East Bay romps Robinson 35-12
Faces winless Durant in Plant City on Friday
By STEVE JACKSON
East Bay’s Joseph Barr, #19, and Robinson’s Quinton Lane, #5, engage in some hand to hand combat in the Indians win over Robinson last Friday.
GIBSONTON — Unbeaten East Bay continues to be the class of South Shore high school football, busting its way to a 35-12 win over Robinson last Friday night in front of a large crowd. Durant is next on the victim’s list for the 3-0 Indians whose main concern on the road trip is over-confidence. The Cougars of Plant City host East Bay Friday night after losing their third straight game 28-14 to Newsome.
A’maya Arindell photo
East Bay running back Tre Everett, 9, continues to pile up the rushing yards as the Indians open up the holes inside and outside.
The Indians rolled out to a 22-6 first-half lead over the 1-2 visitors from Tampa and continued to dominate the Knights in the second half with offensive line blocking and a stiff defense. Indians coach Frank LaRosa pulled a few tricks out of his playbook with two consecutive onside kicks. The first wrinkle was barely unsuccessful to open the game but the second one worked like a charm after the Indians’ first score, setting up a two-play 34- yard drive to give East Bay a two touchdown lead. The Indians were in the driver’s seat the rest of the way.
East Bay notched its third straight victory of the season using its usual formula: Tough defense, excellent offensive line play and the running of Tre Everett, Joaquin Isidro and Javon Stephens. The senior Everett rushed 9 times for 146 yards and 1 touchdown. Isidro ran 15 times for 49 yards and 2 offensive scores, in addition to dashing to the end zone after returning an attempted Robinson field goal blocked by sophomore Jayden Williams. Stephens added the other TD score for the Indians on a 6-yard carry. East Bay, clicking on the ground, only passed once, and it was complete for 3 yards.
Keeping Robinson under control on defense for East Bay were Jontrell Oliver with 6 tackles, 4 for losses, and 2 sacks. He was supported statistically by Levi Marshall with 6 tackles, 3 of those for losses, and one for a sack. Also coming up big on defense was Jaden Lopez with 5 tackles, 3 for losses and one for a sack.
Chamberlain blasts Riverview 42-7
Spoto upset by Freedom 7–6
Both hit the road Friday
By STEVE JACKSON
STEPHEN FLANAGAN JACKSON PHOTOS
Spoto Spartan workhorse running back Kobe Bryant, #9 in purple, churns upfield for yardage in the Spoto loss to Freedom 7-6 Friday night.
Two Riverview high schools took it on the chin last Friday night in games on their home turf.
The Riverview Sharks suffered a drubbing at the hands of Chamberlain 42-7. Meanwhile, up the road, Spoto was on the short end of an upset by Freedom 7-6.
At Riverview High on a muggy but dry night, the home-standing Sharks were no match for the Chiefs from Tampa. A large crowd had little to cheer about as coach William Mosell’s squad fell to 1-2 on the season. The Sharks are looking for better results this Friday as they head to Palm Harbor to face the 1-2 Hurricanes who lost to Largo last week 48-13.
Spoto had plenty of chances but ultimately fell to Freedom 7-6 as the Patriots of Tampa won their first game of the season. The Spartans could not protect their home turf even though senior Kobe Smith ran up and down the field for 144 yards on 24 carries. The lone Spoto score was on a pass from J. Singleton to Eric Lee, but the PAT was no good, and the Spartans held a 6-0 lead, which later evaporated. On defense Darius Gaffney, Marcus Cobbins, and Elijah Jacobs held the Freedom rushing output to minus-5 yards on 18 carries. The Patriots did net 159 passing yards on Mason Edwards’ arm with 10 of 23 passes, mainly to Jeremiah Ashe who reeled in 3 catches for 91 yards and the only Freedom TD.
Coach Melvin Jenkins’ 1-2 Spoto squad is looking for a better offensive output scoring-wise this Friday night as they head to Robinson High in Tampa.
Riverview Sharks cheerleaders keep on pumping the spirit despite the loss to Chamberlain last Friday night. Andrea Hendrickson, far left, is the coach of the cheer squad as well as an English teacher and head of the English Department at Riverview.
Longhorns hit quick but can’t hold on
Lennard confronts Plant City after tough Gaither loss
By STEVE JACKSON
Tino Hunt, #21, RB. 180 yards on 28 carries.
TAMPA — It’s out of the frying pan and into the fire for coach Matt Kitchie’s Lennard Longhorns.
The Ruskin-based school dropped its second game of the young season last Friday 35-12 to Gaither in Tampa. Next up the 1-2 ’Horns travel to Plant City for Friday night’s game against the 3-0 Raiders.
Across the bay last week the Longhorns came out of the gate red hot, stampeding to a 12-0 lead over Gaither. The 2-1 Cowboys then rounded up the Longhorns in a big way, scoring 35 unanswered points, keyed by a late first-half flurry sparked by a long touchdown pass and an interception of a Lennard aerial deep in the red zone. Gaither took the lead at the half 14-12 and continued to pour it on in the second half. The Longhorns are still nursing some wounds, as they shot themselves in the foot with six turnovers, including two Lennard fumbles returned for Cowboy scores.
Lennard’s offensive line continued its good work, paving the way for Longhorn running back Tino Hunt, a junior, to pile up a season-high 180 yards on 28 carries. Lennard’s Jah’tavis Philpart also had a good night offensively rushing five times for 53 yards, including an 18-yard scoring scamper and a 27-yard TD run. Senior Michael Rigolizzo added 28 yards rushing on 8 carries.
The Longhorns also showed some semblance of a passing attack with the senior Philpart hitting 2 of 5 for 31 yards and sophomore QB Dylan Zervos going 2 for 6 for 30 yards.
