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Preseason football: Springstead 20, Hudson 0

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SPRING HILL — Coming off of the best season in school history, Springstead looks ready for similar success this year.

In Thursday’s preseason game at Booster Stadium, the Eagles shut out Hudson 20-0 in only two quarters of action.

After forcing a three and out on Hudson’s opening possession, Springstead running back Daniel Wright took the handoff on first down 63 yards for the touchdown. Before halftime, the senior scored twice more, once on a 59-yard run and on a 1-yard plunge with one second remaining in the second quarter.

“I got phenomenal blocking from my (offensive) line,” Wright said. “I’ve always had some shiftiness in my running style, but with some holes, I have a chance to show it off more now.”

Wright finished with nine carries for 143 yards and one reception for 43 yards. If there was an issue for the Eagles, it was that their star back accounted for more than 90 percent of the offensive production. Sophomore tailback Dominique Walker, a transfer from Nature Coast, carried the ball five times for only 3 yards and lost a fumble on his longest run, a 5-yard carry.

The Cobras struggled offensively as well. Fourth-year starting quarterback Joey Caruso went 3-for-8 for only 10 yards, scrambling for much of the evening.

“We really need to work on moving our feet better on the offensive line,” Hudson coach Mark Kantor said. “There’s a reason that Springstead was ranked No. 10 (in the Class 5A Associated press state poll) in the state.”

Billy Werner and Nate Munson, who will combine to replace 1,400-yard rusher Noah Siegrist, had difficulty finding holes as well. The duo ran for a total of 21 yards on nine carries.

Springstead’s vaunted defense was led by linebacker Dylan McLeod, who is making a smooth transition from defensive back. He racked up nine tackles in the first half with a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.


Preseason football: Wiregrass Ranch 13, Mitchell 12

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WESLEY CHAPEL — Though he had been head coach for only a few weeks, Artie Meza was quick to praise the potential of Wiregrass Ranch’s offense during preseason practice. 

People would be pleasantly surprised, he said. The Bulls would be quicker and more efficient than last season. 

But after losing a fumble on the fourth play of Thursday’s home preseason game against Mitchell, that seemed like an empty promise.

And behind a strong offensive line, Mitchell sustained long drives all night. It struck first with a 2-yard Anthony Connor touchdown run. 

Once quarterback Shane Bucenell got a chance to show off his improved skill set, though, the Bulls didn’t look back. They went into halftime leading 13-12. The game then was called because of lightning.

Finishing 6-for-6 for 82 yards along with 44 yards rushing and a 1-yard touchdown, Bucenell was the standout of the shortened game. Aside from one bad read, Meza said, his senior was essentially perfect. 

“I kind of expected it,” said Meza, who was promoted from co-offensive coordinator on July 24. “Minus the fumble, we were uptempo. We executed.

“We got our blocks on the perimeter. Shane read the zone read well.”

Wiregrass Ranch’s defense was a different story.

The Bulls gave Alec Lambert all day to throw, and the junior took advantage, going 11-of-16 for 114 yards as the Mustangs held possession for nearly 10 minutes in the second quarter. He also scored on a 1-yard run to give Mitchell a 12-7 lead. 

“We had kind of gotten to the point where our run game breaks down, we really haven’t had as much of a passing game,” Mitchell coach Andy Schmitz said. 

“We really want to be balanced and take what the defense gives us, which I thought we did a pretty good job of tonight.”

Spending most of Thursday on the field, the Wiregrass Ranch defense was visibly fatigued. It’s a problem his team has got to fix, Meza said, because some of its best athletes, including Florida Atlantic commit Jaye Miner, play on both sides of the ball.

And though he scored the first offensive touchdown of his career on a 20-yard screen pass in the first quarter, Miner said he looks at Thursday’s game as a wake-up call. 

“I think we did okay; probably a C-plus … average,” Miner said. “We just have to get everything more crisp. We need to get to an A.”

Preseason football: Palm Harbor University 40, Jesuit 20

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PALM HARBOR — The Reggie Crume era at Palm Harbor University got off to a good start, while Jesuit could use some more work prior to the Aug. 29 season opener. The Tigers had seven turnovers, six of which were interceptions, in Thursday’s preseason game. PHU wasn’t perfect (three turnovers), but the Hurricanes overcame a seven-point halftime deficit and outscored the Tigers 26-0 in the second half.

