Unbeaten Bloomingdale edges East Bay 13-6

Indians face another unbeaten foe Friday

By STEVE JACKSON

A hot, humid night on Big Bend Road did not deter East Bay High’s Homecoming celebration as a large crowd turned out for the halftime king and queen crowning and band performance.

Oh yeah, there was a football game also. The Indians lost 13-6 to undefeated powerhouse Bloomingdale in a squeaker. East Bay coach Frank LaRosa commented to the media after the game that he was proud of the way his team hung in against the rampaging Bulls, although disappointed in the loss. LaRosa pointed out that many of his players are going both ways, especially citing Joaquin Osorio and Tre Everett for their work on offense and defense.

East Bay, after a 3-0 season start, now has lost three in a row and faces another undefeated team, Tampa Bay Tech, this Friday night.

The Indians only consolation in the Bloomingdale loss was the fact that East Bay became the first team to dent the scoreboard against the tough Bulls’ defense. The Indians had a chance to pull off the upset until a late fourth-quarter fumble derailed a drive, leading to Bloomingdale’s second field goal of the game and the final tally in the 13-6 game.

The Valrico visitors stymied an early attempt by the Indians to score with a goal-line stand on the East Bay opening possession. After Bloomingdale went ahead on a 90-yard dash by Dominic Gonella in the second quarter, both teams went up and down the field on the ground but did not score. Finally, East Bay hit for the first points of the season against Bloomingdale early in the fourth quarter. The Indians junior quarterback Cam Peternell found the end zone on a sneak from the 1-yard line to put a scare into the Bulls. Up to that point, Bloomingdale had outscored opponents 188-0 through four games and three quarters.

East Bay, now trying to beat the clock as well as the Bulls, recovered a fumble and was poised to tie or to go ahead. But Bloomingdale’s defense rose to the occasion and forced a punt, which led to the final field goal and margin of victory.

Speaking of his offensive workhorses Isidro and Everett, LaRosa said, “They are warriors. They start in the defensive secondary and don’t get any breathers.” Isidro piled up 127 rushing yards and Everett amassed 93 yards rushing against the tough Bull defense behind some stellar offensive line play. The senior pair was also assisted by a swarming EB defense, especially senior linebacker Levi Marshall who was in on a half-dozen tackles and registered a sack.

“Those guys are unselfish. They sacrifice for our team,” added LaRosa. “It is an honor to coach kids like that.”

East Bay has no time to lick its wounds. This Friday the Indians travel to face 5-0 Tampa Bay Techsters. Tampa Bay Tech shares the top spot in District 9 with Bloomingdale and undefeated Plant City and surprising Durant, which is 2-0 in district standings and 2-3 overall.

 

 

 

 

TBT topples Longhorns 47-21

Lennard scored first on Cory Freeman’s early 45-yard quick opener to the end zone last Friday night. The Longhorns held on for a 7-6 first quarter lead. The second quarter proved to be Lennard’s undoing as a poor snap on a punt helped contribute to a Tech 27-7 halftime lead. But Tampa Bay Tech had too much manpower for the Longhorns in the second half, eventually prevailing 47-21.

Both teams pretty much stuck to the ground in the second half, with Tech grinding out the final win to remain undefeated at 5-0 and 2-0 in district. Lennard is now 1-5 and 0-3 in district. 

The Longhorns hit the road to Plant City this Friday where Durant hosts the Longhorns. The surprising Cougars are 2-3 overall and share the district lead at 2-0.

Tino Hunt, the star Lennard running back who transferred from Tampa Bay Tech, continues to be the bell cow on offense for the Longhorns. The junior toted the pigskin 22 times behind stout blocking by Lennard for 149 yards and a pair of scores. His longest scamper was 37 yards. Hunt also caught a Jahtavis Philpart pass for 25 yards. On the season, Hunt leads the district with 873 total rushing yards. He has tallied 7 touchdowns.

Longhorn quarterback Philpart chipped in with a 4 for 8 night passing for 94 yards and one TD. He also had 10 carries for 24 yards rushing. Quatrell Carter was on the receiving end of two of those passes for 57 yards.

