Defending Florida 8A champ Venice has released its 2022 high school football schedule that is filled with plenty of top-notch competition. The Indians, who finished last season No. 22 in the High School Football America 100, powered by NFL Play Football, will play four teams that finished in our Top 100, plus national-power IMG Academy in a season-opening Kickoff Classic.
After playing IMG’s national team on August 19, Venice will host Miami Northwestern on August 26. The Bulls finished No. 49 in our national rankings after advancing the Class 6A state semifinals where they lost to eventual state-champ Jesuit.
After playing Naples (September 2), the team they beat in the second round of the playoffs last year, the Indians face national-power St. Frances Academy from Baltimore, Maryland on September 16. Last year, the Panthers finished No. 12 in America.
2020 8A champ Seminole (Sanford) will follow SFA. Last year, the Seminoles, who lost in the 8A state quarterfinals, finished No. 74 in our national rankings.
Venice’s fourth Top 100 opponent will be defending Florida 3A champ Chaminade-Madonna, which has won four state crowns in the last five years. C-M finished No. 18 in our national rankings. The Venice/C-M game is set for October 7.
Venice Indians 2022 Schedule
August 19 – IMG (National) in Kickoff Classic
August 26 – vs. Miami Northwestern
September 2 – vs. Naples
September 16 – vs. St. Frances Academy (Maryland)
September 23 – vs. Seminole (Sanford, Florida)
September 30 – at Riverview
October 7 – vs. Chaminade-Madonna
October 14 – vs. Sarasota
October 21 – vs. Palmetto
October 28 – vs. IMG (White)
November 4 – vs. Clearwater Academy International
2022 will mark the start of a new era in Florida high school football. Earlier this year, the Florida High School Athletic Association decided to split the sport into Metro and Suburban classifications.
Related: 2022 Florida Regions & Districts
Venice is in 4S (Suburban), Region 4. They are in a three-team district, which includes Sarasota Riverview and Sarasota. The only non-home game will be against Riverview.
One interesting note on the schedule is that the Indians will play nine of their regular season games and the Kickoff Classic on their home turn.
One of the biggest jobs ahead for Venice head coach John Peacock will be finding a replacement for quarterback Ryan Browne, who led the Indians to last year’s title as a junior. In January, Browne announced he was reclassifying and would attend Milford Academy in Connecticut for his post-graduate year.
Browne finished 2021 with 2,636 passing yards with 31 touchdowns against only 7 interceptions. He also ran for 534 yards rushing with eight scores. He was named Florida’s 8A Player of the Year and finished runner-up in the Florida Mr. Football voting.
It didn’t take long for the Indians to find a replacement. 3-star QB Brooks Bentley (Class of 2023) transferred to Venice.
Last year as a junior at Gaither High in Tampa, Bentley completed over 66-percent of his passes for 1,893 yards with 15 touchdowns with eight interceptions.
According to 247Sports, Bentley has four scholarship offers — Connnecticut, Eastern Kentucky, Middle Tennessee State and University of South Florida.
Running back Alvin Johnson III will be back for his junior season. Last year, Johnson, who saw playing time as a freshman, amassed 644 yards (7.1 yards per carry) with ten touchdowns.
The Indians top returning receiver will be senior Keyon Sears, who averaged 20.1 yards per catch as a junior. He caught 15 balls with five touchdowns.
The Indians’ defense will be strong with two 4-star recruits in the Class of 2023.
EDGE rusher Damon Wilson is ranked as the No. 13 recruit in the state. Wilson had 90 tackles last season with 23 of them for a loss. He led the team with 15 sacks.
Safety Elliot Washington, who has given his verbal to Alabama, is coming off a junior season with four interceptions and 44 solo tackles.
The Indians will begin preparing for the fall with its spring practice that starts on April 25. The spring season will close-out on May 19th with spring game against Lakeland, which finished No. 162 in our national rankings last year.
