TOWN ‘N’ COUNTRY — Alonso hasn’t played a postseason football game since 2010. Hayden Cantrell thinks that ends this fall.
The Ravens’ fifth-year coach returns a junior quarterback he considers one of the best in the state, a receiving corps already collecting college offers and his top two tacklers on defense. After going 6-4 last season and 24-16 in his four years, Cantrell said the only goal left is the one Alonso hasn’t reached in 15 seasons.
“We haven’t been to the postseason in a long time, and that’s kind of been goal No. 1 since I’ve gotten here,” he said. “Although we didn’t make it last year, the goal was not really just to make it and kind of be pleased. We know that we’ve got the talent, we’ve got the coaches, we’ve got the numbers, too, so once we get into that postseason tournament, we’ve got a chance to make a dent.”
Getting there means surviving the new Class 6A-District 11, which is no cakewalk, and a schedule that includes St. Petersburg Catholic, Strawberry Crest and Palm Harbor University. But Cantrell believes he has the offensive and defensive tools, and the roster numbers, to do it.
Players say the program is built for that now in a way it wasn’t when he arrived.
“The new coaches that came in, they really set a new culture and laid it all out for us, and all the players bought in,” junior quarterback Michael Pyne said. “And the results have shown that. The school’s starting to get excited for the football games, so it’s going to be a fun season.
“That makes playing even more fun.”
Winning helps, too, and the Ravens have trended that way.
“The first four seasons, we kind of just, bam, one after another,” Cantrell said. “We started out with back-to-back 7-3 seasons, then, bam, took a step back with 4-6, then go 6-4 last year. So, in a way, it’s just been one right after another, but it’s always been in the right direction.”
It starts with Pyne, who accounted for 2,006 total yards and 20 total touchdowns as a sophomore. Cantrell calls him one of the best quarterbacks in the area, if not one of the top three in the state.
“We live and die by Pyne and what he does under center,” the coach said.
This season, Pyne is adjusting to new weapons around him — young ones poised to break out.
Sophomore Kamar Findlay is the most likely top target. He was quiet as a freshman, but colleges have taken notice of his tall frame and athleticism, and he already holds six offers, including from South Florida and Penn State. A.J. Drake, who has an offer from Delaware State, has been tabbed at slot receiver, and the Ravens’ top returning receiver, Amare Daniels (347 yards, one touchdown, a Wofford offer), carries big expectations.
“We got another little utility guy, a speedster, a jet sweep guy,” Cantrell said. “All that fun stuff, all those little toys to play with. It makes my life easier. High-scoring offense is always fun.”
The defense returns Alonso’s top two tacklers: senior linebacker John Carrothers (76 tackles, 18 for a loss, three sacks, a fumble recovery) and junior defensive back Benjamin Rose (74 tackles, two interceptions).
“It’s going to be long practices for the offense,” Cantrell said, “because the defense can take care of business. They’re going to make things tough.”
The Ravens will take tough, as long as it ends with something they haven’t had in 15 years.
“That’s a big thing,” Pyne said. “We expect to get there, for sure, but we’re not, ‘Oh, we made the playoffs and that’s it, we’re satisfied.’ We’re going for a state run. We don’t care about, ‘Oh, we finally made the playoffs.’ We’re locked in and we’re going for a state (championship) run.”
2026 Alonso Football Schedule
Aug. 21 at Middleton; Aug. 28 at Land O’ Lakes; Sept. 4 vs. Riverview; Sept. 18 vs. Wharton; Sept. 25 at Palm Harbor; Oct. 2 vs. Newsome; Oct. 9 vs. Strawberry Crest; Oct. 16 at St. Pete Catholic; Oct. 23 vs. Steinbrenner; Oct. 30 at Chamberlain