Drive of the game: Jesuit quarterback Trent Wessel threw an interception, his third of the game, in the final minutes of the second quarter. But PHU fumbled on the next possession. Big mistake. The Tigers put together a six-play drive with a mix of runs and passes and scored on a 1-yard plunge by Kevin Newman with 33 seconds left. That made the score 21-14. That was the last play for Jesuit’s first-string offense.

Play of the game: PHU trailed by a point midway through the fourth quarter. Jesuit inserted reserve quarterback Wesley Eveld. His first pass was complete, but his second was picked off by Andrew Lo and returned 35 yards for a touchdown. Lo stepped in front of the swing pass in the left flat and scored untouched to allow PHU to retake the lead 26-21. “They were passing it to my side the whole game, and I was just playing it safe. I was kind of waiting on it and I got my chance,” Lo said.

Stars of the game: Palm Harbor University’s Stephen Charron will be a handful this season. His first carry went for a 75-yard touchdown and he ended the night with 193 yards on 18 carries. “I felt pretty fast. I just followed the blocks and then when I got in the open field I was confident I could get away,” he said. …Jesuit sophomore Malik Davis got stronger as the game wore on. Davis was basically held in check for his first four carries, then on the first play of the second quarter he barrelled up the middle for a 55-yard touchdown run. That was followed by another strong 14-yard touchdown run that tied the score at 14. Davis finished with 106 yards on eight carries. He did not play in the second half. …Hurricanes’ senior defensive back Jacob Harris looked good. He had two interceptions. His first came near the end of the first quarter. He picked off a Wessel pass in the end zone on third and goal from the 4-yard line. …Hurricanes receiver Matt Caron, who missed last season with a broken collarbone, caught four passes for 46 yards and two touchdowns.

Final word I:“Sneaking up on people is a little bit over. Now we’re going to have to work even harder to get better.” — Crume

Final word II:“We had a good spring, but this game can humble you. We played all 65 guys tonight and did some things we wanted to do. We’ll look at the tape and try to get better. The tape doesn’t lie.” — Jesuit coach Matt Thompson

Preseason football: Largo tops Dunedin, Pinellas Park in jamboree

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LARGO — Dunedin had a lot of positives this summer with reinforcements arriving in the form of players who were previously ineligible or lukewarm about the program.

But to really signal a turnaround from last year’s 1-9 record, the Falcons needed a win against a bona fide playoff contender.

It almost happened Thursday night.

In two halves of a jamboree, Dunedin lost to host Largo 14-7 and tied Pinellas Park 6-6.

“There were a lot of good things that happened, but we’re not there yet,” coach Matt LePain said. 

“The kids are really buying into what we’re doing. They’re listening. They’re working. It’s encouraging.”

LePain, who took over Dunedin in January after three successful seasons at Palm Harbor, inherited a team that lost nine straight and had just about 25 players in May. 

The numbers increased after the Falcons played well enough to tie Semi­nole in the spring game.

Two players who came out this summer, quarterback Argi Radani and receiver Andrew Gordon, provided most of the offense for Dunedin. Radani, a transfer from eight-man Clearwater Academy, threw a pair of touchdown passes to Gordon, who used his 6-foot-7 frame to outleap defenders.

The two connected on an 87-yard touchdown late in the second quarter against Largo. They hooked up on an 18-yard scoring pass late to tie Pinellas Park.

The Falcons might have beaten the Patriots if not for two lost fumbles, Linebacker Nick Hernandez returned one 72 yards for a touchdown.

Dunedin’s defense also came through with big plays, recording two sacks of Largo’s Dona­van Hale and forcing three turnovers against Pinellas Park.

Despite the pressure, Hale still threw two touchdowns against Dunedin. The first was a 44-yarder to Jonathan Crawford off of a fake punt. The other was a 12-yarder during which Hale scrambled to his left before shuffling the ball sideways to Dakarai Allen in the end zone.

In the final half, Largo beat Pinellas Park 7-6. Crawford scored on a 6-yard run, and Taj Taylor made the extra point. The Patriots rallied with a 1-yard touchdown run by Oscee Calhoun, but they were stuffed by the Packers on a two-point conversion run. 

Crawford sealed the game with an interception in the final 10 seconds.

“We needed that kind of performance,” Crawford said. “Pinellas Park was talking all summer about how they wanted to play us. I was pumped and wanted to come out and make some plays.

“It was encouraging for us going into the season.”

