Former Tampa Bay Bucs kicker Martin Gramática posed for lots of pictures when he was met by a happy crowd of doctors, nurses and staffers at AdventHealth Tampa on Bruce B. Downs Blvd on Sep. 6 to help kick off the Bucs 2024 season two days later. (Photos by Charmaine George)
AdventHealth Tampa (3100 E. Fletcher Ave. at Bruce B. Downs Blvd.) got a special visit Friday from a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers star two days before the team kicked off the 2024 NFL season.
Super Bowl winner Martin Gramática stopped by to greet hundreds of doctors, nurses, and clinicians. The former Bucs kicker took time to sign autographs, take photos and show his appreciation for the hard work front-line health care workers do every day.
AdventHealth is the exclusive hospital of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Gramática said he was happy — and honored — to represent the Bucs while greeting the AdventHealth Tampa team.
“I’m just here representing the Bucs to say ‘Thank you’ to all of the men and women who sacrifice so much to take care of us when we’re not doing well.”
Gramática, who also is the VP of Business Development for Life Guard Imaging, said that it was just a “happy coincidence” that he made his appearance at the hospital’s Pepin Heart Institute. “Life Guard is just an imaging center,” he said. “This is where you go to be taken care of when we find something wrong with you that needs to be addressed. People look up to football players, but these people are the real heroes.”
As for what he thinks about the Bucs — who open the season at this afternoon at 4:25 p.m. against the Washington Commanders at Raymond James Stadium — this year, when many so-called experts believe the team isn’t playoff caliber, Gramática said, “I don’t know about that. I’m really excited about our chances. We had a really good year last year and when you bring guys like (quarterback) Baker (Mayfield) and (wide receiver) MIke (Evans) back, and add some young talent, you never know what can happen. Everyone starts the year 0-0 and every team is one injury away from not being good, so we just have to stay healthy and I think we’re gonna be good.”
Bucs cheerleaders Dante Hale (far left) and Ella Whitby (far right) were also happy to pose for pictures with the AdventHealth team.
Although we have created this contest a week before the end of 2023 pro football season, last year’s ‘Big Game Squares’ contest was so popular we decided to run it back again for our readers. So, here’s how you can win FREE dining in our 2024 ‘Big Game’ Squares Contest. Simply click HERE and fill out the formby Friday, February 9. On Saturday, February 10, I will first assign random squares on the grid below for each entrant. Then, I will randomly assign numbers 0-9 along the top row under the AFC Champion’s name and in the far left column next to the NFC Champ’s name. Then, when the ‘big game’ is played, whoever’s name is in the box that matches up with the last digit of the score for each team wins a FREE gift card to the restaurant of their choice. For example, if the score is NFC 10, AFC 7 at the end of the first quarter and your name is in the box that corresponds to both NFC 0 & AFC 7, you would win a $25 gift card as the first quarter winner. If the score is 13-13 at the end of the first half and your name is in the box that corresponds to both NFC 3, AFC 3, you would win a $50 gift card. We also will offer a $25 gift card to whoever has the correct box at the end of the third quarter and a $100 gift card for the correct score at the end of the game, whether at the end of the 4th quarter or overtime. See all of our official contest rules and fill out the form for your chance to win by clicking HERE. — GN
10 Quick Things about Wharton’s 48-0 win over Freedom in the 2021 season opener for both teams
1. Wharton is now 13-6 against its rivals right down Bruce B. Downs Blvd., but Friday’s win only punctuated what is the most lopsided stretch in the series. In the last three years since Freedom’s last win, the Wildcats have outscored the Patriots 140-20. The only other three-year stretch that comes even close is 2010-12, when the Wildcats outscored Freedom 99-21.
2. Fridays game was never in doubt. Freedom quarterback Alex De la Cruz had about 2.3 seconds each play to get rid of the ball, and rushed two interceptions on his first two throws, leading to Wharton scores. After a three-and-out on Freedom’s next series, it was 20-0 midway through the opening quarter.
