VENICE — Last December, a disappointed John Peacock glared into the Tallahassee sky as orange fireworks exploded above him following his team’s 60-48 4S state championship loss to Lakeland.
It marked the second year in a row the Venice head coach and his team had to endure a state title loss. With that, the motivation to get better, get back to state and to finish the next time around is at an all-time high.
“Yeah, that would be nice,” said Peacock when asked about getting that sour taste out of his mouth. “When you don’t win the whole thing, you definitely aren’t ending the season on a good note.
“Each program has different expectations,” Peacock continued. “Obviously we know what this program is capable of. The goal here is state championships, and right now, we’re just focused on getting better in the spring, having a strong showing in the spring game and building some momentum going into the offseason.”
The Indians have made three straight state championship appearances over the past three seasons, and a fourth would certainly be earned with another top-tier schedule lined up that includes matchups with IMG Academy National, Cocoa, Bishop Verot and Clearwater Central Catholic.
Helping Venice take down some of the powerhouse programs named above will be quarterback Jayce Nixon after the Indians lost Jadyn Glasser (graduation) and Ryan Downes (Booker transfer).
The rising senior southpaw — a transfer from Gaither — is a pure passer within the pocket.
As a junior with the Cowboys, Nixon went 246-of-363 for 3,172 passing yards (10th-most in Florida in 2023), 29 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also showed an ability to make moves out of the pocket, rushing for 404 yards and five scores.
Nixon tossed multiple touchdown passes in nine of the team’s 14 games.
Along with Nixon, rising junior Alex Schaffer — who showed flashes in limited action as a sophomore — will make a case in the spring and beyond as well.
“He just brings that command to the huddle,” said Peacock of Nixon. “He throws a good ball, and you can tell he has a high-football IQ. I think Alex has looked really good so far too, so we might have a bit of a quarterback battle. Both of them are capable players.”
Jamarice Wilder transferred to Booker during the offseason, leaving the door open for rising sophomore running back Dorien Jones.
Jones appeared in nine games last season, rushing for 190 yards and four touchdowns on 51 carries (3.7 average). He’ll look for an offensive line anchored by Anthony Tanaka and Matt Lociciero to help lead him to a breakout season.
Elsewhere on offense, one of Venice’s stronger units in 2024 should be its weapons at wide receiver and tight end.
Ryan Matulevich will be WR1 for the Indians after 40 catches, 652 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 2023.
Veteran wideout Malakai Corbett should see a bump in production as a senior, while the tight end room is full of capable pass-catchers as well.
Noah Chieffo — at 6-5 — Jackson Scott and Colton Lynch will all be targets in the open field for either Nixon or Schaffer.
“Matulevich is doing a great job so far this spring,” Peacock said. “He’s catching the ball at a high level. We’re excited about (Colton) Lynch. He’s young, but he’s definitely going to be a really good player for us. And then, with Chieffo at 6-5, we definitely have some weapons. They just have to gel together.”
Defensively, the strength will be up front with the two-headed monster of Asharri Charles and Eli Jones. Both players are physical and have eye-opening size when they line up against an opposing offensive line.
“Those two guys are going to be a huge difference for us on defense,” said Peacock of Charles and Jones. “Our defensive line is very athletic with those two. We’ll be able to move them around and attack in different ways. It’ll be a challenge for our guys this spring to establish a run game against them.”
At linebacker, key pieces in Chris Lee and Carter Dalton have moved on, so expect players like Kane Judson and Ben Zarkiewicz to step up in their absence.
“Zarkiewicz has had a great offseason,” Peacock said. “He’s going to be a stud for us. He’s fast, and he’s up to 225 pounds now, so we’re excited about what he’s going to be able to do.”
In the secondary, Kyni Brantley will be the leader on the back end after playing with Charles Lester III and Deylen Platt last season.
Brate Maddocks and Layne Kisovic are two names that will be fighting for starting positions in the secondary as well.
Venice’s Green and White scrimmage will be this Friday at 6 p.m. The football program is asking those who plan to attend to bring Tide pods.
Additionally, the team’s spring game will be at home against Naples on Tuesday, May 21. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
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