Going into the 2009 season, the Lake Gibson Braves knew they were going to have to get the ball in Remi Watson’s hands.

  They just didn’t know they would need him this much.

  Watson, a junior, led the county with 1,410 rushing yards on 180 carries and led the Braves to the playoffs as Class 4A-8 district champions. Watson is The Ledger’s 2009 Large School Offensive Player of the Year, the first time The Ledger has selected players of the year from large and small schools in football.

  Lake Gibson coach Keith ­DeMyer said Watson was pivotal to his team’s 7-4 season and playoff run.

  “He was going to have to get so many touches a game for us to excel offensively,” DeMyer said.

  Watson was the team’s ­second-leading rusher in 2008, with 307 yards. Shawndell ­Artis led the team with 1,020 and was slated to be the No. 1 running back this season.

  But Artis missed the team’s first five games, and Watson was ready to carry the load.

  In addition to his rushing yards, Watson scored 16  rushing touchdowns, had 314 receiving yards with another six scores and also was 9-of-11 passing for 81 yards and two touchdowns in limited time filling in for quarterback Quinshon Odom.

  Watson is versatile, but he prefers pounding the rock.

  “I like being the workhorse, because that’s the number they call on when the team’s in a tough position,” he said.

  Watson, who runs 40 yards in 4.5 seconds, said his vision is his best asset, helping him find the holes the Braves” offensive line produced on their way to averaging about 250 yards per game on the ground.

  With Odom graduating and Artis back in the fold, Watson could see more split time at receiver, running back and even quarterback next season.

  “I just want to make it to state next year,” he said.

 - THE LEDGER

 

  - ORLANDO SENTINEL

 

 

 
 

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 OFFENSIVE LINE PAVES WAY FOR TRIO   

   LAKELAND | Being an offensive lineman is a thankless job.

   The big guys make holes for their running backs. They make sure their quarterback’s jersey stays clean. They’re a big part of the offense’s success, yet they don’t get anywhere near the attention lavished upon the guys they keep upright.

  You won’t hear them complain though.

  It’s their job, and if they do it well enough, the rewards late in the season can be shared by everyone, not just the touchdown scorers.

  It’s for that reason that Lake Gibson’s Errin Joe (6-4, 285), Chris Anderson (6-2, 275), Kenton Wilkins (6-2, 300), DeMarcus Martindale (5-10, 255), Kody Jones (6-3, 260) and Justin McCarty (6-2, 300) work so hard in front of Remi Watson, Quinshon Odom and Shawndell Artis.

   And so far, their effort has gotten the Braves into the Class 4A, Region 2 semifinals against Orlando Edgewater at 7:30 on Friday night.

   “They’ve done a great job for us,” Braves head coach Keith DeMyer said. “They’ve had some down weeks, but you’re hoping against quality opponents that they step up and do some good things for us. For the most part, they’ve been solid.”

   The numbers back up DeMyer’s claims. Watson has rushed for more than 1,200 yards this season, including 230 in last week’s 42-14 win over Kissimmee St. Cloud in the Region 2 quarterfinals.

   They’ve also led the way for Artis to rush for more than 500 yards in five games this year and for Odom to throw for nearly 1,000 yards.

   “All year, they’ve pretty much been our best friends,” Odom said. “They’re always there for me on the field and off the field. They make me look real good.”

   The “One Unit” line, as offensive line coach Dan Morse calls them, started to come together after last year’s disappointing 4-6 season.

   The returning seniors and eventual starters pledged to help turn things around to make sure last year wasn’t repeated.

   “That’s something that kind of got started at the end of last year,” Morse said. “A lot of those guys that started last year were young, and some of them hadn’t played a varsity snap before last year. We went 4-6, and we weren’t able to do some of the things on offense that we wanted to do. So they took it as a challenge the day after that Winter Haven game last year that it wasn’t going to be that way this season.

   “I told them at the start of the season, you have some very, very good running backs. If you make them look good, they are going to make you look really good.”

   It’s a job they love to do and do well.

   “To start off the beginning of the year, we were focused on our goals and we came together as a family,” Joe said. “That was one of the most important things we stressed because you can’t have anything if you don’t have family. That’s what really got us together and made us the team we are this year.”

   As for who makes the other look better, the opinions vary. Odom insists his line makes him look good. Anderson and Wilkins insist it’s the other way around.