Contact Bob Putnam at bputnam@tampabay.com. Follow @BobbyHomeTeam.

Preseason football: Sarasota 33, Dixie Hollins 27

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ST. PETERSBURG — Seniors Tyrie Adams and Davontae Harrington were the bright spots for the Rebels in a game that started two hours late because of traffic delays encountered by the visiting Sailors.

Drives of the game: Even though they were down two scores, there was still hope for Dixie with about eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. But the Rebels weren’t able to hold the Sailors offense, which made two first downs and controlled the ball for all but the final few seconds of the game.

Play of the game: After the Sailors had taken a 27-21 lead in the fourth quarter, the Rebels fumbled the ensuing kickoff. On the next play, Sarasota took the ball in for a 12-point lead.

Stars of the game: Harrington caught eight passes for 173 yards. Adams was 17 of 24 for 276 yards.

Stat of the game: Dixie Hollins turned the ball over four times. That won’t win many football games.

Preseason football: Gibbs 21, Seminole 14

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SEMINOLE — Gibbs held on to beat Seminole 21-14 in Friday’s preseason classic. The Gladiators were led by a big-play passing attack, with Tyrell Hubbard-Smith competing 4 of 10 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns.

After a scoreless first 22 minutes, Gibbs got on the board late in the first half on a Marquez Walls 30-yard touchdown reception.
In the third quarter after being forced to start from their own 1, the Gladiators’ Hubbard-Smith connected with Demardre Walls for a 99-yard touchdown pass. They extended their lead to 21-0 early in the fourth on Walls’ second touchdown catch off the day. He was injured on the play but will be good to go next week

Seminole made a late comeback, scoring on rushing touchdowns by Travis Wateska and Chris Garza-Mclean to cut the lead to 21-14 with 47 seconds left. Gibbs’ Antonio Feacher, however, recovered the onside kick to hold on for the victory.

Preseason football: Pasco 21, Ridgewood 0

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DADE CITY — Pasco started strong and scored all of its points by midway through the second quarter. Friday The Rams mounted a pair of fourth-quarter drives that stalled in the red zone, the latter on an interception of a Nick Michaels pass by Isaac Johnson to end the game.

Key drive: Pasco’s defense forced Ridgewood into a three and out on its first possession and with a 7-0 lead needed just two plays to double that output on its second possession of the game. Grant Starling passed 27 yards to Bowman Archibald to set up a 26-yard touchdown pass to Tyree Austin.

Play of the game: Jakiah Felder returned the opening kickoff 81 yards to Ridgewood’s 1-yard line. That got the Pirates fired up early and on fourth down they punched it in on Archibald’s 1-yard plunge into the end zone.

Stars of the game: Starling began his second year as the starting quarterback by completing 8-of-11 for 93 yards and two touchdowns, which included a 19-yard scoring pass to Johnson in the second quarter.

Stat of the game: Ridgewood’s Glass Wilson was a workhorse, rushing for a game-high 73 yards on 21 carries.

Final word:“You want to start fast. You want to put the other team on it’s heels.” — Pasco coach Tom McHugh on Felder’s early kickoff return

Preseason football: Mosley 20, Lakewood 14 OT

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ST. PETERSBURG — Depending the viewpoint, Mosley’s 20-14 win was either a “bend-but-don’t break” thriller or a “learning opportunity” to build on going forward. Luckily for the Spartans, the loss came in a preseason game. Even so, they had plenty of chances, including two possessions in the closing minutes that both resulted in Lakewood failing to find the end zone.

Drive of the game: In the fourth quarter, down by eight, Mosley drove the ball 63 yards on the strength of 11 rushes and one pass, culminating in a 2-yard scramble by quarterback Dillon Brown for a touchdown. A two-point conversion from Jimmy Daniel tied the score at 14.

Play of the game: The final play saw Mosley’s Jimmy Daniel run 10 yards for a score in overtime for the winner. The running back racked up 124 yards on 16 carries.

Star of the game: Ryan Davis showed why he’s being heavily recruited because of his arm and legs. He rushed for 66 yards on seven tries. He was 16-for-28 passing for 215 yards and two scores.

