East Lake quarterback Pete Dinovo, who earlier this season became Pinellas County’s all-time career passer leader and has thrown for 6,000 yards, set the county’s single-season record last week in a playoff win over Treasure Coast — a week after breaking the record for career touchdown passes.
DiNovo threw for 321 yards — his third 300-yard game of the season — last week to pass former Pinellas Park quarterback Tony Rucker for one-season prowess.
In 1990, Rucker threw for 2,445 yards and 21 touchdowns in 10 games, most of those to the deadly receiving duo of Tony Bland and Jermaine Holmes. Included in Rucker’s perfromance was a 436-yard outing against eventual state-semifinalist Bradenton Manatee.
DiNovo now has, unofficially, 2,459 passing yards and the record after falling just short last year with 2,426.
For DiNovo, a UCF commitment, it was the second record he set this month. The week before in the regular-season finale, DiNovo threw for two touchdowns against Clearwater, breaking a tie with former Gibbs star Shaun King at 52 for the career TD mark.
The only record remaining if DiNovo is to completely rewrite the passing record book in Pinellas County? Touchdown passes in a season, though East Lake would need to advance to the state title game, at least, if DiNovo is to reach King’s record of 31, set in 1994. DiNovo has 22.