3. It was 41-0 with 8:44 remaining in the first half, meaning the Wildcats were scoring 2.7 points a minute, and on pace to score 129.4 points. Freedom accepted the running clock shortly after that, choosing not to wait until halftime.
Wharton QB Carson Mohler.
4. Senior Carson Mohler, a Plant City transfer, is Wharton’s new QB, he certainly looks the part at 6-foot-2, 225.
He was 8-for-18 for 176 and three TDs last season for the Raiders.
Friday night, he was 6-for-8 for 161 yards and three TDs, completing passes to five different receivers.
5. The only receiver to catch more than one pass from Mohler was Cameron Cobb. He caught two of the widest-openest touchdowns you will ever see. And no, widest-openest isn’t a word, but it fits in this case.
6. Sophomore Arkese Parks had an 87-yard touchdown run on his first touch of the night, and finished with 90 yards. Starter Keith Morris also scored a touchdown.
Cameron Campbell blocked a punt. You won’t believe what happened next
7. Wharton’s defense, even without Division-I recruits like Daveon Crouch, Booker Pickett Jr. and Dijon Johnson in the lineup, came up with a number of big plays. Senior linebacker Henry Griffith had his first career interception leading to a score, lineman Micheal James returned a fumble 20 yards for a score to make it 27-0 in the first quarter, and linebacker Cam Campbell scored a touchdown as well, but it deserves its own number.
8. So, De la Cruz is punting for Freedom, and Campbell blocks the low kick right back to Patriot kicker, who punts it again, right into the hands of…Campbell. The Wildcat returns it 20 yards for a touchdown. How does one even score that? Is it legal? Has it ever happened before in the history of football? I have no idea. (And while we are at it, have two Camerons on the same team but one playing defense and one playing offense ever scored touchdowns in the same in football history?)
9. Freedom ran 23 offensive plays in the first half, to just 14 for Wharton. But the Patriots were outgained 260 yards to minus-13.
10. This game didn’t tell Wharton coach Mike Williams anything about his team. “Next week’s game will, though,” he said. Wharton travels to Jesuit for what should be a real slobberknocker.
WR Dontrell Clerkley, left, and QB Owen Walls should be one of the top tandems in the area this season. (Photos: Charmaine George)
CYPRESS CREEK COACH: Mike Johnson LAST YEAR: 3-7, lost to Tampa Catholic 55-7 in the first round of Class 4A playoffs. KEY RETURNEES: Owen Walls (Sr., QB, 1,233 yards, 13 TDs in 2020), Andrew Burgess II (Sr., RB, 119 yards, 1 TD), Dontrell Clerkley (Sr., WR, 427 yards, 6 TDs), Merrick Simmons (Sr., WR, 331 yards, 6 TDs), Dernere Jones (Sr., WR, 166 yards), Colton Corrao (Sr., PK), James Cleary (Sr., OL/DL), Austin Slusher (So., OL/DL), Vincent Tre (Jr., LB). TONIGHT: The Coyotes host Bonita Springs at 7:30 p.m. REST OF THE SCHEDULE: The two toughest, and most important games (because they are 5A-District 9 games) will be at home, against Nature Coast Tech (Sept. 17) and Zephyrhills (Oct. 15). GAME TO WATCH: Cypress Creek and nearby Wesley Chapel have only played once, in 2019, with the Wildcats posting a 19-0 win. On Oct. 29, they play again, and this time it’s a district game and could have some meaning. Time to rev up this rivalry! THE SKINNY: With a young and unproven offensive line and loads of talent at quarterback and receiver, we might see a version of Air Johnson this year. The Coyotes put up a 45-0 win over Bishop McLaughlin in last week’s preseason game, not a bad way to kick it off. Clerkley and Walls should click, and Simmons and Burgess II are versatile athletes. Clerkley, also a standout at defensive back, caught TD passes in five of the last six games in 2020. Johnson said in the spring he was expecting freshman WR Jaelen Collins to add to the firepower. Defensively, transfer middle linebacker Niko Huitz was a standout in the spring and could play a big role in 2021. Cypress Creek has one of the top kickers around, senior Colton Corrao, who was ranked No. 13 in the country by Kornblue Kicking, a recruiting company that holds camps, trains and ranks kickers.