Final word:“The thing we talk about is to look at the process. We now have a chance to work on some fundamentals after playing a good team like that. It was a measuring stick to see where we are and what we need to work on.” — Lakewood coach Cory Moore


Preseason football: Hillsborough 21, Clearwater 18

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TAMPA — Lawrence Dawsey relieved an ineffective Dwayne Lawson at quarterback in the fourth quarter and threw long touchdown strikes on his only two passes in a three-minute span as Hillsborough rallied from an 18-7 deficit. Dawsey’s scoring passes to Michael Hampton and Xavier Byrd accounted for 123 of the Terriers’ 213 total yards.

Drive of the game: After Dawsey hit Hampton for a 75-yard touchdown, Hillsborough forced a Clearwater punt and took over at midfield. Two plays later, Byrd and Hampton were wide open near the left sideline when Dawsey threw in their direction. The ball sailed over Hampton’s head but landed in Byrd’s hands, and he sprinted untouched for a 48-yard score with 6:14 left.

Play of the game: Clearwater zipped to a 12-0 second-quarter lead before Hillsborough’s Rudy Dawson took a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown to give the Terriers life.

Star of the game: Clearwater’s Garrison Bryant was 12-of-20 for 146 yards and a 28-yard touchdown to Zachary Lehman. Bryant connected with seven different receivers and did most of his damage in the first half with 141 yards.

Final word:“I’m good. It’s a preseason game.” — Lawson, a Miami commit, on why he did not play in the fourth quarter while walking the sideline and carrying his helmet

Preseason football: Northeast 30, St. Petersburg 28

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ST. PETERSBURG — The preseason game opened on a promising note for St. Petersburg when running back Darius Miller ran the opening kickoff back 70 yards. Sophomore quarterback Austyn Causey, in his debut, followed three plays later with a touchdown pass to Jarrett O’Connell.

But penalties and turnovers followed, and Northeast’s junior varsity team scored with 16 seconds left for a 30-28 victory.

“Maybe our seniors could learn from our JV team. We had a lot of mistakes,” Northeast coach Jeremy Frould said after his coaching debut.

Both teams had 25 penalties (11 for Northeast, 14 for St. Petersburg). They included the ejection of Northeast receiver Randy Johnson for throwing a punch at an opposing player.

St. Petersburg led 21-3 in the third quarter when both teams put in their JV squads.

Drive of the game: Miller’s 10-yard touchdown capped St. Petersburg’s 43-yard drive to open the third quarter and extend its lead to 14-3. “We got out heads right at halftime, and everybody got focused,’’ Miller said.

Final word:“He’s a 10th-grader, and he’s going to make some mistakes, but I think he did a nice job,’’ St. Petersburg coach Joe Fabrizio said of Causey, who completed 3-of-8 passes for 42 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.
Darin Klahr, Times correspondent

Preseason football: Gaither 21, Wharton 14

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TAMPA — Gaither coach Jason Stokes said his halftime speech was unprintable. But whatever he said to his team, it worked. Unable to move the ball in the first half because of miscues and penalties, Gaither rallied from a two-touchdown deficit, took a second-half lead and held on for a kickoff classic win.

Drive of the game: Gaither defensive back Jovan Hammond intercepted Wharton quarterback Adam McAfee late in the third quarter. Four plays later, Decalon Brooks scored on a 1-yard run to tie the score at 14.

Play of the game: In the last 40 seconds, Wharton had four shots at the end zone from the Gaither 17-yard line. The Cowboys sacked McAfee once, forced an incomplete and knocked away two passes, including a fourth-down pass into the end zone.

Stars of the game: Wharton running back Torres Nesbit ran for 65 yards and scored the first TD. Gaither sophomore RB/LB Decalon Brooks had a TD run as a running back, a tackle for loss at linebacker and had a key sack for a 12-yard loss. Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks, Decalon’s dad, buoyed the Gaither players along the sideline.

Final word: “This is Cowboy football. Nothing comes easy, we just find a way. … I wished we would have put two halves together but if we did have one good half it was the second half.” — Gaither coach Jason Stokes

Preseason football: First Academy 37, Indian Rocks Christian 34

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ORLANDO — Indian Rocks Christian led the Royals at the half 14-13, then took a 28-13 lead with just under four minutes left in the third quarter. That’s when things got interesting as the Royals stormed back with two touchdowns in the final 13 seconds of the third quarter, tying the score at 27 with the JV players ready to play out the string in the fourth quarter. The game had a lightning delay of more than an hour.

Drive of the game: Indian Rocks Christian showed its ground-and-pound formula on an 11-play, 98-yard drive in the second quarter that featured eight rushes for 90 yards and even a play-action boot that extended the drive for the Golden Eagles. By the end of the night, the visitors from Largo had racked up 275 yards on the ground and had re-established their stable of running backs into midseason form.

