TAMPA — Freedom opened its season with a defensive-minded and penalty-marred victory Friday night at King.

Play of the game: After kicking a 27-yard field goal with three minutes left in the first half, Freedom’s Heath Grady had a 32-yarder blocked on the final play before intermission. A Lion picked up the loose football, and fumbled. After a rugby-like scramble for the ball, Calvin Bido-Vega came away with it and raced 12 yards for a touchdown to give Freedom a 9-0 lead.

Stars of the game: Freedom’s defense. It came up with three turnovers and held King to 4 yards on 42 plays, including minus-36 yards on 25 carries. Kalijahe Spann and Lee Carabali recovered fumbles and Aaron Cox had an interception. The Lions had four turnovers overall with the fumble return by Bido-Vega doing the ultimate damage.

Stats of the game: The Patriots committed 23 penalties for 168 yards, 133 in the second half. Overall, the teams were flagged 31 times for 233 yards.

Final word:“I’m very proud of the defense. It did very, very well all night. … That was huge for us.” — Freedom coach Todd Donohoe.

TAMPA — Gaither capitalized on a sloppy Chamberlain team in the second quarter, rolling off four touchdowns to blow open a close game.

The Chiefs were in a giving mood on opening night, turning the ball over three times in the first half. The Cowboys scored after each miscue.

As solid as the Gaither offense was, rolling up 159 yards on the ground amongst seven ballcarriers, its defense was pretty stout as well, limiting Chamberlain to 102 yards of offense.

The Chiefs scored in the game’s final moments on backup quarterback Seth Jordan’s 5-yard run.

Drive of the game: Gaither embarked on an 80-yard drive midway through the second quarter, capping it with a 20-yard TD pass from David Mazur to Anthony Outlaw.

Play of the game: Driving to the Gaither 5-yard line, Chamberlain QB Reggie Wester was intercepted in the end zone by Jovan Hammond. That set up a long Gaither scoring drive that broke the game open.

Stars of the game: Mazur was 8 of 11 for 95 yards with second-quarter touchdowns to Outlaw (20 yards) and Curtis Wilder (14 yards). Alex Rodriguez ran for 61 yards and scored twice, on runs of 26 and 13 yards.

SEFFNER — Armwood had 14-0 lead less than six minutes into the first quarter. But Durant made it interesting as Crispian Atkins’ 85 yards and two TDs in the first half kept it close. After a scoreless third, Armwood’s defense forced costly turnovers and unforced errors to finally pull away.

Drive of the game: Durant held the ball for over six minutes and 14 plays on a drive that could have pulled the Cougars to within a TD. But they turned the ball over on downs in the third quarter.

Play of the game: With 44 seconds left in the third and Durant rolling, DE Byron Cowart sacked QB Erick Davis for a 6-yard loss. Less than three minutes later, Noah Johnson scored, putting Armwood up 35-14.

Star of the game: Sterling Hoffrichter’s 60-yard average on punts allowed the Hawks defense to pin the Cougars’ ears back.

Stat of the game: 12 penalties on Armwood, down from last week’s 24 in the loss to Plant.

Final word: “We’ve got a ways to go, no doubt. We have some concerns about some areas and it showed. … Byron finally played like Byron’s supposed to play. … It didn’t happen till the third quarter, but we’re hard on Byron because he’s got those kinds of expectations that come with his play.” — Armwood HC Sean Callahan

RIVERVIEW — Spoto started the game the way coach Dale Caparaso sought.
The Spartans scored three touchdowns during the first quarter and played stout defense throughout, allowing the Wildcats to score only on a safety off of a blocked punt.

Spoto’s secondary was key, recording two interceptions and allowing only 103 passing yards.

Drive of the game: Spoto quarterback Kevin Hobley started the second quarter with an 80-yard touchdown pass to Todd Simms to make it 28-0.

Play of the game: Jesse Holmes intercepted Bryce Martin and took it back for a touchdown that put the Spartans ahead 35-0 during the second quarter.

Star of the game: Simms carried six times for 42 yards and a touchdown and had two catches for 82 yards and a touchdown.
Stat of the game: Spoto rushed for 133 yards during the first half in building a 35-0 lead.

Final word: “We just look to get better each week. We will break the film down. We will look at some of the things we didn’t do well. We’ve got to get to the point where all 11 are doing the right thing on every play.” — Caparaso, on how his team will build on Friday’s win
 

TAMPA — The flashes of speed and strength Malik Davis showed last year as a freshman were on full display for Jesuit as he ran past Wauchula Hardee. Davis pounded Hardee with 149 yards on 23 carries, making the most of each handoff with a 6.5-yard average. Davis scored all of Jesuit’s touchdowns, including a 5-yard run during the second quarter that put the Tigers up 14-10.

Drive of the game: A bit of luck and speed helped Davis score his third touchdown and put Jesuit ahead 21-10 in the third quarter. The snap sailed away from quarterback Trent Wessel but tipped into the hands of Davis, who burst into the end zone for a 3-yard score. “My instincts told me to grab the ball and keep moving.” Davis ran the ball seven times for 42 yards on the drive, including four carries for a first down.

Stars of the game: Jesuit senior Kevin Newman carried the ball 20 times for 89 yards but had to change jerseys. His No. 11 jersey got torn during the second-half kickoff return, so he switched to the No. 6 of senior Joe Hoffman. Hardee quarterback Hayden Lindsey did what he could after running back Keyonte Holley got injured, completing 11 of 22 passes for 203 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

Final word:“It felt awesome. I prayed for this every night.” — Davis

GIBSONTON — Lennard matched its win total for the past two seasons and defeated its neighborhood rival in convincing fashion before a packed house. The Longhorns scored on their first three possessions to take a 21-0 lead and never looked back. Their defense forced five turnovers and recorded three sacks.