Linebacker Ayden Roysdon, left, led the Wildcats with six sacks last season, while WR Nehemiah Morgan had a team-nest 399 yards receiving and three TDs.
COACH: Tony Egan LAST YEAR: 5-5, lost to Chamberlain 40-0 in first round of Class 5A playoffs. KEY RETURNEES: Ethan Harper (Sr., QB, 699 yards, 7 TDs in 2020), Nehemiah Morgan (Sr., WR/S, 399 yards, 3 TDs), Jaylan Blake (Sr., RB, 485 yards, 4 TDs), Max Hembrecht (Jr., OL/DL), Ryan Warren (Jr., OL/DL), Briac Riles (Sr., OL/DL), Josh Poleon (Jr., LB), Ayden Roysdon (Jr., LB), Yael Diaz (So., LB). TONIGHT: at Sunlake at 7:30 p.m. REST OF THE SCHEDULE: The Wildcats probably have the second toughest schedule in the county, behind Wiregrass Ranch. It will be tough to catch up if they come out of the gates slowly. GAME TO WATCH: The Nature Coast Tech game on Oct. 1 may be the most important, but the Sept. 3 game against Wiregrass Ranch might be the most fun. The neighborhood rivals skipped last year’s game, so this should draw a boisterous crowd. THE SKINNY: Rain washed out a ton of practice time for the Wildcats, and the 27-0 preseason loss to The Villages is not a promising sign. But the Wildcats have some nice pieces on offense, including the biggest offensive line Egan has had in his five seasons at the school. If Harper converts some of the promise he showed last year, and Morgan breaks out, the Wildcats should put up some points. Defensively, Wesley Chapel has excellent linebackers in Poleon and Roysdon, and the addition of Tampa Bay Tech transfer Jorden McCaslin will elevate that group. There have been some injuries, however, that could hamper the team’s depth.
The Wildcats have gone 5-5 the past three seasons, and Egan is tired of .500 and is setting the bar higher.
“I’m expecting to compete for a district title,” he says. “We have to get in the playoffs. It would be nice to win the first playoff game here.”
Linebackers Nate Kidd, left, and Abram Beer lead the way on defense.
COACH: Mark Kantor LAST YEAR: 4-5, had to forfeit playoff game due to Covid-19. KEY RETURNEES: Rocco Becht (Sr., QB, 1,550 yards, 18 TDs in 2020), Corneil McCrary (Sr., RB, 453 yards, 3 TDs), Jr. Kenneth Walker (527 yards, 6 TDs), Bryson Rodgers (Jr., WR, 47 catches, 710 yards, 10 TDs), Izaiah Williams (So., WR), Abram Beer (Sr., LB/SS), Nate Kidd (Sr., LB), Logan Ridolph (Sr., OL/DL), Christian Loaiza (OL/DL). TONIGHT: The season opener against Hernando has been postponed with the hopes of rescheduling. THE REST OF THE SCHEDULE: Yikes! The Bulls play two teams that advanced to the state semifinals last year (Mitchell and Tampa Bay Tech), another team that has won multiple state championships (Armwood) and three other teams that finished 9-3, 7-2 and 6-1 (Zephyrhills, Wharton and The Villages, respectively). Did we say yikes already? THE SKINNY: The offense is loaded, with Iowa State commit Becht throwing to Rodgers (a certain 5-Star recruit who already has Alabama, Florida, Florida State and Georgia among many suitors) or Williams or newcomer Malachi McLaughlin. All good choices. Walker and McCrary are 1,000-yard threats in the backfield, and tackles Loaiza and Ridolph bookend a very promising offensive line. The Bulls scored at least 41 points in every win last year. Wiregrass Ranch should score points this season, but the Bulls were shut out last week by Clearwater Central Catholic. More disconcerting was the score — 37-0. The defense has some questions that need to be answered after a bumpy 2020 and a spring game where it allowed 36 points to Berkeley Prep. Linebackers Kidd and Beer will try to shore up a unit that is shallow upfront, but can place talented athletes in the defensive backfield. If the defense can take the next step, big things could await the Bulls.