Play of the game: The play of the game for IRC came when Theo Anderson’s efforts on the defensive side turned a sack into a fumble recovery that thwarted what looked to be a First Academy touchdown in the making.

Stars of the game: Anderson’s 157 yards on just seven carries and two touchdowns.

Final word:“I don’t know if it’s a tale of two halves. We played really well on offense, our younger kids kind of got into a fire drill at the end and I don’t think we were ready to sub all those kids in at one time, but overall we were really pleased with the effort tonight and look forward to getting the regular season underway.” — IRC coach Mark Buchanan

Preseason football: Plant City 14, Jefferson 12

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PLANT CITY — Plant City coach Wayne Ward didn’t sound like he had plans on making a change at quarterback, but backup Austin Carswell gave him plenty of reasons for security. Carswell came on in the third quarter and led the Raiders on a nine-play drive, capped off by Sterling Day Jr.’s 2-yard touchdown run that was the difference. Sophomore Cade Weldon made his debut for the Dragons, finishing 15-of-26 for 171 and a touchdown, despite several drops from his receivers.

Drive of the game: The Raiders took over at the Jefferson 13, trailing 12-7, but starting quarterback Corey King fumbled on the third play and Jefferson recovered. Plant City forced a punt and Carswell accounted for 27 of the 60-yard drive that resulted in Day Jr.’s TD.

Play of the game: Jefferson took a 6-0 lead on Quinton Rogers’ second-quarter interception. Rogers jumped an out route along the sideline and raced 25 yards for the score.

Star of the game: Junior tailback Markese Hargrove ran for 103 yards on 12 carries including a nifty 55-yard run to the Dragons’ 1 in the second quarter.

Final word: “Corey just needs to settle down and make the plays. He has the tools, he has the capability. But it’s nice to have a kid like Austin who can come in and run the show like he did.” —Ward

Preseason football: Alonso 16, King 12

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TAMPA — If there is one thing Alonso showed during Friday’s preseason kickoff classic against King, it won’t back down from a challenge. The hosts led twice early but struggled to find an answer for the Lions’ rushing attack and could not keep them off the scoreboard. But after a King touchdown, the Ravens put together one final rally to take a fourth-quarter lead and held on.

Drive of the game: With 8:12 left and King up three, quarterback Chris Oladokun put the Ravens on his back. After a loss and an incompletion, the junior rolled out on third and 12 and hit Derrick Walker, who gained just enough for a first down. Then after a 14-yard pass to Kelvin Clemmons, Oladokun heaved it from his own 44 and found junior Raj Baleger, who bolted away from a pair of defenders for the 56-yard winning score.

Play of the game: King’s Otis Williams ran for an 82-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage.

Stars of the game: Williams has 13 carries for 178 yards and the touchdown. He left in the third quarter with leg cramps. But it was only a precaution, coach Trey Thomas said. … Oladokun was 11-for-23 for 262 yards and two touchdowns.

Final word: “Otis is spectacular. He’s just a playmaker. Get the ball in his hands, and it’s just magic.” — Thomas

Preseason football: Robinson 30, Osceola 21

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SEMINOLE — After Osceola took a third-quarter lead on Bronson Lynch’s 20-yard run, then stuffed Robinson 5 yards short of paydirt early in the fourth, coach George Palmer decided to go to his bench. Counterpart Shawn Taylor stuck with his starters and two touchdowns within a four-minute span of the final frame led to a deceptive final score.

Drive of the game: Robinson rambled behind senior Aivory Foster (99 rushing yards) and Dakarai Reynolds (49) to set up sophomore Anfernee Alston (44 yards) for an excellent, second-effort 7-yard struggle for the winning score.

Stars of the game: Co-captain Jahrvis Davenport was a triple threat with a rushing touchdown, two stellar leaping catches as part of a six-catch, 66-yard outing, and 73 yards in punt returns that led to two touchdowns. ...Quarterback Malik Tyson hit on 12 of 22 passes for 160 yards and two TDs.

Stats of the game: On the night, Robinson bulled to a 390-yard offensive onslaught in the opener, but Osceola forced three turnovers to stay close.

Final word:“Malik and I have been friends since elementary school. He lives around the corner from me, our families are best friends, his brother and I are in the same grade, we see each other every day.” — Davenport on his synergy with QB Tyson.


