TREASURE COAST TITANS

THREE PLAYERS

TO WATCH

JOHN WILLIAMSSenior center2011 stats: N/ACoach Jones: “He knows where everybody on the whole entire line is supposed to be and what their assignment is. He can call anything up front.”

DERRICK NGSenior defensive end2011 stats: N/ACoach Jones: “He’s not going to make a lot of noise or get too excited after making a play, but he is very strong and is very sound (technique-wise) in all he does.”

FRIDAYNIGHT

MEMORIES 2008STRENGTHSSPEED/ATHLETICISMTreasure Coast is very athletic and believes it has the speed to create mismatches on both sides of the ball. Linebacker Calvin Bowens will lead an attacking defense that will have multiple fronts. Cornerback Justin Williams and safety Carl Chisolm provide a physical presence in the backfield. The team lost its top three rushers from 2011, but feels this year’s backs have a lot of potential, especially Digwon Harris (130 yards, 5.9 yards per carry last season).

WEAKNESSESQUARTERBACKTreasure Coast lost all-area quarterback Travares Copeland to graduation and will look to unproven junior Willie Micco to take over. Micco doesn’t have the athleticism Copeland had, but the Titans coaches are excited about his arm and his intelligence. If Micco can manage the game effectively and avoid turnovers, Treasure Coast could exceed expectations. The offensive line will be counted on to do more run blocking than it did last year and must prove reliable in opening holes.

KEY GAMENOV. 2: AT VERO BEACHIn a three-team district with St. Lucie West Centennial and Vero Beach, the Titans likely only need one win to qualify for the postseason. While Treasure Coast plays Centennial — the defending district champion — first, the entire season could come down to the game against Vero Beach. Treasure Coast led Vero Beach heading into the fourth quarter last year, but lost 35-24. This year’s game will be at Vero Beach, always a tough environment for visiting teams.

PREDICTION5-4, 0-2 DISTRICT 8-8ABased on the way Treasure Coast’s schedule is set up, the team should have a pretty impressive record heading into October, but it will get a strong test early against Daytona Beach-Mainland in the third week of the season. Nothing will come easy the final two months of the season, especially with district games against Centennial and Vero Beach. Palm Bay always is a tough matchup and Monsignor Pace has a handful of players committed to Division I programs.

SCHEDULEAugust31 at Village Academy 7:30September7 at Fort Pierce Westwood 713 at Mainland 721 University 728 Barrington Christian 7October5 St. Lucie West Centennial 712 Monsignor Pace 7November2 at Vero Beach 78 Palm Bay 7

DEPTH CHARTOFFENSE

Pos Name No Cl Ht WtQB WillieMicco 4 Jr. 6-0 185RB DiqwounHarris 20 Jr. 5-9 190WR DevinFerguson 2 Sr. 6-1 190WR ChrisMcAllister 5 Sr. 5-10 175WR AnthonyChoppa 11 So. 6-2 180TE AustinWhitehead 80 So. 6-1 210LT LloydLero 75 Jr. 6-5 280LG KavisMoxam 55 Sr. 5-11 225C JohnWilliams 50 Sr. 5-10 210RG DemitriusBuford 56 Sr. 6-0 240RT FredricFrancois 53 Jr. 6-0 245

DEFENSEPos Name No Cl Ht WtDE DerrickNg 6 Sr. 6-4 195NT DominicJackson 71 Sr. 6-1 275DE KavisMoxam 55 Sr. 5-11 225LB ChrisAponte 8 Sr. 6-2 180LB CalvinBowens 32 Jr. 6-2 215LB ChadRebrovic 45 Sr. 5-11 190LB DevinFerguson 2 Sr. 6-1 190LB AscarraMorris 12 Jr. 5-8 170LB ChrisMcAllister 5 Sr. 5-10 175CB JustinWilliams 21 Sr. 6-2 180FS CarlChisholm 1 Sr. 5-10 185

SPECIAL TEAMSPos Name No Cl Ht WtK/PJustinWalker 41 Sr. 5-11 175

RESERVESYohanElliot(7,Jr.,DB/WR),JosephKneip(9,So.,QB),IsaacProvidence(17,Sr.,DL),JasonHsu(25,Fr.,RB),JuanPenaran(29,K,Sr.),RomeloAlvarado(42,Jr.,DL),JhevanteCampbell(44,Jr.,DL),DylanMullikin(46,So.,DB/WR),DanielJones(48,Jr.,LB/TE),DrewHoppas(49,Sr.,DL),DennisNortelus(54,Jr.,OL),DerekHadley(59,Jr.,OL),ChristianRivas(60,Jr.,DL),HerbertDalusma(62,Sr.,OL),ThiagoLeite(70,Sr.,OL),JoelCarson(74,Sr.,OL),JusticeCarim(77,Sr.,DL),AngelGarcia(83,Jr.,WR),HaydenMurphy(89,Jr.,WR),SeanSullins(97,Sr.,DL),DarrellJohnson(99,Sr.,DL)

