Prep Football 2017 Preview: Barron Collier has buzz coming off playoffs
Adam Fisher
There’s a new energy around the Barron Collier High school football team this fall.
The coach is the same. So is his staff. And many of the players are back, too.
The new atmosphere comes not from any personnel changes, but from the raised expectations in Cougar Nation. For the first time since any of these players have been in high school, Barron Collier is no longer the underdog.
The Cougars return 19 starters from last season, when they made the playoffs for the first time in four years. The team now expects big things in coach Mark Jackson’s third season.
“We want to expand on (2016),” senior linebacker Kyle Thune said. “We want to win a playoff game. It might be a hard task, but we think we can do it this year. We’re really confident.”
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When Jackson arrived before the 2015 season, Barron Collier was coming off back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in 15 years. The Cougars missed the playoffs in Jackson’s first year, giving them their longest postseason drought in more than 20 years.
Barron Collier had a winning record in 2015 (6-4), it just didn’t finish in the top two of its district. The Cougars went 5-5 last fall, but claimed runner-up in Class 6A-District 12, giving them a playoff berth.
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Jackson turned the team around on the field, but his biggest accomplishment might have been in the locker room. The coach said his players are now thinking like winners who should compete for the playoffs every single season.
“They realize the expectations now, from how we practice to how we go to class to how we hit it in the weight room,” Jackson said. “They believe that will lead them to be successful.”
This is Jackson’s most experienced group since he took over the Cougars. The only thin spot might be defensive line, where Barron Collier returns one starter.
The Cougars lost gritty three-year starting quarterback Jack Bueltel, who finished a game last season with a collapsed lung. But the injury allowed Jacob Kuhlman to step in under center.
As a junior last season, Kuhlman started the final three regular-season games and split time with Bueltel in the playoff loss to Fort Myers. Two inches taller and 20 pounds heavier, Kuhlman (5-11, 170) will be the full-time starter in this his senior season.
“We have a good team coming back – a lot of skill positions, a good defense, a good (offensive) line,” Kuhlman said. “We want to go into (this season) with the same mentality to win, be the best we can, and keep on pushing.”
Kuhlman is surrounded by weapons, including four receivers with starting experience. And he will be well protected with three starters back on the offensive line.
Jackson is confident enough in his offense that he’s moved 1,000-yard rusher Dana Brown to defense. Brown will play defensive back, while Andres Satizabal will be the primary ball carrier. Brown also will see several plays on offense each game, Jackson said.
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On defense, Barron Collier has five linebackers with starting experience and three returning starters in the secondary.
The buzz around Barron manifested in a strong offseason workout program, Jackson said. The Cougars lifted weights at 6:15 a.m. from December until the start of preseason practice. A 31-12 win over Lee County power South Fort Myers in the spring game only heightened the excitement this summer.
Jackson put together a rigorous schedule this season intended to challenge his team. Seven of Barron Collier’s 10 opponents made the playoffs last season, including a Week 1 matchup with a California school at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports near Orlando.
“We attack each day with the opportunity to win that one day,” Jackson said. “You can’t worry about yesterday. You can’t worry about the next day. You just focus on what you’re doing in that one moment.
“We focus on the process, and hopefully that process leads us to where we want to be. If we’re 1-0 each day, we’ll be OK.”
BARRON COLLIER COUGARS
Coach: Mark Jackson (third season)
District: Class 6A-12
Last year: 5-6, district runner-up, lost in regional quarterfinals
Key losses: QB Jack Bueltel, RB/DB Jacine Olibrice, TE Tyler Soulliere, LB Kevin Thorne
Returning starters: Offense – QB Jacob Kuhlman, RB Andres Satizabal, RB/DB Dana Brown, WR Bryce Cousins, WR/DB Jayden Rolle, WR Jake Scuderi, WR Ryan Harder, OL Nick Tenley, OL Fransico Medina, OL Elkhanan Tanelus, K Ryan Bloch; Defense – DL Armand Sala; LB Kyle Thune, LB Christian Tolbert, LB Tyler Mansfiled, LB Ty VanBeeber, DB Michael McLay
Outlook: With 19 returning starters from a team that made the playoffs, the Cougars have high hopes for 2017. Barron Collier ended a four-year playoff drought last season, its longest in 20 years. The Cougars have beefed up their schedule to challenge themselves for a hopeful playoff appearance. Seven of their 10 opponents made the postseason last year, including a Week 1 game against a team from California in Kissimmee.
