Canes strike gold

The '83 Manatee squad defeated Miami Southridge in 4A state title game that still has folks in Dade County screaming they were robbed.

The Canes were on the Southridge 5-yard line and trailing 21-19 in the fourth period when quarterback Tracy Sanders fumbled the snap from center David Ott.

Southridge got the ball, and it was initially ruled a turnover. But the head referee overruled the call and said Sanders' knee was on the ground when he had the ball. Two plays later, Sanders scored the winning touchdown and "The Fumble" lives in infamy.

The call seemed to spark an incredible run for the Canes, who went on to win three more state championships in the next 10 years.

The '83 Manatee squad was supposed to be in a rebuilding mode with only one skill position player returning from the previous season in fullback Tracy Waiters. But Kinnan quickly found there were a lot of talented players just waiting for an opportunity.

The best might have been Tracy Sanders, who moved from defensive back to quarterback and provided the spark for an unbeaten season. Others included tailback Frank Crayton, defensive back Alvoid Mays and offensive guard Richard Starowesky.

"We had a quarterback, fullback and tailback, and all three had great athleticism," Kinnan said. "They all ran for about 1,000 yards, and none of them cared who had the ball. We had a strong, physical offensive line, and we had very athletic people in the secondary."

Manatee had 11 players who went on the play Division I football: Sanders, Waiters, Mays, Richard Starowesky, Frank Brunner, Trey Walker, Scott Schubert, Harry George, Doug Andrews, Mark Jensen and Scott Booth. Others who played in college include Mike Lewis, Frank Crayton, Steve Peebles, David Ott, Jeff Dunbar, Brad Crossan and Todd Mooney.

The closest games for these Hurricanes were a 22-17 regular-season victory over Southeast and a 19-14 triumph over Lakeland in the second round of the playoffs. In the Southeast contest, the Noles fumbled at the Manatee 13 with 2:40 left in the game.

In the Class 4A state semifinal, Manatee romped over previously unbeaten Gainesville Buchholz 28-12 with Waiters rushing for 124 yards and Crayton 118.

Sanders was the catalyst. He finished his only season at quarterback with 938 yards rushing and 16 rushing TDs while throwing for 12 touchdown passes and 1,175 yards. He played opposite Deion Sanders at FSU and had a standout Arena Football League career with the Tampa Bay Storm.

A great inspiration was Mays. Despite carrying only about 145 pounds on his 5-10 frame, he played safety and led the Canes with nine interceptions. He played two years at West Virginia and was an eighth-round draft pick by the Houston Oilers in 1989.

Waiters led Manatee with 22 touchdowns and 136 points and rushed for 1,172 yards. He played at Miami and was on its 1987 national championship team.

Starowesky went on to play at Florida and is one the most successful offensive linemen in Manatee history, with the Canes going 25-1 with him in the lineup.

 

Bradenton Herald By ALAN DELL