The Cougars didn’t make the playoffs in 2015, but their season was more successful than many expected it to be. Can they build a better engine in 2016?
Life is easier for a football program when it doesn’t face many questions.
That’s why the mood at Durant has generally been good this offseason: the 2015 season revealed the Cougars have the talent to find themselves in the playoffs. That’s the way head coach Mike Gottman sees it.
“I think we’re going to be pretty solid this year,” Gottman says. “Not a lot of holes.”
Many of Durant’s key players from 2015 will be back, and the expectations at 4748 Cougar Path are that those boys will look better than ever on the field.
LAST YEAR'S MODEL
Durant got off to a great start in 2015, winning its first four games: thr Cougars upset a highly-touted Hillsborough High team, 16-7, in the season opener; steamrolled Spoto, 34-13; picked up a long-desired win over Newsome, 16-14; and thrashed East Bay, 34-14, in the district opener.
Even the team’s first misstep, a 27-24 double-overtime loss at Leonard, wasn’t something to get too bummed about — especially since it outscored Bloomingdale and Strawberry Crest, 43-28, in its next two games.
The Cougars have long relied on a physical run game to wear down opponents, but then-sophomore quarterback Carlton Potter established himself as a solid pocket passer and earned Gottman’s trust. Potter threw 12 touchdowns against three interceptions, racking up 1,033 yards and a 93.2 quarterback rating. Although then-senior Austin Resendez led the team with 384 receiving yards, two of the team’s new offensive stars started to emerge: wideout Brandon Myers led the group with six touchdown catches, and tight end Steven Witchoskey scored three times and averaged 15 yards per catch.
Jake Harris solidified himself as the team’s top running back, going for 872 yards and four touchdowns. Harris, known for his athleticism, will be joined in the stable this season by Cameron Myers, who averaged eight yards per carry on 20 touches last season.
On defense, mike linebacker Jake Ross led the team with 92 tackles (49 solo, 43 assisted). Defensive back Jaden Garrett was the unit’s other leader, with 66 tackles, one interception, one forced fumble and a blocked field goal.
The only problem was that, because of a boatload of injuries, a weakened Durant team lost its final three games: 21-16 against Plant City in the Redman Cup Game; 28-0 against a ferocious Tampa Bay Tech team; and 16-13 in overtime while hosting a 5-6 King team.
“The injuries really took a toll on us down the stretch,” Gottman says.
THIS YEAR'S MODEL
The team’s focus has been staying injury-free, which has mostly worked thus far.
Doing so meant the boys had to step up their game in the weight room.
“We’ve got a very good strength and conditioning program,” Gottman says. “We started lifting in January, right up until spring ball. As soon as spring ball was over, we kept lifting. We worked really hard in the weight room to develop that mass, strength and speed.”
He set out to get a bigger, stronger, faster team, and the boys — especially Potter, who gained 40 pounds in the offseason — complied.
Of course, not everything went to plan. The team lost Garrett to a torn ACL, and the staff wasn’t immediately sure who would replace him.
“It’s hard to fill a guy’s shoes like Jaden’s,” Gottman says. “He’s been a three-year starter for us. But, you know, next guy up.’”
Even without Garrett, the offseason work has given Gottman and the Cougars high hopes for the 2016 season. Should Durant keep up the hard work, Gottman says, good things could come its way.
“We’re executing at a pretty high level,” he says.
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
