Spring Report: Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons

Posted on May 10, 2018 by Marcus Benjamin

Marcus Benjamin @_benjaminmoney

Cardinal Gibbons has been building a solid program for years now and the nation is starting to take notice.  Scouts from D-1 programs across the country came to watch the young Chiefs of Broward County at Joseph C. Carter Park in Fort Lauderdale.  School scouts represented were Miami, LSU, Georgia, Pittsburgh, Auburn, Illinois and South Carolina just to name a few. Head Coach Matt Dubuc feels his program is headed in the right direction and feels good about the future.  

“We are continuing to try and build our program,” said Head Coach Dubuc.  “You can see all the scouts out here tonight see what we have. Not just for now but for years to come.”

Offense:  2019 quarterback Nik Scalzo looked polished and has total command of the offense.  The dual threat quarterback displayed quick footwork in the pocket and scrambled to get extra yards when the opportunity arrived as he so often does.  He found his big 2019 tight end Nikolas Ogrenovic streaking down the sideline for an easy touchdown.  This Nik to Nik combination will be a problem for opposing defenses this fall.  The Davis and Davis running back combination will also be a force to be reckoned with for Gibbons football as both powered their way over the goal line for scores.  Both 2019 Vincent Davis and 2020 Tajae Davis bring a great combination of speed and power to an already explosive offense.  

 

“Davis and Davis are the best two running backs I’ve seen in a long time,” said Coach Dubuc.  “Their style is similar to Perrine and Mixon when they were at Oklahoma. They are both complete backs.  Vince can run with power and Tajae for a big guy can be shifty.”

 

Talented 2019 Offensive Lineman Wille Hepburn looked imposing on the offensive line opening up holes for his running backs.  Senior receivers Chris Benestad and Dimon Stewart made several defenders miss in the open field.  Dijon Senior caught a nice ball down the sideline for a touchdown from 2021 backup quarterback Brody Palhegyi who also looked impressive commanding the huddle.  Rising sophomore receiver Troy Stellato adds size and speed to one of the best assembly of weapons in South Florida.  

 

Defense:  2019 Defensive end Khris Bogle is one of the more physically impressive defenders in the state.  He was able to break through the line and get an arm on Scalzo registering a sack.  2019 defensive back Allen Bryant made some solid plays in the secondary in press coverage.  Senior Linebacker Yahweh Jeudy had a crushing hit on Ogrenovic over the middle and 2019 Linebacker Trevis Robinson showed good closing speed on the ball.  

 

Special Teams:  2019 Kicker Daton Matiel looked impressive hitting several field goals and extra points from distance.  

“Scalzo’s a general out there and once we get our young receivers on the same page and get them dialed in I think offensively with our line we’ll be much better than they were tonight.  

Gibbons will take on Palm Beach power Dwyer in about two weeks in a spring game.

 

About Marcus Benjamin

Marcus Benjamin works as the senior writer and editor for FootballHotbed.com. He attended Florida A&M and Florida Memorial University completing a bachelors degree in communications in 2010. He's covered high school football in the South Florida area since 2010 for the Miami Herald, Miami Sports Tribune and ShawSports.net. He is married and lives in Fort, Lauderdale, FL.
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