COACHING STAFFCoach: Irvin Jones (third year)Record: 9-102011: 4-5, 0-2 District 8-8AAssistants: Aaron Sheppard (defensive coordinator, inside linebackers and recruiting coordinator), Antwuan Wyatt (offensive coordinator), Julius Franklin (offensive line), Jordan Marshall (wide receivers), Anthony Prince (running backs), Jabari Williams (quarterbacks), Levar Sims (defensive line), John Williams (outside linebackers), Johnny Frost (defensive line)

STADIUMSOUTH COUNTY REGIONAL STADIUM (5,000)Playing Surface: GrassAddress: Northwest Stadium Drive, Port St. LucieDirections: From Interstate 95, take Exit 121 and go east on St. Lucie West Boulevard. Turn left on N.W. Peacock Boulevard and go approximately ¼ mile and turn right on Northwest Stadium Drive. Stadium is on the right.Main Office: 772-785-6660On the web: www.stlucie.k.12.fl.us/tch

RIVALS ■ Fort Pierce Central ■ St. Lucie West Centennial ■ Vero Beach

JUSTIN WILLIAMSSenior CB/RB 2011 stats: 41 tacklesCoach Jones: “He is very, very fast, of course. He is a very coachable kid. You tell him to do something once and he picks it up. He never talks back.”

We had so much talent on that field last year, and we couldn’t win but four games. I just think we were not as

close as a team as we should have been. I think we had a little individualism on the team.”

Irvin Jones, Treasure Coast head coach

By Jon SantucciSpecial to Treasure Coast Newspapers

PORT ST. LUCIE — Treasure Coast High School football coach Irvin Jones is determined not to see a repeat of the 2011 season.

It’s not just that Treasure Coast had a two-year playoff streak snapped or that it suffered its first losing season since 2007. It is even more than the disappoint-ment of having double-digit leads in both district games and failing to finish off St. Lucie West Cen-tennial or Vero Beach.

It’s that Treasure Coast lost sight of what made it successful in the first place.

“We had so much talent on that field last year, and we couldn’t win but four games,” Jones said. “I just think we were not as close as a team as we should have been. I think we had a little individual-ism on the team.

“I think it was a little bit on both the coaches and the play-ers. When you start having success, you forget what got you there. That (2009) season (when Treasure Coast reached the Region 2-6A championship game), those guys loved each

other. You go in the cafeteria and they all sat together, no mat-ter what. They opened doors for the teachers and for the female students and we want to get back to that — to being that positive role model.”

Seeing that his team no longer had the foundation he wanted, Jones sat down before the spring and came up with an attitude he wanted his team to have. From it, the “Titan Creed” was born.

One copy hangs on the wall in Jones’ office, another in the lock-er room. Treasure Coast players have been asked to memorize — and internalize — what it says.

For Jones, the first line says it all: “I will sacrifice individual glory for the overall success of the team.”

“This season will be a success if we continue to play together,” Jones said. “That’s it. We want to play for each other. We want to win for us. No individualism.”

The Treasure Coast coaching staff went to drastic measures in the spring, kicking players off the team who had the wrong attitude. Treasure Coast does not have any captains this season to ensure no player loses focus on team objec-

tives. When the team schedule came back from the printer, the word “we” was scripted in light gray and served as the backdrop. The team’s T-shirts have the same message.

“All you used to hear is, ‘We this’ and, ‘We that,’ ” Jones said. “We got away from it for a while, but we’re going to get back to that this year.”

Later in the creed is the re-minder that a strong bond is crucial to success: “I will not leave a fallen teammate.”

One of the policies Jones im-plemented was no negative com-ments in practice.

If a player makes a mistake, the coaches are the only ones who can “get on” that player. If someone starts tearing down a teammate, they have been forced to run.

“We told them from the first day, ‘Coaches will get on you. You need to pick each other up,’ ” Jones said.

The team has gotten the mes-sage and coaches have com-mented throughout camp about how much fun players are having. The only remaining question is if it will translate to wins.

‘Titan Creed’Treasure Coast adopts mantra to put team first

7-3Why it was special: After losing 17 of 20 games in its first two seasons, Treasure Coast posted its first winning season and narrowly missed going to the playoffs in coach Bill Kelley’s second season.By the numbers: The Titans started 5-1, posted their first two

shutouts and scored 30 points or more four times.Playmakers: Running back Travis Jones finished with 1,404 yards and 22 touchdowns. Quarterback Dylan Parker completed 51 percent of his passes for 1,168 yards and 11 TDs. Patrick Harris caught 36 passes for 606 yards and five TDs. On defense,

Jeff Luc had 125 tackles, 22 for loss, and eight sacks. Ed Foley added 107 tackles, 24 for loss, and eight sacks.Etc.: Only a 21-15 loss to South Fork, in which two long runs deep into South Fork territory were erased by penalties, kept the Titans from reaching the playoffs for the first time.

HOBIE HILER/SPECIAL TO TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS

Treasure Coast’s quarterback Willie Micco (4) throws the ball in the first half of their kickoff classic game against Fort Pierce Cetral at Lawnwood Stadium in Fort Pierce last Friday. Fort Pierce Central won 35-0.