   If the offense clicks Friday night, both the line and the backs could come out looking like winners.

 - THE LEDGER

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ERRORS COST BRAVES IN BATTLE vs. BLUE DEVILS

  LAKELAND | Winter Haven failed to capitalize on four Lake Gibson turnovers in the second half but two big plays in the first half were enough to defeat the short-handed Braves, 14-7, Friday night before a senior-night crowd of 3,500 fans at Virgil Ramage Stadium.

  Levi Borders' 54-yard touchdown pass to Donald Celiscar with 2:29 remaining in the first half proved to be the difference in the game.

  "We got in the end zone," Winter Haven coach Charlie Tate said. "We missed a lot of opportunities in the second half, but you've to go give them credit. They made some big plays in the end zone to stop us late."

  Lake Gibson was missing starting quarterback Quinshon Odom who was injured last week against Kathleen. Lake Gibson coach Keith DeMyer hopes Odom is back for the playoffs next week against St. Cloud. Shawndell Artis hurt his ankle in the second half but should be ready next week.

  "We're beat up pretty good," Lake Gibson coach Keith DeMyer said.

  Remi Watson took over for Odom and tossed a touchdown pass in the first half, but the Braves' missed Odom's passing.

  The Braves didn't help themselves either by losing fumbles on their first two possessions of the second half and being intercepted on the third.

  Winter Haven recovered the second Lake Gibson fumble at the Braves' 36 but couldn't capitalize. Winter Haven drove to the 6 but quarterback Levi Borders was intercepted in the end zone.

  "Defensively, our kids really did a great job," DeMyer said. "Our offense put us in a hole a bunch, and those jokers dug us out.

  The Blue Devils' second big play of the game put them on the scoreboard with Adam Lane's 60-yard touchdown run. Lake Gibson tied it with a 58-yard drive ended with Watson's 8-yard touchdown toss to Markus Harper.

  In the playoffs next week, Lake Gibson is at home against St. Cloud.

  -  THE LEDGER

 

  LAKELAND  |  Don't ask Remi Watson what position he wants to play. Don't ask Lake Gibson coach Keith DeMyer what position is Watson's best. Their answers will be the same.

  "I just look at myself as an athlete," Watson said. "Whatever they can do to get the ball in my hands, that's what I like. I just like having the ball."

  Said DeMyer: "I don't know. He's an athlete. He could play slot receiver (in college) in a heartbeat. ... Now it could be at running back. You can never tell."

  For Lake Gibson, he's been most productive as a running back as he leads the county in rushing with 966 yards and 13 touchdowns on 126 carries as he closes in on 1,000 yards. He's also a dangerous receiver with 11 receptions for 198 yards and three more touchdowns.

  Watson, a junior, showed that versatility last in his last game against Lake Region when he rushed for 119 yards yards and added 114 yards receiving en route to scoring five touchdowns. And that was coming off a game against Auburndale when he rushed for 200 yards.

  Going into the season, DeMyer described Watson as the team's best playmaker and planned on using him at multiple positions. But Shawndell Artis was expected to be the primary running back with Watson splitting his touches at running back and receiver.

  That changed, however, not by design but by necessity. Artis was forced to miss the first half of the season, which forced Watson into a bigger role in the backfield where he has flourished.

  "We were concerned because we didn't know how Remi would be able to take the pounding," DeMyer said. "We want to run the ball before we throw it. That's what we want to do, but we're not so inept that we can't throw the ball either."

  Whatever his role was to be this year, Watson was determined to make an impact after showing flashes but not consistency in last year's 4-6 season.

  "Mainly, I changed my mindset," Watson said. "I always knew the talent I possessed. I just had to get my mind into it and become a leader and start dedicating myself to what I'm doing, whether it's running, blocking, catching, and so on."

  DeMyer said at first Watson didn't want to play receiver simply because he didn't think the Braves would throw enough. Now, he doesn't care where he plays.

  "I just like to do whatever I can for my team," Watson said. "I just want the ball in my hands."

  With Artis' return, there's been more competition to get the ball in Watson's hands

  "Sometimes it's real tough to have two players who can tote the ball like they can and really try to satisfy both, but you have to forget about satisfying both and do what you need to do to win the ball game," DeMyer said.

  And the Braves also have Markus Harper, quarterback Quinshon Odom and wide receiver Deshae Edwards to make plays on offense.