Drive of the game: East Bay fumbled on its first play from scrimmage, and Diontae Johnson recovered. On the next play, freshman quarterback Devin Black (9-of-16 for 226 yards) lobbed a perfect deep ball to Johnson, who caught it in the end zone for a 14-0 lead less than five minutes into the game.

Play of the game: On East Bay’s first possession after cutting its deficit to 21-7 midway through the second quarter, the Indians drove to the Lennard 12-yard line, but Lennard lineman Rowdy Driggers pounced on a loose ball to seize back momentum.

Star of the game: Johnson caught four passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, recovered a fumble and averaged 42 yards on two punts.

Stats of the game: East Bay fumbled seven times. Lennard recovered four.

Final word:“Now everybody knows we’re for real. We’re here to stay.” — Lennard running back Jahryn Bailey (15 carries, 74 yards, two touchdowns)

SEMINOLE — Ryan Allan scored two touchdowns and Wilan Harvey provided a bruising presence in Osceola’s ground game in a 15-6 victory over county rival Seminole at Osceola High School on Friday.

The game featured a 50-minute delay for lightning and a scoreless first half before the Warriors (1-0) got their ground attack going.

Harvey had 143 yards on 30 carries and kept nearly everything in between the tackles and in the middle of the field as the Warriors wore down Seminole in the second half.

On its first possession of the second half the Warriors withstood a 15-yard penalty and drove 66 yards on 14 plays with Allan scoring on an 8-yard option keeper and Harvey providing the two-point conversion to take an 8-0 lead.

The Warhawks (0-1) battled back on the next drive and found success in the passing game. Quarterback Aaron Dever hit Lakendrick Staley for a 30-yard gain for a first down at midfield. A 14-yard run by Staley put the Warhawks at the Osceola 29 and Dever connected with Deontavius Gary for a 29-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion was broken up and Osecola led 8-6  going into the fourth quarter.

Seminole had several opportunities to stop Osceola in the fourth but committed crucial penalties to keep its defense on the field. With Osceola facing third and 6 at its 40, the Warhawks jumped offsides and Harvey easily converted on third and 1. A second penalty, a personal foul, gave Osceola a first down at the 6 and Allan scored his second touchdown one play later with a QB sneak from the 1.
 

ST. PETERSBURG — If there were any doubts about Austyn Causey’s readiness to lead St. Petersburg High School, he answered them in a big way Friday night against Gibbs.

The sophomore threw for three touchdowns to three different receivers and ran the ball in from just outside the goal line twice, accounting for all of St. Petersburg’s touchdowns in the Green Devils’ 41-8 victory over the Gladiators.

After the game, the quarterback was modest about his role in the win.

“The (offensive) line did very well, and the receivers caught the ball,” Causey said.

In addition to his three touchdowns, Causey completed 9 of 15 passes for 144 yards.

Both teams got off to shaky starts.

The Green Devils fumbled on the first play of the game. The Gladiators then muffed the punt on their opening drive, giving St. Petersburg the ball at the Gibbs 15. Five plays later, Causey connected with Jarrett O’Connell for the game’s first score.

Gibbs responded with its lone touchdown of the night, a 95-yard kickoff return by DaJuan Johnson. That score also gave the Gladiators their only lead of the game.

With about two minutes left in the first quarter, lightning delayed the game for an hour. Gibbs’ first play back on the field was its second fumble, which led to Causey’s first of two scoring runs.

Down 16 to open the second half, Gibbs looked to pass but with very little success. Some of that can be attributed to St. Petersburg’s defense, which frequently swarmed and sacked quarterback Tyrell Hubbard-Smith.

“The kids were focused,” St. Petersburg coach Joe Fabrizio said. “We wanted to make sure they got off to a good start.”

As for his sophomore quarterback, Fabrizio smiled and praised his poise.

“He’s one of those kids that nothing rattles him,” he said.

TAMPA — Last season was the most successful in Sickles history, the Gryphons winning a district title and their first-ever playoff games en route to the region finals.

The 2014 Gryphons, ranked No. 3 in the preseason HomeTeam 25, enter the year eyeing even greater achievements.

Sickles’ quest for a possible state title run began nearly flawlessly in a 33-7 rout of Robinson on Friday in the season opener.

“It feels a lot better” than last year, senior Ray Ray McCloud III said. “A lot more energy, intensity from the defense like they want it. The seniors … after the loss to Osceola (in the playoffs) we’ve got a lot of fire under us.”

Sickles scored on its opening three possessions and four of its first five to erase any Robinson upset hopes. On the sixth play of the game, Gryphons quarterback Isaac Holder looked to be bottled up on a third down option play but eluded a gang of would-be tacklers to rush for a 47-yard score.

Facing third and 1 on the next drive, McCloud, a Clemson commit, broke a pair of arm tackles at the line of scrimmage and outraced the defense for a 64-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

“We pitched the ball to Ray, and he made five people miss,” Sickles head coach Brian Turner said. “We have good football players, and they made good football plays” Friday night.

The next time McCloud touched the ball, he scampered 51 yards for a score, cutting back at the 20 to juke a defender. He finished with 174 yards on 20 rushes, an 8.7-yard average.

“Ray Ray McCloud doesn’t need blocking,” Turner said. “We had plays where (no offensive lineman) touches anybody, and he makes yards. He usually makes the rest of the team look good, but our line works really hard and they love blocking for Ray Ray.”

Holder (13 carries, 127 yards) had a 2-yard rush into the end zone and a 31-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Quintana in the second quarter for a 33-0 Sickles advantage.

Robinson scored right before the half, quarterback Malik Tyson finding Jahrvis Davenport (four catches, 75 yards) for a 9-yard touchdown on fourth and 4.

