PORT ST. LUCIE – As the No. 1 seed in Class 4S-Region 3, the Treasure Coast Titans (9-2; No. 1-ranked team on the Treasure Coast) have lived up to the hype, to say the least.
Here is what the Titan Born Titan Bred squad has achieved in the playoffs to date and what is coming up:
•Class 4S-Region 3 quarterfinal: Defeated No. 8 seed Osceola (Kissimmee), 28-0 – Friday, Nov. 10
•Class 4S-Region 3 semifinal: Defeated No. 4 seed Vero Beach, 21-12 – Friday, Nov. 17
•Class 4S-Region 3 final: Will face off against No. 3 seed DeLand (10-2) tonight (Nov. 24; 7 p.m. kickoff)
We will defer to Treasure Coast Titans team photographer and New Era Prep collaborator Mark Riemer on his analysis from the Vero Beach game and more.
FROM MARK RIEMER
“I think the game was very well balanced between both teams,” Riemer said of the Treasure Coast-Vero Beach playoff game. “It was odd to see local referees calling the game, but their play calls in this game were good.”
Riemer on the Treasure Coast offense:
“The TC offense hustled hard and moved the ball very well down the field equally between [George] Roberts, [Jamison] Davis, and [Demari] Scott,” Riemer said. “The passing game this go around was minimal because of a very aggressive defense by Vero. Roberts’ last-minute decision to run the ball on a pass play was a very good call by someone who read the field, his options, and took the opportunity to secure the game.”
Riemer on the Treasure Coast defense:
“The TC defense was holding down the line, preventing Vero from many pass plays. They read the runs to stop them with minimal gains. They lacked in reading the change by Vero’s quarterback to run the ball multiple times, which led to huge first down gains and even a touchdown. The blocked field goal kick by Nikko Lopez and recovery by Shamir Stirling that created a huge field advantage for TC’s offense, along with Leland Beckford chasing down the turned over ball, were the biggest plays on that side.”
Riemer on Vero Beach’s mission and outcome:
“Vero clearly came with a purpose to win,” Riemer said. “But they underestimated the strength of TC overall. The biggest plays for Vero were the QB runs and TD, along with the forced fumble on Jamison Davis then recovery with a very long return on that ball. However, that drive was stopped by the TC defense and Vero was kept from scoring.”
Riemer on what we should expect from tonight’s Treasure Coast-DeLand playoff game:
“TC wins win by staying focused, positive, and pushing for the big plays,” Riemer said. “Each player on the field holds some kind of asset to their roles, and if they all contribute like they have in these last two playoff games, they will have the win against DeLand. Their ability to pass and run now will be huge to scoring, plus the defense will keep being aggressive, which will shut the DeLand offense down. DeLand runs the same running offense that we used to play, so the defense should be able to read and stop them in their tracks.”
FINAL ANALYSIS: We fully expect Treasure Coast to waltz into the Class 4S state semifinals next week at home. This would be the second state semifinal appearance at home in three seasons.
PHOTO AND VIDEO CREDITS: Mark Riemer/RRR Photography