  The Braves have had many playmakers over the past decade, but Watson sets himself apart as being the most versatile. An honors student, Watson is able to handle multiple roles both physically and mentally.

  "He's very smart," DeMyer said. "He's an intelligent football player. He might be our smartest offensive kid. He's knows about 90 percent of what everybody has to do."

  Watson has football in his genes. His father, Remi Sr., starred at Bethune-Cookman at wide receiver in the mid-'80s where he was an All-American in 1986 and set numerous conference receiving records and remains a driving force for Watson.

  "He's my role model," Watson said. "I always hear about how good he was back in his day. Wearing the same name as my dad, I feel I have a lot to prove."

 - THE LEDGER 

  LAKELAND | Remi Watson's versatility was on full display Friday night.

  Watson scored five times and went over 100 yards rushing and receiving in Lake Gibson's 51-14 thrashing of the Lake Region Thunder in a Class 4A-District 8 matchup in front of an estimated 750 fans at Virgil Ramage Stadium.

  "No matter where you put him, if you give him the opportunity he's going to make big plays for you," Lake Gibson coach Keith DeMyer said.

  Watson totaled 119 yards and three touchdowns on the ground and 114 yards and two touchdowns receiving. The junior had 233 of the Braves' 412 total yards.

  Teammate Shawndell Artis also went over 100 yards on the ground with a team-high 128.

  Watson and Artis were responsible for shaking the Braves out of a first-quarter doldrum that saw them trailing 7-0.

  Watson's first score at 9:03 of the second quarter tied it and an 18-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Quinshon Odom to Watson gave the Braves their first lead of the game, 13-7.

  The Thunder rallied right back as Tyler Stevens hit Dante' Lambert with an 80-yard pump-fake touchdown pass on the next offensive play to give the Thunder back the lead at 14-13.

  It was short-lived though as Artis capped a two play, 68-yard drive with a 40-yard touchdown run to give the Braves back the lead and to end a wild swing that saw three touchdowns in less than a minute.

  Lambert led Lake Region with 176 yards rushing and had both of the Thunder's touchdowns.

  Lake Gibson is of next week before heading to Kathleen for the Class 4A, District 8 championship game on Nov. 6.

- THE LEDGER

  LAKELAND | Remi Watson ran for 200 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Braves' 55-22 rout of Auburndale Friday night before a homecoming crowd of about 2,000 fans at Virgil Ramage Stadium.

  Watson, the county's leading rusher, rushed for 133 yards in the first half on 13 carries. He had just two more carries in the second half, including his final touchdown run of 48 yards. In the first half, he had scoring runs of 25 and 8 yards. The Braves finished with 488 yards rushing.

  "One thing that has surprised me about Remi from last year to this year is he's become a lot more physical," Lake Gibson coach Keith DeMyer said. "He's got the quicks - he can outrun some folks, but he runs the ball so well in between the tackles."

  The Braves (5-1) ran for 308 yards in the first half and 490 for the game. Shawndell Artis added 150 yards and Markus Harper had 102. It marked the first time in DeMyer's 11 seasons that three backs topped the 100-yard mark.

  Auburndale (2-5) took an early 15-7 lead thanks to touchdown runs of 50 and 9 yards by Jamiah Crawford .

  After that, it was all Lake Gibson. Artis returned the ensuing kickoff to the 43 and Watson scored on a 16-yard run three plays later.

  A 25-yard punt by Auburndale gave the Braves the ball at the Bloodhounds 30. Harper scored on the next play to put Lake Gibson on top for good, 20-15, with 2:29 remaining in the first quarter.

  Lake Gibson added three more touchdowns in the second quarter, one each from Artis and quarterback Quinshon Odom, to take a 41-15 lead into halftime.

- THE LEDGER

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 BRAVES BULLY BARTOW IN 2nd HALF   

BARTOW - The Lake Gibson Braves heard the talk during the week and wanted to put a stop to it.

  The Braves heard they couldn't win a close game, but they did so Friday with a 21-16, Class 4A District 8 victory over Bartow at Memorial Stadium on a muggy evening. With the victory, the 10th-ranked Braves keep pace with Kathleen in the district with a 3-0 record while Bartow falls to 1-2 in the district and 3-3 overall.