Stars of the game

RB Ray Ray McCloud III, Sickles: 174 yards on 20 carries, including a pair of long touchdown runs from 64 and 51 yards out.

QB Isaac Holder, Sickles: Only threw 11 passes but was 6-for-11 for 73 yards and a touchdown through the air. Carried the ball 13 times for 127 yards and two touchdowns.

WR Iylan Mitchell, Robinson: Was the favorite target of QB Malik Tyson, catching eight passes for 84 yards.

ST. PETERSBURG — If Countryside was to have any chance against highly regarded Lakewood Friday night, somebody had to emerge as a playmaker.

Dante Satcher was that player.

Satcher gained 287 yards on 30 carries and scored on runs of 60 and 20 yards to lead the Cougars to a 25-20 win. It is the second straight season Countryside beat Lakewood in the opener.

“Everybody doubted us,” Satcher said. “We had to prove a point.”

Things did not start well for the Cougars. Lakewood scored on its first possession. It rolled 85 yards on eight plays and scored when Ryan Davis hit Adrian Adams on a 14-yard pass that was tipped by Countryside defender Damien Howard. The extra point was blocked. Davis was 4-for-5 for 47 yards on the drive, and he also had a 15-yard run.

Countryside mounted a drive late in the first quarter and had a fourth and goal at the 5 when play was delayed due to lightning. After nearly an hour, the Cougars went for it on fourth down and did not convert.

Lakewood put together a 95-yard, eight-play drive capped by a 21-yard Ryan Davis run around the left sideline. The Spartans led 12-3 at halftime. Then the Cougars started rolling.

First came a six-play, 45-yard drive that ended on a Trent Chmelik 1-yard run. Then early in the fourth quarter, Satcher really started running.

He had a 20-yard run that made it 16-12. And after a fumble gave Countryside the ball, Satcher raced 60 yards around the left side to make it 23-12.

“My coaches teach me to make one cut and go,” Satcher said. “On that play, I made my cut and I went.”

Lakewood did not go away. With just over five minutes left, Davis conducted a 78-yard drive capped by his 1-yard touchdown run. The-two point conversion was good, and the Spartans trailed 23-20.

After a stop, Lakewood got the ball with 1:08 left at its 10. But on the second play, the ball was snapped when Davis wasn’t looking. He recovered the ball in the end zone but sacked for a safety.

Davis finished with 141 yards rushing and 166 passing. Chmelik was 9-for-16 for 187 yards.

Stars of the game

Dante Satcher, Countryside: Had 30 carries for 287 yards and two touchdowns. Also caught a pass for 26 yards.

Ryan Davis, Lakewood: Threw for 166 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns.

Adrian Adams, Lakewood: Caught 10 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown.

4 teams to believe in

Lennard: Supporters of Lennard, just 1-19 over the past two seasons, spent the past few days practically guaranteeing the Longhorns would beat East Bay. And, well, boom went the dynamite in a 28-7 win.

Gulf: The Bucs have been more awful than the Longhorns recently. And after last week’s loss to Berkeley Prep, some of the enthusiasm for 2014 was tempered. Well, after a 35-10 win over Wiregrass Ranch, it’s back.

Spoto: New standout Terence Williams is the reason for all of the enthusiasm at Spoto. But holdovers Kevin Hobley, Todd Simms and Jesse Holmes combined for all five touchdowns in a 35-2 rout of perennial playoff contender Wharton. Come November, Spoto will be in the playoffs while the Wildcats won’t.

River Ridge: The biggest upset of the night? According to those in our Pick ’Em content, Land O’Lakes was the choice of 93 percent of prognosticators but lost 21-14 to River Ridge. That’s a lot of wrong people.

4 new faces in new places

Cade Weldon: The son of former Bucs quarterback Casey wasn’t content being a receiver behind Brad Mayes at Berkeley Prep. So he took his ball to Jefferson and threw it three times for touchdowns and ran in another score as the Dragons beat Alonso 28-6.

Stephon Williams: The St. Petersburg Catholic transfer now with Calvary Christian scored twice on catches and twice on runs in a 41-36 loss to Cambridge Christian and showed he will be a force in the district this year.

Jacquan Fuller: Another St. Petersburg Catholic transfer (we could go on and on, but we’ll stop after this one), he blocked a punt against his former team during IRC’s 35-0 win.

Marchalo Judge: With TBT clinging to a one-point lead and trying to avoid another upset loss to Newsome, the Middleton transfer sealed a win by returning an interception on the game’s final play in a 25-17 win.

4 unforgettable stars

Garrett Young: Oh. My. Goodness. Let’s see. The Cambridge Christian quarterback threw for four touchdown, ran for two and tossed a two-point conversion. That’s, like, almost every one of the Lancers’ points in a 41-36 win over Calvary Christian.

Ryan Marsh: The Mitchell running back ran for 207 yards last season on 32 carries. Friday night, he ran for 252 yards on 11 carries in a 32-0 win over Anclote. “He’s always been a great athlete,’’ rookie coach Andy Schmitz said. “Tonight, he showed he’s a great running back. He ran outside. He ran between the tackles. He proved himself to a lot of people.”

Alec Cromie: First start for Weeki Wachee’s 6-foot-3 sopho­more quarterback and he throws five touchdowns in the first half of a 42-6 win over Interlachen.

Gordon Stetson: The Berkeley Prep running back caught almost a 100 yards worth of passes and scored on a run, reception and free kick return in a 44-6 rout of Middleton.

4 things from Friday

Arenaball: Last year, Dunedin and Dixie Hollins played a game that featured 845 yards of offense (and not a lick of defense), and the 42-41 Falcons win was their only one of the season. The rematch Friday? Another offensive showcase with Dunedin winning 45-34. Now it just has to do it again.

