Lely Explosive in Spring Game Win

If spring football is any indication, the Lely offense is going to be a handful for opposing defenses. The Trojans’ offense lit up the Riverdale defense Thursday night, May 23, outscoring the scrappy Raiders 48-28 on a hot, muggy evening at Trojan Stadium.

Lely’s offensive weapons - or scholarship players as head coach Ben Hammer likes to call them - were explosive on the ground and through the air. 

"Our scholarship players tonight were scholarship players,” Hammer said. "You can't take anything away from them. They all played lights out. I think we've got a bunch that aren't afraid to run the ball or have the ball in their hands or aren't afraid of big moments. We've talked about big-time players making big-time plays in big-time moments. And they all did that all night long." 

Rising junior quarterback Carter Quinn, a Naples High transfer, showed command of the offense, whether passing (13-26, 3 TDs, one interception) or running for tough yards. 

"I think he was really sharp,” Hammer said, "made a lot of good decisions. And his football IQ is what sets him apart. There was a third down that we kind of needed the first down on our last scoring drive to keep going. We were kind of going back and forth about what we were going to call. He looked at the sideline and called the play and put us in the exact right formation and the exact right call. That's stuff he's done all spring against our own defense. We've got a handful of pretty special players.”

Part of that handful of special players are running backs Jayvian Tanelus and Nino Joseph. Tanelus was one of the area’s top rushers as a sophomore last season before being lost for the season with a leg injury early in week five. He’s back and showing no signs of lingering effects of the injury. Tanelus gained 103 yards on just eight carries, scoring three times. Joseph, who gained 825 yards as a freshman last season after taking over for Tanelus, gained 67 yards on seven carries. He also returned the second-half kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown and scored on a 25-yard catch and run. Both Tanelus and Joseph have offers from Pitt. A third running back, rising senior Leo Jean Baptiste, picked up some tough yards to help Lely run out the clock to seal the win.

Jayce Cora,  an up-and-coming senior wide receiver who also lines up on defense, scored on two long TD catches - one a 50-yarder - and a two-point conversion catch while gaining over 100 yards receiving. Defensively, Cora doesn’t hesitate to stick his nose in the action and make big stops.

“Jayce’s a special player,” said Hammer. "We're going to expect a lot of him. You can't complain about your plate being too full if your goal is to eat and be as big-time as he is. There's a reason he's got Notre Dame and Louisville and all those big-time offers. We're excited and happy he's wearing orange and black. Jayce did what Jayce is supposed to do. Carter did what Carter is supposed to do. Nino and Jayvian did what they're supposed to do. Same with Gage Rice, same with Wally Monpremier." 

Both Rice and Monpremier are seniors. Rice burst on the scene for Lely as a junior transfer from Marco Island Academy last season, leading the team in touchdown receptions (six). He made several catches against Riverdale despite being banged up throughout the game. Monpremier, a defensive leader, made four tackles for loss on the evening.

“Wally was high and low and inconsistent last year,” Hammer said, “We’ve preached all offseason for him to be more consistent and play with a high motor. He’s done all of that, showing up and dedicating himself to the weight room. If he can do that all fall, he’s going to be a player to be reckoned with. I’m so super proud of him being consistent all night long." 

Hammer is equally impressed with a number of his up-and-coming players.

“We couldn't have done it without the young guys that had to start,” Hammer said. "We had four different people, three at the same position, that were banged up. We had nine freshmen play a bunch in the game. They scratched and clawed and did everything they could to be successful. We're super proud of those freshmen and the sophomores that battled to be out there and battled to have starting positions. We started two freshmen on the offensive line. We had two freshmen, two sophomores and a junior on the offensive line. Going into the game, we only dressed six offensive linemen and five defensive linemen. We played two freshmen at corner, a freshman at safety. Now Jayce makes those guys look a little better.”

Hammer is now on to the next phase.

“We get back in the weight room,” Hammer said. "We work on all the things we've got to improve on. We by far didn't play perfect tonight. First, we're going to take a couple of days off and then come back. I think we come back June 3. We'll do some fundraisers and have our kids attend camp again. Play in some seven on seven tournaments and just continue to improve and get better.”

The Trojans will add 6’4", 290-pound offensive lineman Duece Thornton, an emerging senior who is recovering from ACL surgery. Thornton is the son of new Lely offensive coordinator Tim Thornton, who Hammer worked under in his first coaching job. Tim Thornton won a state title at Peoria in 2016.

"Deuce will be healthy in the fall,” Hammer said. “We look forward to that. We also think we've got a couple freshmen that have been coming to our freshman workouts that have a chance to help us on the varsity."

Lely will participate in a preview game at Palmetto on August 16. The Trojans travel to Sarasota Booker for their regular season opener on August 23.