  "The kids had something to prove," said Lake Gibson coach Keith DeMyer, who is in 11th season as the Braves' head coach. "The word going around the county this week was that our kids couldn't win a tight ball game. We came together more as a team and a family than any team I've had."

  The Braves tallied 370 total yards with running back Remi Watson accounting for 180 of them on the ground and one touchdown.

  Braves quarterback Quinshon Odom threw one touchdown and rushed for another in a game that was fought hard in the trenches with some terrific defensive stands, particularly in the first half.

  After trailing 3-0 at the half, the Braves got on track, scoring three touchdowns in the second half to win it.

  Behind 21-10, the Yellow Jackets, who have lost three games in a row including one to top ranked Fort Meade last week, went 81 yards on nine plays in just over two minutes late in the fourth quarter to make it 21-16.

  Yellow Jackets quarterback Buddy Putnam tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Al Carter with 1:07 remaining in the contest to make it 21-16.

  Bartow tried to bridge the gap to three points by going for the two-point conversion, but the run attempt by Carter was stuffed by the Braves defensive line.

  The Yellow Jackets special teams came up big as Caleb Stevens grabbed Joe Cannon's onsides kick, giving Bartow the ball on the Lake Gibson 45-yard line.

  The teams were called for off-setting penalties on first down.

  Putman's second pass attempt was incomplete.

  His third attempt to junior Rod Smith was broken up by Lake Gibson's Dwight Martin.

  Putnam's pass on fourth-and-10 across the middle sailed high and incomplete.

  The Braves have one more district contest against Lake Region before heading to Kathleen in Week 9.

  "I'm excited about where our prospects are down the road," DeMyer said. "Everybody got their money's worth tonight."

  DeMyer wouldn't look past Auburndale and Lake Region.

  "We can't take anything for granted," he said.

  The two teams played an excellent defensive battle in the first half.

  The Yellow Jackets went 80 yards on eight plays to open the game, capping it with a 25-yard field by Joe Cannon.

  From there it was all defense until the Braves missed a chance to even the score when kicker Alonso Valenzuela's 25-yard field goal went low and left with one second left.

  After a brief skirmish between the two teams just before the second half began, the Braves went 85 yards on seven plays, including a 36-yard run by Watson, capping the march with a 50-yard touchdown strike from Odom to B.J. Reynolds for 7-3 lead.

  Bartow regained the lead, going 67 yards in 10 plays and scoring to make it 10-7.

  Yellow Jacket Jajuan Mikell scored from 14 yards out  with 5:07 left in the third quarter.

  The drive was kept alive at midfield when the Braves incurred a 15-yard penalty after stopping Bartow on a 3^rd and 13 play.

  Lake Gibson took the lead back on its next series when Watson raced 40 yards up the middle and scored with 2:51 left in the third quarter.

  The Braves stretched their advantage to 21-10 with a 14-play, 80-yard drive.

  The Bartow defense kept the Braves from scoring three times from inside the five-yard line before Odom snuck in behind offensive linemen Kenton Wilkins and DeMarcus Martindale on a one-yard plunge. The drive bled the clock, leaving just 3:24 for the Yellow Jackets.

  Lake Gibson hosts Auburndale for Homecoming on Nov. 16.

 - THE LEDGER

OFFENSE, DEFENSE ROLL OVER RIDGE

  DAVENPORT | Lake Gibson capitalized on two early turnovers by Ridge Community, and backed that up with a strong running game and stingy defense, to route the Bolts, 36-2, Friday night before about 1,000 fans.

  Remi Watson ran for 173 yards to lead a Braves offense that piled up 377 total yards.

  "He's an athlete, there's no doubt about it," Lake Gibson coach Keith DeMyer said. "He can do a lot with the ball.   He's done some good things for us."

  Lake Gibson (3-1, 2-0 in Class 4A-8) held Ridge (1-3,  0-2) to 123 yards, with 48 of those coming on two late fourth-quarter scrambles by Karlos Williams when the game was already decided.

  "Our defense worked hard this week," DeMyer said. "We were down. We didn't play well against Lake Wales. Our kids really sucked it up this week."

  Lake Gibson failed to capitalize on Ridge's first turnover on the opening kickoff, but it did on the second. After recovering a fumble by Ridge's Tyler Bodison, the Braves drove 19 yards and scored on a 2-yard run by Tyrus Moore.