100 or bust? Nope: Nathan Johnson ran for at least 100 yards in every one of Sunlake’s games last year except one — Pasco. Friday, he failed again to eclipse 100 against Pasco (54) but scored twice. Oh, and he won (17-13). Again.

Heartbreak City: Hernando County might not want to get out of bed this morning. Nature Coast and Springstead lost on the last play. The Sharks fell 26-21 to Crystal River on a 31-yard pass, Springstead 6-0 to Citrus on an interception returned 76 yards.

Ram Tough: Ridgewood held off Fivay 47-40, marking the first time it has won a season opener since 2008. In the five openers since, Ridgewood was outscored 218-48.

4 winning debuts

Andy Schmitz: He took over for his dad at Mitchell, and the Mustangs delivered him a 32-0 win over Anclote.

Matt LePain: The former Largo defensive coordinator and Palm Harbor University head coach has his dream job and a dreamy debut at Dunedin, a 45-34 win over Dixie Hollins.

Marcus Paschal: The former Largo assistant and now the coach beat another former Largo assistant, Northeast’s Jeremy Frioud, 21-0 to win his first game at his alma mater.

Brian Surcy: The new coach at Bloomingdale beat Strawberry Crest 16-7.

Final four words.

Keswick Christian won. Bravo.

Each week, our HomeTeam staffers nominate male and female Hot Shot athletes from each of the counties we cover. Then we turn the voting over to readers. These nominations span Saturday, Aug. 23 through Friday, Aug. 29. The winners get a T-shirt and bragging rights over every other school in the area. Read up on all of our nominees then vote until noon Tuesday (extra day because of the holiday).

Girls

Jessica Babcock, volleyball, River Ridge: In back-to-back 3-0 wins against Gulf and Zephyrhills, the senior middle hitter totaled 15 kills, nine aces, five blocks and 20 digs, helping the Royal Knights start the season off on the right foot after an 8-13 finish in 2013.

Courtney Coleman, swimming, Shorecrest: The sophomore distance swimmer took first in the 200 and 500 free, and swam anchor legs on the winning 200 and 400 free relay teams in a dual meet against Canterbury. 

Reagan Huet, volleyball, Bloomingdale: The junior had 25 assists, four service aces and seven digs in the Bulls' 3-0 sweep of Steinbrenner, a 2013 state semifinalist. After a pair of preseason tournament wins, the Bulls start the season 1-0.

Connor McKay, swimming, Land O'Lakes: The senior won the 50 free, 100 fly and swam a leg on the winning 200 medley relay in a dual meet against Ridgewood. 

Ariana Mosley, volleyball, Tampa Prep: The senior contributed 10 kills, four aces and seven digs in the Terrapins' season-opening sweep of Tampa Catholic. The outside hitter is one of five returning starters for Tampa Prep, which fell in last year's 3A region final. 

Anna Vollmer, volleyball, Calvary Christian: The sophomore middle hitter played a big role in Calvary's 3-0 win over Berkeley Prep, notching nine kills, four blocks and two aces.

Boys

Diontae Johnson, football, Lennard: Coach Keith Chattin has warned folks to not look past the Longhorns this year. And his senior turned in a highlight-reel night, catching four passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, recovering a fumble and averging 42 yards on two punts in the 28-7 win over East Bay.

Ryan Marsh, football, Mitchell: The senior carried 11 times and gained 252 yards and scored three touchdowns — including two in the first six minutes — in a 36-7 win over Anclote. And he did most of that damage in just three quarters of action.

Parker Phillips, swimming, Land O'Lakes: The versatile senior took first in the 200 IM and the 500 free, and swam legs on the winning 200 medley and 400 free relay teams in a dual meet against Ridgewood. 

Dante Satcher, football, Countryside: The senior running back was nearly unstoppable in the Cougars’ 25-20 win over Lakewood in the season opener. He gained 287 yards on 30 carries and scored two touchdowns. He even caught a 26-yard pass.

Tyler Small, swimming, Indian Rocks Christian: The freshman won the 200 individual medley, the 100 back and swam legs on the winning 200 medley and 400 free relay teams to help the Golden Eagles beat Keswick Christian in a dual meet.

Garrett Young, football, Cambridge Christian: With the senior quarterback in the mix, you can never count out the Lancers. Young tossed four touchdowns, ran for two more and even converted a two-point conversion pass in a 41-36 win over Calvary Christian.

SMQ Player of the Week: Dillon O’Toole, River Ridge

Since getting hired at his alma mater in 2011, River Ridge coach Ryan Benjamin has spent a lot of time thinking about beating Land O’Lakes. He even bought a trophy — a gator mouth embedded on a black marble plaque — to give to the game MVP the day that victory came.

By the time it did Friday night, the trophy had accumulated some age. In fact, when he finally was able to hand it to O’Toole, it still had dust and cobwebs on it. That didn’t seem to bother the senior linebacker, who registered three sacks (he had two all of last year) in the 21-14 victory over Land O’Lakes.

“Dillon, he’s a beast, he’s an animal,’’ said Benjamin, who as a player was 3-0 against the Gators and played on the last River Ridge team to beat them back in 1996. “He looks intimidating, he plays intimidating. We’re glad he’s on our defense.”

Team of the Week: Lennard

When coach Keith Chattin told us in the spring that C.C. Culpepper, who performed a miracle at Tampa Bay Tech as head coach, was his new defensive coordinator, we thought hmmmmm.

When we were told that freshman quarterback Devin Black was going to be an impact player his first year in high school, we scratched our chins.

And when Lennard dominated St. Petersburg Catholic in the preseason classic, we were intrigued.

Friday night, we were just impressed.