The new artificial field at Wharton is progressing nicely. (Photo: @WhartonWildcats)
Wharton High will be playing its football games this fall on a brand new artificial turf field, with construction expected to be completed by the end of July.
The Wildcats will debut the field for their regular season football home opener against rival Freedom High on August 27.
“Oh yeah, they are excited about it,” says Wharton’s athletic director Eddie Henderson.
According to Henderson, Hillsborough County Public Schools is doing a rotation of 3-5 fields each summer, with the final goal being to install artificial turf at every public high school.
Last year, the first schools in the rotation — Sumner, Sickles and Hillsborough — had new fields put in. This summer, Steinbrenner, Lennard and Blake are getting new fields, along with Wharton. Each field costs roughly $2 million, but Henderson says the District will make up a lot of those costs with what it saves in maintenance and re-sodding.
“I think that there will be a lot of money saved over the long run,” Henderson says.
Plant High was the first county public school to put in an artificial turf field in 2010, after raising $600,000 for the project.
SPEAKING OF WILDCATS: Wharton recently wrapped up its spring season with a 14-0 loss in one half of play against Tampa Bay Tech, but second-year coach Mike Williams wasn’t concerned about the score.
“The spring is about evaluating our kids and seeing who is ready to move up to varsity,” Williams says. “And we liked what we saw.”
Although the Wildcats graduated all of their varsity quarterbacks, Williams was pleased with last year’s junior varsity starter, Tyree Works, who handled all of the spring snaps. But, Works will have more competition in the fall from some promising freshmen and transfers. Williams is hoping to transition from a power-based offense to one featuring more perimeter passes to spread out the game.
With leading rusher Keith Morris and some key wide receiver transfers ready to beef up the offense, Williams expects to score more than the 19 points per game the team averaged last year.
Almost every defensive player is back, including a linebacking crew that could make an argument for being the best in Tampa Bay and includes All-Staters Daveon Crouch, who recently committed to Boston College, and Henry Griffith and second-team MaxPreps Freshman All-American Booker Pickett Jr.
The Wildcats went 7-2 in 2020 because the defense was top-flight, allowing only nine points per game and posting three shutouts.
“This is going to be a big summer for a lot of the guys,” Williams says.
NUMBERS GAME AT FREEDOM: Freedom High, coming off a winless season, picked up an 8-7 jamboree win over King last month to wrap up spring football.
Quarterback Alex de la Cruz threw a touchdown pass to Greg Underwood Jr., and then found RJ Broadnax for the two-point conversion and the win.
De la Cruz will enter the fall as the starter, after promising freshman and last year’s leading passer Taquawn Anthony said he would not be returning to Freedom.
The Patriots suffered a more serious blow when their best player, Robby Washington, transferred to Eagle’s Landing High in McDonough, GA. Washington led Freedom in rushing, receiving and touchdowns last year, and averaged more than 12 yards every time he touched the ball. He has offers from Alabama, Miami and Boston College.
Third-year coach Chris Short will continue trying to rebuild the Patriots, though only 22 players dressed out for the spring game and very few of them had any previous game experience.
He says a lot of players are waiting on paperwork, but admits that adequately filling a football roster for the upcoming fall season will be a tough chore.
“The hardest thing I’m dealing with right now is the same as when I was an assistant, and that’s getting kids to come out,” Short says. “I’m hoping it’s a cyclical thing with us, but if we can get these kids signed up we’ll be okay.”