  Lake Gibson benefitted from a short field to score its second touchdown after a 1-yard punt by Karlos Williams gave Lake Gibson the ball at the Ridge 35. Watson ran it on five of six plays to move it to the 4 where Quinshon Odom tossed a TD pass to Markus Harper.

  Ridge's only points came when a low snap on a Lake Gibson punt forced Braves punter Alonso Valenzuela to scoop up the ball and run out of the end zone for a safety.

  Late in the half, the Braves drove 76 yards with Watson scoring from the 2. The Braves added two Valenzuela field goals, a safety and a Markus Harper touchdown in the second half.

  Lake Gibson has a bye next week before heading into a Class 4A District 8 showdown at Bartow (3-1).

 - THE LEDGER

BRAVES MISS VICTORY BY INCHES

   LAKE WALES | Lake Gibson dropped a 26-24 thriller to Lake Wales when place-kicker Alonso Valenzuela just missed a 36-yard field goal with six seconds remaining Friday night at Legion Field before 1,500 fans.

Lake Wales took a 26-17 lead midway through the fourth quarter when Justin Shafer called an audible then threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Colton Davis with 7:36 to play. But the Braves (2-1), who came back from a 10-point deficit in the first half, would not go away.

   First, Lake Gibson drove 80 yards to score on a Quinshon Odom 1-yard run with 5:06 remaining. The Braves then forced a three-and-out and behind the running of Remi Watson, drove from midfield to the Highlanders 19 yard line with under 3 minutes remaining.

   With time winding down, the Braves were forced to try a field goal from the 19 instead of trying to get closer. Valenzuela's kick had plenty of distance but was inches wide to the left.

   The game was as close as a game could be without ending in a tie. Consider:

   Lake Wales finished with 291 yards of offense; Lake Gibson finished with 330 yards.

   Both teams punted twice.

   Both teams had one turnover each.

   Both teams had missed points on special team. The Highlanders missed one extra point and had botched snap on another extra-point attempt. Lake Gibson missed a field goal.

   The Highlanders (1-0) used a balanced offense. Justin  Shafer completed 12-of-18 passes for 136 yards to go along with the team's 155 yards rushing.

   "There's a lot of things we can do, we just haven't had three weeks to do it," Rod Shafer said.

   Lake Wales took 13-3 lead in the second quarter on Shafer's 9-yard run and 18-yard touchdown pass to Javess Blue.

   Lake Gibson made it a 3-point game at halftime on Markus Harper's 6-yard run. He finished with 93 yards on 17 carries. Tyrus Moore started and had 48 yards on nine attempts.

   Watson, who ran for 108 yards, gave the Braves a 17-13 lead in the third quarter on a 5-yard run. He also had three receptions for 42 yards. Lake Gibson finished with 246 rushing yards.

   "It was disappointing, needless to say," Lake Gibson coach Keith DeMyer said. "We're making too many mistakes on defense and giving up big plays."

   Trent Taylor led the Braves defense with 15 tackles, a sack and a recovered fumble. Linebacker Jensen Pellarchy had seven stops. Lake Wales retook the lead on Kevin Prioleau's 1-yard run late in the third quarter.

   Nose tackle Clemon Jones set up Lake Wales' final touchdown when he intercepted a screen pass at the Lake Gibson 31.

   Lake Gibson plays at Ridge Community in a 4A District 8 game next Friday.

 - THE LEDGER

 

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BRAVES SWAT PESKY HORNETS 

 2009CLASS 4A DISTRICT 8 CHAMPIONS  RB Remi Watson, OG Chris Anderson and OT Errin Joe named to All Polk County First Team  DE Trent Taylor named to All Polk County Second TeamOC Kenton Wilkins named to All Polk County Third Team  RB Markus Harper, OT Kody Jones,OG DeMarcus Martindale,WR Deshea Edwards DT Devonte Terrell DT Umbuju Grant earn All Polk County honorable mention  

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TRADITION

 Located in one of the  most fertile recruiting grounds in all of college football, Lake Gibson High School in Lakeland, Florida boasts a powerful tradition that includes seven regional finals appearances and over 60 wins the past five years. 

   STATE FINALIST:

• 2003 
• 2004

  REGIONAL FINALIST:

• 2000 
• 2001
• 2002
• 2003
• 2004
• 2005
• 2006

HOME OF THE BRAVES

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