Coach of the Week: Blake Engelhardt, Keswick Christian

Engelhardt had to wait 17 months after being hired to get his first career win. A former Crusader quarterback — he holds the school record for passing yards in a season with 2,058 — Engelhardt had to make due with a small roster in a rebuilding year in 2013, with the team suffering through an 0-10 season and getting outscored 450-121. Friday night, though, the Crusaders snapped a 15-game losing streak with a 22-20 win over Lakeland Santa Fe Catholic.

Chasing history

Sickles running back Ray Ray McCloud III scored on a pair of long touchdown runs and unofficially ran for 174 yards in the season-opening win over Robinson, passing 4,000 yards for his career.

McCloud entered Friday night with 3,832 career yards, 1,744 yards shy of the record held by Carrollwood Day’s Robert Smith, who finished his career with 5,576.

In his performance against Robinson, McCloud passed former Jesuit and Georgia Tech standout Will Glover (3,865, eighth on the county’s all-time list).

Next up: No. 7 Zain Gilmore, who rushed for 4,158 yards at Robinson.

1. Robert Davis, Carrollwood Day, 5576 yards

2. Avious Steadman, Riverview, 5,320

3. Lydell Ross, Gaither, 5,120

4. Kalvin Bailey Armwood, 4,841

5. Kwane Doster, Robinson, 4,617

6. Earl Reeves, Tampa Catholic, 4,591 

7. Zain Gilmore, Robinson, 4158

8. Ray Ray McCloud, Sickles 4,006

9. Will Glover, Jesuit,  3,865

Streaking

Sunlake beat Pasco in the season opener for the second straight year. Last season’s victory snapped the Pirates’ 44-game win streak against Pasco County opponents that dated to 2007. Friday’s win marked the first time Pasco had lost to the same opponent in consecutive seasons since it fell to rival Zephyrhills in 2006 and ‘07.

On a roll

Countryside’s Dante Satcher finished last season by rushing for more than 100 yards in each of his last two games. That momentum has carried over with 147 yards in last week’s preseason game against Clearwater Central Catholic, followed by a career-best 287 yards in Friday’s season-opening 25-20 victory over Lakewood.

Five teams better than we thought

1. Sunlake

2. Gulf

3. Clearwater

4. Gaither

5. St. Petersburg

Numbers to know

2 Teams that were 1-19 the past two seasons that won Friday: Lennard and Keswick Christian

4 Touchdowns for St. Petersburg quarterback Austyn Causey in his varsity debut

10 Receptions by Lakewood wide receiver Adrian Adams, who had 111 yards a touchdown in Lakewood’s loss

11 Passes dropped that were thrown by Robinson quarterback Malik Tyson, according to coaches. Still, in his varsity debut, Davis was 16-for-39 for 210 yards, with two touchdowns called back

15 Straight times Land O’Lakes had beaten River Ridge coming into the 2014 season. There aren’t many series more lopsided than this one. The Royal Knights hadn’t beaten the Gators since a 30-21 win in 1996.

19 Combined passes in 21 attempts completed in the first half by quarterbacks Jeff Smith of Clearwater Central Catholic and Brad Mayes or Berkeley Prep

100 Percentage of Dunedin receiver Janiero Crankfield’s two receptions that went for touchdowns ...and also the yards he finished with ..and also the percentage of his blocks that wowed his coaches

149 Yards rushing by Jesuit sophomore running back Malik Davis, to go with four touchdowns

313 Total yards, of Countryside’s 484, gained by running back Dante Satcher

Nate Craig, Tampa Catholic's 5-star wide receiver and an Auburn commitment, has a broken fibula, according to coach Mike Gregory.

Whether any of this season can be salvaged for the 6-foot-2, 210-pound recruit rated No. 1 in the 2016 class by Rivals remains to be seen.

Craig was injured on a rushing play Friday night in the Crusaders' season-opening 23-6 loss to Madison County. Gregory said after the game he thought the injury wasn't serious and was just a high ankle sprain, but tests Saturday confirmed a break.

Craig said on Twitter he had broken his fibula, and Gregory confirmed the injury via text. But while other tweets suggested Craig would miss the season with the injury, Gregory said it is possible he could return.

"We aren't sure. He is going to be evaluated this week. Fibula is broken but may be playable in a few weeks," Gregory texted late Saturday.

This is the second straight season Craig has suffered a leg injury. Last year at Pasco, Craig injured himself in a loss to South Sumter and was expected to miss a month, but returned after two weeks and caught a crucial touchdown pass against Zephyrhills to help the Pirates clinch a playoff berth.

Tampa Catholic's receiving corps have had two tough weeks, losing another starter, Bentlee Sanders, to a knee injury in the preseason classic loss to Sickles. Like Craig, Sanders could miss the rest of the season but is aiming for an earlier return.

There were pitfalls this week.

River Ridge. Lennard. Freedom.

But the best at avoiding them? The Yoda Master and Cowboys, who both finished 11-5 to take the early lead in the 2014 Pick 'Em.

Yoda Master took Countryside, St. Petersburg and Osceola is some of the week's tougher games. Cowboys bounced back from taking Wharton and Lakewood to score with some gutsy picks like Brandon, Sunlake, Lennard, Osceola and Freedom.

Yoda Master said his victory was for all the little people.

"Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmmm? Hmmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force and a powerful ally it is."

Some familiar faces made a charge, with 10-6 record, like JK, cjm04, @RonCanTailgate and Coach Puskas. Eight people in all finished a game behind the winners.

At 9-7 was longtime HomeTeam hornet skurdhidingid, and someone named Bonzo Dogbreath.

At 8-8, defending champion John C. Cotey, Times hacks Jeff Odom, Mayy Baker and Kelly Parsons, local fan ETC28 and local legend Justin Miller.

Of the 80 players this week, 37 finished below .500.