Tampa Bay Tech’s offense was led by sophomore quarterback David Wright with 11 of 15 passing for a TD and 99 yards and by the running of senior Xavier Freeman. Tampa Bay Tech’s Freeman scored three times, rushing for 119 yards on 16 attempts.

Defensively for Lennard, Amarie Jones and Dwight Blake were in on 11 tackles each. Delvin Lawson picked off one TBT pass.

 

Sharks drop homecoming battle 21-14

The halftime homecoming festivities fired up the Riverview Sharks Friday night, but not quite enough.

Steinbrenner jumped out to a 14-0 halftime lead in front of a large homecoming crowd. Then the Sharks slammed the door on the Warriors’ offense but Riverview’s rally came up short in the 21-14 loss.

Coach William Mosell’s Sharks held the Lutz visitors to only one first down and 12 total yards in the second half after falling behind. The Sharks found offensive life as well after intermission, mainly behind the passing of quarterback Barry Wyche who finished the night hitting 19 or 31 passing for 171 yards and two TDs.

Untimely interceptions and fumbles sealed the Sharks’ doom. Still in the game in the waning moments of the fourth quarter, Riverview coughed up the ball deep in Warrior territory and, in a scramble in the end zone, Steinbrenner fell on the fumble for a 21-7 lead.

Riverview came back but it was too little and too late. Racing the scoreboard clock, the Sharks drove 76 yards to score and make it 21-14 but ran out of time as Steinbrenner picked up its sixth straight win in 14 years against Riverview.

Shark’s coach Mosell told the media following the defeat, “Turnovers are killers. We cannot have that many turnovers,” he said. “Dropped balls, penalties. You can go down the list of mistakes, and we just can’t have them, especially against a tough opponent,” he lamented after the strong second-half showing by his Sharks.

Riverview fell to 2-4 on the season and 1-2 in district play. Steinbrenner improved to 2-4 and 1-2.

The Sharks now visit Alonso. The Ravens are 2-3, losers to Manatee last Friday 51-8.

Spoto overwhelmed by Jesuit 59-0

RIVERVIEW — Jesuit totally outmanned and outclassed the Spoto Spartans Friday night 59-0. The District 10 game was decided early as the Tigers from Tampa erupted for five first quarter TDs against  the shell-shocked Spartans and coach Melvin Jenkins. Jesuit ups it worksheet to 5-0 and 2-0.  Spoto falls to 2-4, 0-2.  Jesuit has piled up 184 points to opponents’ 37 on the season.

Undefeated  Jesuit  pounded  Spoto in the second quarter with 21 more points to make it a running clock in the second half.  Jesuit, mercifully, in the second half added only a field goal in the abbreviated game which featured six Spartan turnovers.

Spoto’s stellar running back Kobe Smith sat out the entire game due to injuries.  Smith is averaging 136 yards rushing and 7.2 points scoring per game.  Coach Jenkins has not indicated when and if Smith will return for Spoto.

The Spartans  meager  offensive effort was led by sophomore quarterback Jordan Guerad with 5 of 13 passes for 28 yards.   Eric Lee snagged two catches for 12 yards and Caire Anderson grabbed 2  for 11 yards. Without Smith, Spoto only managed  83 yards on the ground.  Marwan Gilmore ran 7 times for 25 yards and Marcus Cobbins tried carrying 3 times for 39 yards.  Defensively, Spoto continues to be led by Carlisle Johnson, the sophomore who was in on 10 tackles, one under his season average per game.  Cobbins, handling two-way chores, was in on 8 tackles.  Darius Gaffney and Guerad, another two-way guy, also valiantly tried to stem the Jesuit onslaught.

The Spartans have scored 80 points in 6 games and given up 144.  This Friday night Spoto hosts  the Chamberlain Chiefs.  The Tampa school is 3-2 and 1-1 in District.  Last Friday Chamberlain beat King 43-0.  Spoto lost to King 28-18 in September.