite losing a ton of talented players, the cupboard is hardly bare for the Packers.
The recent success of the program provided a hidden factor. Rodriguez has built Largo into one of the county’s premier programs if not the elite program. As a result of success, Largo has played an additional 10 postseason games. That extra experience is invaluable Rodriguez said.
“The more games you play the more reps you get the better you get as a player,” Rodriguez said. “Those 10 extra games is like an extra season.”
While Marcell Durham is likely to be the heir apparent to Harvey, keep an eye out for Myrick Gwyn. The tailback is the younger brother of former Countryside star running back Isaiah Gwyn, who terrorized county defenses with his speed and versatility.
Aside from experience the additional 10 games over the last three years gave the Packers, those contests also provided the Packers with something else.
“The kids know how to win,” Rodriguez said. “They’ve been through it.”
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Article published on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008
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