Including you, Stacy Chmelik. Let's pick it up, okay?

The Week 2 Pick 'Em will go up later this week.

Here are this week's results:

1. (1) Armwood (1-0)
Last week: Beat Durant 37-14
This week: at Blake, 7:30
Lowdown: The Hawks weren’t their usual dominant selves on opening night, still struggling with penalties. Even the defense was shakier, as the Cougars became the first Tampa Bay team to score in double figures in a season opener against the Hawks since a 21-20 win by Hillsborough in 2005. But Armwood is still the best Tampa Bay’s got this season.

2. (3) Sickles (1-0)
Last week: Beat Robinson 33-7
This week: at Durant, 7:30
Lowdown: Isaac Holder rushed for 96 yards in the season opener against the Knights, the most he's had since setting his career-best mark of 113 yards….last year in the season opener against the Knights.

3. (2) Plant (0-1)
Last week: Lost 20-14 to Lowndes (Ga.)
This week: vs. Robinson, 7:30
Lowdown: So, Plant lost a season opener? Ho-hum. Last two times the Panthers have lost their season openers, they went on to win state championships. 

4. (4) East Lake (1-0)
Last week: Beat Palm Harbor University 40-10
This week: vs. Largo, 7:30
Lowdown: The rout of rival PHU was the Eagles’ 16th straight victory in the regular season, currently the longest streak in Pinellas County. Last year, East Lake snapped Largo’s 15-game regular-season win streak.

5. (5) Clearwater Central Catholic (1-0)
Last week: Beat Naples Lely 38-6
This week: vs. Tampa Catholic, 7:30
Lowdown: The offense racked up 481 yards in the season opener, but it was the performance of the Marauders’ revamped defense that opened some eyes after allowing just six points.

6. (6) Largo (1-0)
Last week: Beat Northeast 40-0
This week: at East Lake, 7:30
Lowdown: Add Dakarai Allen to the list of Packer playmakers. The junior had two touchdown receptions and nearly 10 tackles against Northeast.   

7. (8) Pinellas Park (1-0)
Last week: Beat Boca Ciega 29-0
This week: at Gibbs, 7:30
Lowdown: We knew the Patriots  could run, and now we know they can play defense. They not only shut out the Pirates, but scored two defensive touchdowns. This week could be the same. Pinellas Park beat Gibbs 40-6 last year. 

8. (10) Tampa Bay Tech (1-0)
Last week: Beat Newsome 25-17
This week: Bye
Lowdown: The guy (ahem) who predicted Titan quarterback Deon Cain would be player of the year was counting on performances like last week when the Clemson commit scored with 30 seconds left to win a game. 

9. (11) Countryside (1-0)
Last week:. Lakewood 25-20
This week: vs. Bradenton Southeast, 7:30
Lowdown: The big question arising from the Cougars’ win over Lakewood is: why does @BobbyHomeTeam continue to try Countryside? I mean, we’re not one to call out people by name, but Twitter wants to know.

10. (12) Jefferson (1-0)
Last week: Beat Alonso 28-12
This week: at Hillsborough, 7:30
Lowdown: The Dragons have zero time to celebrate the win over the Ravens, because you could say this week’s game is a must-win district game. Already? Yes, already.

11. (15) Bloomingdale (1-0)
Last week: Beat Strawberry Crest 16-7
This week: vs. Brandon, 7:30
Lowdown: Isaiah McIntyre looked good last week and has the Bulls looking for their third 2-0 start in the past four seasons.

12. (13) Plant City (0-0)
Last week: Game vs. Steinbrenner called at halftime; no makeup
This week: at Wharton, 7:30
Lowdown: The Raiders played half a game last week and called it a night due to weather. This week’s opponent apparently did the same, minus the lightning.

13. (14) Hillsborough (0-0)
Last week: Bye
This week: vs. Jefferson, 7:30
Lowdown: The Terriers had a week off to prepare for a two-game stretch (Jefferson, then Armwood) that could decide their playoff future. The Terriers have to win at least one of them, and this one might be the easier of the two.

14. (7) Lakewood (0-1)
Last week:. Lost 25-20 to Countryside
This week: at Palmetto, 7:30
Lowdown: Lakewood needs to figure itself out or it could continue to fall down the rankings. Quarterback Ryan Davis can’t do it all, so some others must step up on offense. And right now, the defense isn’t near where it was at the end of last season. 

15. (17)  Jesuit (1-0)
Last week:. Beat Wauchula Hardee 31-17
This week: at Lakewood Ranch, 7:30
Lowdown: Malik Davis had four touchdowns last week, and it could be Kevin Newman’s turn this week. Either way, the Tigers are likely to pound the rock and try and wear out the Mustangs. 

16. (18) Berkeley Prep (1-0)
Last week: Beat Middleton 44-6
This week: vs. Lakeland Victory Christian, 7
Lowdown: Berkeley Prep has had two weeks of bench-emptying blowouts. We think this is the week, as the kids like to stay, that stuff gets real. 

17. (NR) Sunlake (1-0)
Last week: Beat Pasco 17-13
This week: vs. River Ridge, 7:30
Lowdown: So, Sunlake is the best team in the North Suncoast, right? I can say that, right? Because I just did.

18. (9) Pasco (0-1)
Last week:. Lost 17-13 to Sunlake
This week: at Fivay, 7:30
Lowdown: The Pirates’ days of dominance over everyone in Pasco County might be over, but the ship hasn’t sunk. We’re we’re betting they begin working their way back up the poll starting this week.

19. (21) Indian Rocks Christian (1-0)
Last week:. Beat St. Petersburg Catholic 35-0
This week: vs. Carrollwood Day (at Leto), 7:30Lowdown: The Golden Eagles had 210 yards rushing in a season-opening win that ended with about eight minutes left in the second quarter because of lightning. 