SCHEDULE
Aug. 24 – La Crescenta (Calif.)-Crescenta Valley, at Kissimmee, 9 p.m.
Sept. 1 – at First Baptist, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 8 – Immokalee, 7 p.m.
Sept. 15 – Miami-Westminster, 7 p.m.
Sept. 22 – Bye
Sept. 28 – Golden Gate, 7 p.m.
Oct. 6 – at Gulf Coast, 7 p.m.
Oct. 13 – at Palmetto Ridge, 7 p.m.
Oct. 20 – St. Cloud, 7 p.m
Oct. 27 – Naples, 7 p.m.
Nov. 3 – at Hardee, 7:30 p.m.
BARRON COLLIER COUGARS
No. Name Pos. Year
1 Andres Satizabal RB Sr.
2 Yovani Nunez DB Sr.
3 Dana Brown RB/DB Sr.
4 Michael McLay DB Jr.
4 Benjamin Dumond WR So.
5 Matthew Meleqi WR Sr.
6 Drew Powell WR So.
7 Jayden Rolle WR/DB Jr.
7 Jason Grimes QB So.
8 Kyle Thune LB Sr.
9 Noah Mann DB Sr.
10 Naquan Bryant WR So.
10 Sean Means QB So.
11 C.J. Addison DL Fr.
11 Aidin D’Elia LB So.
12 Jacob Kuhlman QB Sr.
12 Allan Hernandez LB So.
13 Jake Scuderi WR Sr.
14 Ryan Bloch K Jr.
15 Parker Narrell TE Jr.
16 Roman Audzei DB So.
16 Bryce Cousins WR Sr.
17 Logan Rodriguez WR Sr.
17 Jacob Ostler K So.
17 Dominic Pappalardo LB So.
18 Luke Hancock WR Jr.
19 Aron Chew WR Sr.
20 Ty VanBebber LB Sr.
20 Jeremiah Bolte LB So.
21 Lloyd Montgomery DB Jr.
22 Anthony Guerra LB Jr.
23 Cristian Tulbure LB Jr.
23 Joseph DiPascale RB So.
24 Tyler Mansfield LB Sr.
27 Manny Mireles WR Sr.
27 Trevor Williams DB Jr.
28 Connor Welling WR Jr.
30 Tyler Keon DB So.
30 Tyler Brechel LB Jr.
31 Jonathan Guitard RB Jr.
32 Joel Cosme DB Sr.
33 Alan Berrios DB So.
33 Mason Campbell K Fr.
34 Carsen Van Camp DL So.
35 Chandler Burke TE So.
35 Romeo Jiminez WR So.
40 Andrew Buschle LS So.
42 Armand Sala DL Jr.
44 Morgan Cardillo DB So.
44 Calogero Carollo LB So.
46 Colten Merchant WR So.
50 Sebastian Torres DL Jr.
51 Chris Healy DL Jr.
51 William Nicholson DL So.
52 Jarret English OL Jr.
52 Nicholas Clayton DL So.
54 Daniel Marquez DL So.
55 Hunter Williams LB Jr.
65 Fransico Medina OL/DL Sr.
72 Elkhanan Tanelus OL/DL Jr.
74 Morgan Vereen OL Sr.
76 Nick Tenley OL Sr.
77 Joseph Landy OL/DL So.
78 Ryan Diaz OL So.
79 Tyler Miller DL Sr.
80 Gage Evans WR So.
82 Ryan Harder WR Jr.
85 Kaidn Soars WR Jr.