Though its schedule was mediocre, Mainland has "size, speed, and they're well coached," coach Mike Gottman says.
By MIKE READLING
Published December 4, 2003
DURANT - By now, the game tapes have been watched and all the Daytona Beach Mainland Buccaneers are to Durant - besides Friday's opponent in a Class 5A state semifinal - are a bunch of snippets, phrases and numbers.
"Fast," was how offensive lineman Daniel Boston described them.
Cougars coach Mike Gottman resorted to numbers for his description of Mainland's offense.
"They're big up front, and No. 5 and No. 6 can go the distance at any time," he said. "No. 8 is a big wide receiver, and their quarterback is a big, strong kid."
He was referring to Vince Wilson (No. 5), Avery Atkins (No. 6), Travis Parks (No. 8) and quarterback Jon Garner, though, at this point, names don't matter much to anyone in a Durant uniform.
What does matter is finding a way to, at the very least, hold them in check for 48 minutes as the Cougars try to earn their first state championship berth.
First on that list is slowing down Mainland's offense, which blazed through a mediocre regular-season schedule but has proved itself during the playoffs.
The Buccaneers (12-1) finished the regular season with a 31-9 loss to Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna Prep, perhaps the toughest team they faced all year with a 9-1 regular-season record and now in the 2A final. Their other 10 opponents finished a combined 40-60.
In its 10 regular-season games, Mainland averaged almost 30 points and allowed just more than six. In the playoffs, those numbers are 27 points scored and 10 allowed.
The reason for that is speed.
Atkins is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound junior who plays running back (gaining more than 10 yards per carry) and defensive back, where he intercepts most anything within his reach.
Against Neptune Beach Fletcher in the region final, Atkins, who has been clocked at 4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash, returned an interception 26 yards to set up Mainland's second touchdown then scored in the fourth to seal the 21-7 victory.
And he's not even the Buccaneers' main ball carrier. That is Wilson, who has more than 1,700 yards rushing this season, his second straight season with more than 1,000 yards.
Defensively, the Buccaneers rely on Travis Roland (144 tackles entering last week's game), Gerald Hankerson (78 tackles, 12 sacks) and Brent Davis (79 tackles) to keep offenses off the field.
"They've got it all," Gottman said. "Size, speed, and they're well coached."
That could be said for Durant as well. But Mainland does have one thing the Cougars are quickly gaining - big game experience.
Mainland hasn't missed the playoffs since 1993 and is playing in its second straight state semifinal. (Wharton beat it 30-3 last year.) Durant made the playoffs for the first time last season. It beat Hillsborough 35-19 before losing to Wharton 20-14 in the second round.
Experience in games such as this can't be overlooked, and Gottman said he knows it.
"I think (Mainland) knows what the competition level is like and that they have to turn it up a notch," he said.
"But for us, all we have to do is treat it like any other football game. Prepare well and not make any mistakes."