20 (16). Alonso (0-1)
Last week: Lost 28-12 to Jefferson
This week: vs. East Bay, 7
Lowdown: Crossroads game already? Is Alonso going to start slow? The Ravens lost to Jefferson and East Bay last year, but need to get the wheels moving earlier this season.

21. (NR) River Ridge (1-0)
Last week: Beat Land O’Lakes 21-14
This week: at Sunlake, 7:30
Lowdown: If you had asked me in the preseason to set up a four-team playoff to determine the best team in Pasco County, I probably would have had River Ridge play Land O’Lakes in one semifinal, Pasco against Sunlake in the other, and the two winners play for the title this week. Which is, well, exactly what we got.

22. (19) Tampa Catholic (0-1)
Last week: Lost 23-6 to Madison County.
This week: at Clearwater Central Catholic, 7:30
Lowdown: With Nate Craig and Bentlee Sanders out, Tampa Catholic is desperately seeking a hero this week against the Marauders. Well, probably a couple of heroes. 

23. (20) Land O'Lakes (0-1)
Last week: Lost 21-14 to River Ridge
This week: vs. Anclote, 7:30
Lowdown: The Gators’ pass-happy attack will be pass-sad if the rushing attack can’t average more than 2.7 yards a carry this week.

24. (NR) Lennard (1-0)
Last week: Beat East Bay 28-7
This week: at King, 7:30
Lowdown: This is not a typo.

T25. (23) Newsome (0-1)
Last week: Lost 25-17 to Tampa Bay Tech
This week: vs. Gaither, 7:30
Lowdown: Two touchdowns in the final minute doomed the Wolves last week, but we’re not ready to give up on them just yet. We still think Newsome will prove itself as a top team in the coming weeks.

T25. (25) Tarpon Springs (1-0)
Last week: Beat Clearwater 27-13
This week: vs. Osceola, 7:30
Lowdown: Behind the play of newcomer Daniel Davis, the Spongers rallied to win their fourth straight against the Tornadoes.

The bay area always seems to be rich with volleyball talent, and this year is no exception. We think CCC, Tampa Prep and Bloomingdale have the best shots at bringing a state title back to Tampa Bay, but the other teams that make up our first HomeTeam 25 of the season will certainly give them a run for their money.

1. Clearwater Central Catholic (0-0)
Upcoming matches: Thursday, vs. Indian Rocks Christian
Lowdown: The Marauders get a late start to the season but have some challenging tournaments ahead. With six seniors returning, CCC has its sights set on a state championship.

2. Tampa Prep (1-0)
Upcoming matches: Weekend, at Academy of the Holy Names tournament
Lowdown: The Terrapins are returning five of six starters from a team that made its third straight trip to the region final last season. If any team is due, and experienced enough, for a final four berth, it’s Tampa Prep.

3. Bloomingdale (1-0)
Upcoming matches: Tuesday, vs. Riverview; Thursday, vs. Wharton.
Lowdown: Led by one of Hillsborough County’s top players, Karissa Rhoades, the Bulls have yet to drop a single game in two preseason matches and a 3-0 rout of Steinbrenner, a 2013 state semifinalist.

4. Calvary Christian (1-0)
Upcoming matches: Tuesday, vs. St. Petersburg Catholic; Thursday, at Shorecrest
Lowdown: The Warriors started the season with an impressive 3-0 win over Berkeley Prep. They should cruise until a Sept. 9 match against CCC.

5. Steinbrenner (1-1)
Upcoming matches: Wednesday, at Wiregrass Ranch, Friday, at Academy of the Holy Names tournament.
Lowdown: The Warriors have won district titles all five years they’ve been a program, and last year they made a run to the state semifinal. With big hitter Avery Bradshaw returning, there’s no reason they couldn’t do it again.

6. Berkeley Prep (1-1)
Upcoming matches: Weekend, at AHN tournament
Lowdown: The Bucs may not have a stranglehold on top spot anymore after losing several starters, including Stanford signee Sidney Brown, but Berkeley Prep’s tradition means it’ll still likely be one of the teams to beat.

7. Plant (0-1)
Upcoming matches: Thursday, at Alonso
Lowdown: The 10-time state champion Panthers lost last year’s leading hitter, Kaitlyn Sibson, but Plant always seems to rebuild and make a playoff run. This year shouldn’t be any different.

8. Fivay (2-0)
Upcoming matches: Thursday, vs. Anclote
Lowdown: Fivay was one of the best teams on the North Suncoast last season, making it all the way to the region final. It should have another good year, but it’ll have to make do having lost more than 50 percent of its kills from last season.

9. Palm Harbor University (1-0)
Upcoming matches: Tuesday, at Sarasota Riverview; Thursday, at Seminole
Lowdown: PHU can be awfully good this season. Several starters return, including senior middle hitter Jazmine Baker and senior setter Abby Walker.

10. Academy of the Holy Names (0-1)
Upcoming matches: Tuesday, vs. Booker; weekend, host tournament.
Lowdown: The Jaguars have 6-foot-2 Georgia commit Courtney Vogler back for one more season, so as long as she can get a little help on offense, AHN could soar through a tough schedule this season.

11. Carrollwood Day (1-0)
Upcoming matches: Tuesday, at Shorecrest; Thursday, at Brooks DeBartolo
Lowdown: Last season Carrollwood Day finished 23-3 but was upset by Bishop McLaughlin in the district tournament to miss the playoffs. Since the Patriots graduated just one senior, chances are they’ll be just as good — if not better — than last year, and they should be a playoff contender.

