By STEVE JACKSON
The 2-6 Riverview Sharks and the 7-2 East Bay Indians both grabbed wins by slight margins in South Shore football action last Friday. Sumner High also kept its hopes alive for a post-season berth. The 5-4 Stingrays survived 27-20 over Alonso High, now 4-4. Plant City, 7-2 overall and 3-0 in district, is the leader and the favorite to capture first place in 7A District 7.
Sumner is in second place at 3-1, trailed by Newsome High at 6-3 overall and 1-2 in the same district. The most disappointing final score last week was the 42-24 drubbing of 6-3 Lennard High by 6A-District 11 rival Palmetto High, 7-1 overall and leading 3-0 in the district. The loss makes Palmetto the leading contender for a post-season spot and drastically affects Lennard’s chance to go post-season.
East Bay, of Coach Mike Gottman, has a bye this week but must tangle with tough Tampa Bay Tech in a hurricane-postponed contest set for Thursday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. in East Bay. TBT is a favorite, bringing a 6-2 overall record and 2-0 district record.
Prior to the game, East Bay is 7-2 overall and 2-0 in district. The Indians are expected to play close to the vest offensive football in a grind-it-out ground game. The district champ receives an automatic post-season playoff bid. East Bay remains hopeful that its winning season will merit a playoff bid.
Coach Gottman went with sophomore quarterback Justin Dominquez most of the way in the thrilling win over Spoto.
Dominquez only tried two passes and completed both. The main offensive cog in the Spoto win for East Bay was running back Thomas Rieger. The dependable, consistent senior carried the pigskin 22 times and piled up 233 yards rushing, scoring three TDs and reeling off his longest run of the game of 45 yards. East Bay running back Harold Moure Cuello contributed a late 17-yard TD run to nail down the victory for EB.
Spoto High, of Coach Keith Chattin, led East Bay several times during the fracas in Spoto last Friday. Junior Spartan quarterback Nathan Richardson kept the Spartans in the game with 45 yards rushing on nine runs along with 10 completed passes for 206 yards and two TDs. Spoto almost pulled it out in the final seconds. QB Richardson and Spoto senior Z’orey Cotton collaborated on a 73-yard sensational and timely pass play with East Bay, supposedly in a comfortable 34-26 lead in the waning moments of the game.
Cotton’s score made it 34-32 in favor of East Bay. However, the Spartan attempt at a 2-point tying conversion failed, hanging the loss on Spoto. The Spartans ripped the EB defense not only through the air but pounded out 204 yards rushing. Senior Spartan running back Jayden Cartwright enjoyed one of his best games stat-wise. Cartwright picked up 154 yards rushing on 19 totes and scored a TD.
Spoto’s high octane offense is expected to be on display Nov. 1 for the 7:30 p.m. gridiron match at Spoto against the 2-6 Sickles High Gryphons.
Despite a losing record this season at 2-6, the Riverview Sharks, of Coach Tony Rodriquez, sent fans home happy last week by nipping neighboring Bloomingdale 22-21 in the Sharks’ annual Homecoming. Sharks senior quarterback Rod Mack sparked the come-from-behind victory. Mack hit junior Julian Arthurs with a clutch TD aerial to provide the Sharks’ win on senior Warren Shriver’s PAT boot.
Riverview’s Mack passed 7 of 15 times for 63 yards and a TD. The senior also ran 10 times for 84 yards, his longest at 23 yards. Mack scored one TD and was provided plenty of help by junior Koby Holloman, running five times for 62 yards and a TD. Senior Andrew Lee picked up 41 rush yards on 12 tries. Junior Javan Gadson had 20 yards rushing on three carries. Also contributing some minor rushing yards were seniors IIaiah Washington with 15, E. Lesinasse with 8 yards and Cole Berger with 7 yards. Riverview’s competition steps up quite bit for this Nov. 1 game with one of this area’s powerhouse football squads, the 8-0 Armwood Hawks who have scored 344 points this season and given up 63. After the Armwood clash, Riverview hosts a hurricane-make up game with 5-3 Bartow High on Nov. 7 at 7 p.m.
Lennard will celebrate homecoming this Friday, starting at 7:30 p.m. against the Chamberlain High Storm. Longhorns Coach KB Belton’s guys will be looking to end a three-game losing streak against the Storm, which bopped Robinson High 42-19 for its third win in a row last week. The Storm brings a high scoring offense to Ruskin and a 6-2 overall mark with 2-0 in 3A District 10.
Last week, Lennard could not match the talented Palmetto squad, which piled up 254 yards rushing against the Horns, along with 112 yards in the air. Horns QB junior Jacob Mobley had a decent night in the stats category, but it was not enough for the losing Lennard team. Mobley completed 15 or 22 passes for 244 yards and three TDs. Grabbing most of Mobley’s throws was junior London Green with seven receptions for 102 yards and a pair of TDs. Senior running back for Lennard, Gavin Fields, pulled in a pair of passes for 68 yards and a TD. Lennard senior back-up placekicker Henry Myers booted a 25- yard field goal. The usual leaders on defense for Lennard were Jamarie Clarke, Dorian Burns, Jaiden Jones, Bradely Dover and Mekhi Williams, along with a host of other defenders who just could not slow down Palmetto enough. Lennard’s Thomas Shine picked off an interception for the defense.