Preseason football: Bloomingdale 12, Freedom 3

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VALRICO — Bloomingdale used a stout defense and just enough offense to defeat Freedom 12-3 in a preseason game at Charley Harris Stadium. Although the Bulls controlled the ball much of the first half, they were unable to put points on the board, as the game went to halftime a scoreless tie.

Key drive: The first drive of the third quarter found Freedom at its own 15. A poor snap resulted in the Bulls recovering the ball in the end zone for a safety and 2-0 lead.

Play of the game: Following the safety, senior Doug Sandberg returned the free kick for a touchdown. Shane Nesmith added the extra point and the Bulls seized momentum to go up 9-0, a lead that proved insurmountable for a Patriots team struggling to find its offensive groove.

Star of the game: With Logan Crouse not participating this week, Sandberg was the key cog in the Bulls’ offense. In addition to the kick return for a touchdown, the two-sport star caught seven passes for 111 yards.

Stat of the game: Penalties and sloppy play are to be expected during a preseason game, but  Freedom racking up 18 penalties for 130 yards will likely give coach Todd Donohoe cause for concern going into the season opener.

Final word: “ We learned how to fight. We learned how to fight together for four quarters: I’m so proud of this team.” — Bulls coach Brian Surcy

Preseason football: Manatee 26, East Lake 17

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EAST LAKE — Do not panic, East Lake fans.

If recent history is an indication, Friday’s 26-17 loss to Manatee does not mean doom for the upcoming regular season. The Eagles lost 38-7 in last year’s preseason game at Manatee, then went on to win 13 straight games.

This game was much closer. The Eagles only trailed 16-14 at halftime and the Hurricanes’ only second-half touchdown came on a blocked punt.

“This loss did not show what we are capable of,” Eagles senior Carson Lydon said. “I promise you we will get our stuff together before next week’s game against Palm Harbor. I promise.”

Manatee’s first two scores came after East Lake turnovers. On their second drive of the first quarter, Eagles’ running back Drew Couto fumbled on his 19-yard line. Manatee recovered on the 5, but a goal-line stand resulted in a 22-yard field goal.

On its next drive East Lake fumbled again, this time Jake Hudson, and the Hurricanes again recovered on the 5. Kavious Price scored to make it 9-0.

“We gave them their first nine points off turnovers,” East Lake coach Bob Hudson said. “But there were some positives too. We were missing four starters, but we still played hard all night.

One of those starters was receiver George Campbell, who played the first half with a sore right wrist but was held out in the second half.

In the second quarter the Eagles had a seven-play, 70-yard drive, capped by a 4-yard run by Lydon. The highlight was a 34-yard pass to Campbell.

Manatee came back with an 80-yard drive to make it 16-7. But with 10 seconds left in the second, Hudson found Bryce Miller for a 53-yard touchdown.

On East Lake’s first drive of the third quarter, punter Daniel Lacamera had his punt blocked by Nashon Smith, who scooped up the ball near the 35 and scored untouched.

Lacamera’s 34-yard field goal early in the fourth cut the lead to 23-17 but the Eagles got no closer.

“We’ll get back to work and correct some things,” Hudson said. “The NFL gets four (preseason games), we only get one. Manatee is a heck of a team and the bottom line is this one doesn’t count.”

Manatee’s Johnny Lang ran for 133 yards on 28 carries. East Lake quarterback Jake Hudson was 15-for-27 for 195 yards.

Preseason football: Clearwater Central Catholic 43, Countryside 35

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CLEARWATER — Jeff Smith scored on runs of 14, 35 and 38 yards, and Clearwater Central Catholic’s defense came up with three crucial stops late in the second half to rally and defeat Countryside 43-35 Friday night.

Behind the efforts of Smith, Jervon Newton and Scott DePergola, the Marauders pounded Countryside with their rushing attack and scored on their first four possessions in the second half.

With the score tied at 28 in the third quarter, Countryside went on a seven-play drive keyed by a 29-yard completion from Trent Chmelik to Chris Ryan to give the Cougars a first down at the Marauders 17-yard line. Three plays later, running back Dante Satcher scored his third touchdown of the game to give the Cougars a 35-28 lead.

CCC quickly answered with its three-headed running attack, and DePergola scored from 10 yards out. The Marauders decided to go for two and succeeded when Smith hit Newton on a short pass at the goal line to take a 36-35 lead.

