High School

Luke Knight looks to live up to expectations at Wiregrass Ranch

The junior quarterback is back at home and could be primed for a big 2023 campaign

Andy Villamarzo

Luke Knight looks to live up to expectations at Wiregrass Ranch
Luke Knight looks to live up to expectations at Wiregrass Ranch /

WESLEY CHAPEL, FLORIDA- It’s never easy transitioning out of a school and into another in the same calendar year. 

Try doing it in the middle of your high school football season. 

That was the challenge junior quarterback Luke Knight faced when his family decided to move down to Brevard County, away from the confines of Jesuit High School out of Tampa. 

Three games into his junior season, Knight had to adjust to life in a totally different area code than he was ever used to. Knight transferred from Jesuit to Merritt Island back in September of last year and left a program that he led to the Class 6A state championship in 2021. 

The signal caller came to a program in Merritt Island that was just coming off a 2021 campaign that saw them reach the Class 5A state championship, losing to Miami Central 49-14. It was no easy task stepping in and eventually becoming the starting quarterback for the Mustangs. 

Knight’s first start was no smooth one as he completed 7-of-15 passes for 44 yards and an interception in a 20-6 loss to Palm Bay Heritage. He looked more comfortable in his second outing with Merritt Island, completing 18-of-25 for 105 yards and led the team to a gutsy 14-13 overtime victory over Eau Gallie. 

It was his third game with the Mustangs that proved to be his best performance of the entire season, with Knight completing 28-of-36 passes for 467 yards and three touchdowns in a wild 46-35 victory over Eustis. 

For the season, Knight finished with 1,852 yards and 11 touchdowns in leading Merritt Island to the Class 3S playoffs. The signal caller received an offer from Toledo just last month, which makes his senior season all that more important when it comes to recruitment. 

The kind of numbers Knight put up in just eight games with the Mustangs easily surpassed anything Wiregrass Ranch was able to do in 2022. Wiregrass Ranch head coach Mark Kantor had to play musical chairs at times with his starting quarterback as inconsistencies plagued them all last season. 

Between Lincoln McManus and Elijah Brown, who is now at Zephyrhills Christian Academy, the two combined to throw for 735 yards and six touchdowns. In an offense that featured 4-star rated wide receiver Bryson Rodgers (Ohio State signee), it was a disappointing campaign to say the least. 

Missing the playoffs for the first time since 2015 when the Bulls went 2-8, Knight comes in with high expectations as many in the area remember him as a state champion from Jesuit. His experience, talent and ability to make plays has many wondering how that will be able to change the dynamics of a Wiregrass Ranch offense looking to become more versatile. 

Though the likes of Rodgers, Kenny Walker and others now graduated, the cupboard won’t be bare for the Bulls this spring. Isaiah Riggins returns as the team’s leading yard getter from 2022 as he hauled in 11 passes for 140 yards.

The past is the past for Knight and his previous stops, but his previous experiences will prove vital in his next role in leading Wiregrass Ranch back to the postseason in Class 4S. Up against teams within their district like Mitchell, Land O’ Lakes and Springstead, the Bulls could prove to be a contender in Class 4S, District 6 this fall. 

All the hard work starts this spring and Knight returning to his old stomping grounds where it all began could make for a fairy tale ending. 

Andy Villamarzo can be reached at andyvillamarzo@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @Andy_Villamarzo 

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Andy Villamarzo
ANDY VILLAMARZO

Andy Villamarzo has been a sports writer in the Tampa Bay (FL) Area since 2007, writing for publications such as Tampa Bay Times, The Tampa Tribune, The Suncoast News, Tampa Beacon, Hernando Sun to name a few. Andy resides out of the Tarpon Springs, FL area and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in the summer of 2022 covering the Tampa Bay Area. He has quickly become one of Florida's foremost authorities on high school sports, appearing frequently on podcasts, radio programs and digital broadcasts as an expert on team rankings, recruiting and much more.

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