12. Seminole (1-0)
Upcoming matches: Tuesday, vs. Northeast; Thursday, vs. Palm Harbor University
Lowdown: The Warhawks have a chance to overcome East Lake and Clearwater in 7A-9 this season. A non-district match against Palm Harbor U. will provide a good early-season test.

13. Indian Rocks Christian (1-0)
Upcoming matches: Tuesday, at Seffner Christian; Thursday, at CCC
Lowdown: The Golden Eagles are a solid team, unfortunately they are in a district with CCC and Calvary Christian. Still, IRC can compete for a playoff spot this season.

14. Wiregrass Ranch (1-1)
Upcoming matches: Tuesday, at Anclote; Wednesday, vs. Steinbrenner
Lowdown: If any team can put an end to Steinbrenner’s five-year district title streak, it’s the Bulls.  But somebody will have to step up for Wiregrass Ranch. It finished a respectable 21-7 last season, led on offense by three seniors.

15. Bishop McLaughlin (1-0)
Upcoming matches: Sept. 10 vs. Weeki Wachee
Lowdown: The Hurricanes lost half of last year’s power-hitting duo, Alyssa Mathis and Aileen Hnatiuk. But Mathis, a San Diego State commit, will be back to help lead a Bishop McLaughlin team that’s focused on dominating a tough district.

16. Mitchell (1-1)
Upcoming matches: Tuesday, vs. Osceola
Lowdown: Mitchell made it to the 6A region final a year ago, falling to Venice 3-0. With two Mustangs returning that had at least 100 kills last season, Mitchell should have the foundation to make another postseason run.

17. Sunlake (3-0)
Upcoming matches: Wednesday vs. Hudson; Thursday, at Gulf
Lowdown: A young Sunlake team missed last season’s playoffs, finishing 16-10. With another year under their belt, the Seahawks should only be able to go up from there. Early wins against Mitchell and Anclote point to a potentially promising season for Sunlake.

18. Anclote (2-1)
Upcoming matches: Tuesday, vs. Wiregrass Ranch; Thursday, at Fivay
Lowdown: Anclote graduated two of its top three hitters from last season, ended in a 3-0 loss to county rival Fivay in the region semifinal. But middle hitter Marissa Niedermeyer returns, coming off a 2013 season in which she recorded 259 kills, 38 aces and 64 blocks.

19. Wharton (2-0)
Upcoming matches: Thursday, at Bloomingdale
Lowdown: Last season, the Wildcats finished a solid 17-9, but struggled in their own district and missed the playoffs. Their three leading hitters from last year return, though, including sophomore outside hitter Kathryn Attar, who finished the 2013 season with 277 kills.

20. Durant (0-0)
Upcoming matches: Thursday, vs. East Bay
Lowdown: The Cougars were one of the more fun teams to watch last season as they didn’t pick up their first loss until the playoffs. It’ll be tough for Durant to replicate that kind of success without Ole Miss signee Lexi Thompson, but the winning tradition is still there.

21. St. Petersburg (0-0)
Upcoming matches: Tuesday, vs. Manatee; Thursday, at Northeast
Lowdown: The Green Devils are rebuilding a bit but still have enough talent to compete in District 8A-8. That will be tested right away against district foe Manatee.

22. Weeki Wachee (3-0)
Upcoming matches: Tuesday, at Pasco; Wednesday, at River Ridge; Thursday, vs. Wesley Chapel
Lowdown: The Hornets finished 16-11 last season, the best result in the school’s short history. And with a 3-0 start to the season, it appears they could be on track to continue the improvements.

23. King (1-1)
Upcoming matches: Thursday, vs. Armwood
Lowdown: King didn’t have a single senior on its roster last season but still finished 7-0 in an eight-team 6A-9 district. Now that the young Lions are another year older, King could be able to accomplish that and more.

24. Hernando (2-0)
Upcoming matches: Wednesday, vs. Central; Thursday, at Central
Lowdown: Hernando earned 17 wins last season for the second time since 2010, and the flourishing program should be in a good position to win its second straight district title in 2014.

25. Robinson (1-2)
Upcoming matches: Tuesday, vs. Spoto; Thursday, at Sickles
Lowdown: Robinson lost much of its offensive production from a Cinderella run to the state final four last season. Still, the Knights know what it takes to get there.

So, who's taking down Yoda Master this week?

Remember, keep using the same name you used last week, to keep yourself in the running for the season-ending prize.

Good luck.

Except, well, not to you Yoda.

Male Hot Shot of the Week

Ryan Marsh was part of a three-headed running back attack last season for Mitchell’s football team, and was limited to 32 carries for 207 yards and four touchdowns as a junior. One week into the 2014 season and he has already surpassed that total.

Marsh had a tremendous start to his final prep season by running wild against Anclote on Friday. He gained 252 yards and had three long touchdown runs in the Mustangs’ 36-7 win. It is now no secret that he will be a major offensive weapon this season for Mitchell.

“I didn’t get most of the carries last season,’’ Marsh said. “I definitely wanted to prove that I was capable of being the main ball carrier.’’

Marsh said he had high expectations coming into the season but he had no idea what to expect in the first game. It became apparent early that he was going to have a good night, as long as he took what his offensive line gave him. 

“It really depended on how the offensive line blocked,’’ he said. “They did a great job of making big holes and I just had to run through them.”

With a start like this, Marsh could emerge as one of the top backs in Pasco County. The Mustangs take on Ridgewood — which opened with a 47-40 win over Fivay — this week. 

“That was a good way to start but we’ll see what happens the rest of the season,’’ Marsh said. 

Why he won: Marsh was outstanding in Mitchell’s 36-7 opening-night win against Anclote. He gained 252 yards on 11 carries and scored three touchdowns — of 89, 49 and 48 yards — in three quarters.

Have an athlete who should be considered for our next voting cycle? Email hometeam@tampabay.com.