Countryside appeared to be on its way to the end zone again but Logan Miller and Mike DeMaio came up with back-to-back sacks of Chmelik to force a punt on fourth and long. Smith made the Cougars pay quickly as he rushed for 38-yard touchdown on a perfect read-option keeper.

The Cougars had another opportunity to score but Chmelik failed to complete a pass in the end zone to Ryan  on a fourth and 11 at the CCC 27.

With the game under two minutes and CCC preparing to punt from its 35, the Cougars sent a strong rush and blocked the punt to set up a first down at the CCC 18. The celebration would be short lived, however, as Tyler McDonald recovered a Countryside fumble on the next play to effectively end the game.

Chmelik threw a touchdown pass to Ryan in the first half and ran for one in the third quarter. Newton put CCC on the board with a 59-yard run in the first quarter.

Preseason football: Tampa Bay Tech 20, Blake 6

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TAMPA — With all eyes focused on the Shavar Manuel vs. Deon Cain matchup, the Tampa Bay Tech Titans played keep away from Manuel and Blake’s defense en route to a 20-6 victory in the preseason opener.

On the first play, the Yellow Jackets shuffled their defensive line before the snap and Manuel finally put his hand in the dirt on the left side. Tech snapped the ball and Cain made a great zone read and darted through a hole on the opposite side — 80 yards later it was 6-0 Tech.

The Titans kept Manuel and the Yellow Jackets guessing much of the night. On the next drive, Cain hit Daquon Green for a 40-yard touchdown. Green later caught a 50-yarder but coughed it up in the end zone to give it back to Blake.

The Yellow Jackets finally got a spark in the second half when Manuel broke into the backfield and stopped Green on a jet sweep for a 5-yard loss. The next play cornerback Donte’ Glover leaped to snare a Cain pass. Glover returned it 35 yards for a score and lit a fire on the Blake sidelines. Blake followed it up with a nice, 70-yard drive, with linebacker Julian Jackson and defensive lineman Marquis Daniel lined up in the backfield to help workhorse Corey Bennett. But Jackson coughed up the ball at the 5 then Tech slammed the door.

Cain broke loose on another big run, a 30-yarder for a score and the Titans turned out the lights defensively. Jaisen Randolph had two interceptions and Sherrod Paige had another. The Titans had three picks and only allowed four completions. The Titans pressured quarterback Sam Oxendine relentlessly and high snaps further complicated his night. Of Blake’s 13 drives, six lost yardage.

“We felt like they weren’t going to be able to handle the pressure, so we were going to go get after them (on defense),” Titans coach Jayson Roberts said.

Tech’s Chalo Judge had six tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss.
 

Tampa Bay swimming preview

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East Lake’s Alexandra Aitchison and Sydney Pickrem spent the summer competing around the world in swim meets.

At times during the high school season, they will be gone again, each traveling to different colleges on recruiting trips as two of the state’s top four prospects in the 2015 class.

When the postseason season rolls around, though, Aitchison and Pickrem are committed to staying at home and swimming with the Eagles.

Because of that, East Lake is the overwhelming favorite to win the school’s first state team in girls swimming in Class 4A.
Aitchison, the Tampa Bay Times Pinellas County girls swimmer of the year, won the 200 and 500 freestyle and swam on the winning 200 medley and 400 free relay teams at last year’s state meet. Pickrem, the Times’ Pinellas girls swimmer of the year in 2011 and ’12, could not compete in individual events at state because she swam in the FINA World Cup during qualifying for district and region meets.

Aitchison and Pickrem will team with Michelle Turek, who was second in the 100 and 200 free at state. All three will be favored to finish in the top two of their individual events and give the Eagles the kind of top level talent no other team can match.

“The classification is tough and anything can happen during the season,” East Lake coach Tim O’Keefe said. “It’s not automatic that we go out and win a team title, but we do have the talent, especially with Lexy and Sydney both assuring me they will have no conflicts during the postseason.”

Aitchison and Pickrem are not the only area girls projected to be at the top of the podium. Three other state champions — Newsome’s Maddie Hess (100 free and 100 back), Mitchell’s Taylor Anderson (50 free) and Academy at the Lakes’ Abbey Duncan (200 free, previously at Wesley Chapel) — all return.

Hess is a two-time defending champion in both events and beat Pickrem in the 100 back in 2012. Anderson and Duncan each won their first state titles last season.

The depth is so strong among girls that many events at state could have multiple area place-winners. In 4A, the area could win all eight girls individual events with Aitchison, Hess and Pickrem leading. And that list doesn’t include Plant’s Ally Donahue, the 2013 4A champion in the 50 free and 100 breaststroke, who graduated early and is now at Florida.

“The quality of swimming with the girls is as good as it’s ever been in my 22 years of doing this,” Plant girls coach Gil Gonzalez said. “And there is a lot of strong young swimmers that are coming up, too.”

By contrast, the area had four male state champions graduate, including two from Palm Harbor University’s program that won the 4A team title. The only returning champions among boys are Sickles’ Nazareno Boscaino (500 free) and Ridgewood’s Emir Muratovic (50 free).

“The boys are somewhat in transition given how many have graduated,” O’Keefe said. “But girls swimming is incredibly deep. This could be the best year yet.”

Other swimmers to watch

Boys

Nazareno Boscaino, Jr., Sickles: The East Lake transfer is a two-time defending state champion in the 500 free.

Joshua Chen, Sr., Shorecrest: The Chargers’ top returner placed third in the 100 breast at last year’s 1A state meet.

Ryan Franzese, Sr., Berkeley Prep: A state qualifier in the 50 and 100 free, Franzese leads a deep team that hopes to place in the top five overall.

Cooper Hoffman, Sr., Countryside: The Cougars’ top returner is poised for a breakthrough season after finishing fourth in the 50 free and fifth in the 100 free at last year’s 4A state meet.

Jonathan Long, Jr., Lakewood: The sprinter took fourth in both the 50 free and 100 free at last year’s 2A state meet.

Wes McGovern, Sr., Newsome: After taking third in the 500 at the 4A meet, McGovern is the favorite to win with Boscaino moving into another classification and PHU’s Taylor Uselis graduating. McGovern also was third in the 100 back last year.

Josh Morehouse, Sr., Northeast: After finishing second in diving at last year’s 2A state meet, Morehouse enters this year as the top returner in his classification.

Emir Muratovic, Sr., Ridgewood: Last year’s Class 2A champion in the 50 free joins Boscaino as the only boys swimmers in the area who are returning state place-winners.

Grant Sanders, Sr., East Lake: Ranked by collegeswimming.com as the state’s fifth-best recruit in the 2015 class, Sanders is trying to rebound after battling the flu at last year’s 4A meet.

Austin Sellers, Sr., Jesuit: He is the defending 2A state runnerup in the 100 breast and took sixth in the 200 IM.

Stefan Spiric, Sr., Seminole: One of the area’s top sprinters, Spiric finished second in the 100 free and third in the 50 free at last year’s 4A meet.

Jordan Wheeler, Sr., Land O’Lakes: Took fifth in the 200 IM at last year’s 2A meet, the highest among area swimmers.

Girls
Amanda Burrows, So., Northeast:
She should improve upon her fourth place finish in the 200 IM at last year’s 3A state meet.

Summer Finke, Sr., Countryside: The Cougars’ top swimmer finished fourth in both the 200 IM and 500 free at last year’s 4A state meet.

Lauren McIntosh, Jr., Palm Harbor: The Hurricanes’ top returner was fourth in the 50 free and eighth in the 100 free at the 4A state meet.

Alex Nuyianes, Sr., Academy of the Holy Names:  She took fifth in the 100 breast and sixth in the 200 IM at last year’s 2A state meet.

Peyton Palsha, So., St. Petersburg: Had a strong debut season last year with a sixth-place finish in the 200 free at last year’s 4A state meet.

Dee Sopapong, Sr., Wharton:  With Plant’s Ally Donahue graduating early, Sopapong becomes the favorite to win the 100 breast after finishing second in 4A last year.

Emma Spilman, Sr., Clearwater Central Catholic: Finished fourth in the 100 fly at last year’s 1A state meet.

Meets to watch

St. Pete Relays (diving) at Northeast, 6 Sept. 5

St. Pete Relays at North Shore Pool, 9 Sept. 6

City Relays at Bobby Hicks, 9 Sept. 6

Florida Christian School Meet at Fort Lauderdale Sept. 6

PCAC meet at Long Center, Sept. 20

City Meet at North Shore Pool, 9 Sept. 27

Tampa Bay Classic/Bay Conference at North Shore Pool, 9 Oct. 11

Berkeley Diving Classic, 10 Oct. 18

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