By FRANCIS FEDOR
The Longhorns returned home and struggled to get their offense going in a 31-6 loss to the Palmetto Tigers. The Tigers carried the momentum of a five-game winning streak into Ruskin while Lennard was looking to get back in the win column after losing its first on the road against Parrish Community. The Palmetto win crowns the Tigers as district champions with an undefeated run through district opponents.
The Tigers were first to score with a TD in the second quarter of a defensive struggle. Palmetto created space by scoring 13 in the third quarter to head to the fourth with the 24-0 lead. The Longhorns needed the win to create a three-way tie in the district between Parrish Community, Palmetto and themselves to setup a tie-breaker scenario. Lennard senior QB Jacob Mobley completed 17 of 31 for 175 yards, finishing a strong senior season with over 1600 yards passing. Longhorn junior Johntel Gibbson tossed the only TD, a 25-yard completion to Al’quan Smith to keep Palmetto from recording a shutout, the Indians second of the season.
Tigers WR Maurice Carter threw an 84-yard TD to fellow WR Jok Harris and ran for a TD. Junior Ashton Kelly scored twice, rushing for 112 yards on 12 carries.
Up Next:
The Longhorns have one remaining game, a road trip up to near Busch Gardens, to take on another tough opponent in the 7-2 Chamberlain Storm. The Storm lost to South Shore Six member Spoto, 39-0, earlier this season, and coach KB Belton and his Longhorns will be looking to replicate that success and then wait for the state playoff brackets to be announced. The Longhorns 7-0 start should give them a resume for the FHSAA selection committee to consider for an at-large bid.
Spoto Spartans (5-4) 0 East Bay Indians (5-5) 50
Spoto and East Bay hooked up in a district and South Shore Six rivalry game in South Gibsonton on senior night for the Indians. East Bay got the better of the night, lit the scoreboard for the home crowd and the defense stifled the Spartan offense for the shutout. The Spartans ended a two-game streak where they were on the other side of the shutout, routing their last two opponents before visiting East Bay.
East Bay opened the scoring with a 10-yard Gavin Altman rushing TD that was set up with QB Richard McClary finding WR Demirius Feet downfield to the Spoto 23. The defense got in the act with Dorian Edwards picking off a Spoto pass for a 44-yard TD return. The Indians added a 49-yard Trey Alexander rushing TD to close the half.
Omar Germany got the second half off to a fast start with calling his own number for a 3-yard rushing TD. He took advantage of a Comarion Anthony interception to hook-up with Shondray Dixon for a 12-yard TD pass shortly after. Germany pulled the ball down and took off for a long run, setting up another passing TD where he found Alexander for the score. Special teams added a late score with Comarion Anthony finding space on a punt return for a 57-yard TD.
Tampa Bay Tech, by virtue of its win over winless Leto, won the district with a 3-0 record. East Bay finished at 2-1 in the district with Spoto at 1-2.
Up Next:
Spoto finishes the regular season on the road, traveling to Sickles to play the 1-8 Gryphons, who are coming off a 64-0 loss to the Plant Panthers. The Keith Chattin-led Spartans will be looking to finish the season on a positive note.
East Bay has completed its regular season, the first for head coach DeAndra Simmons at the helm for the Indians, and will await any potential at-large invitations for the state or invitational tournament.
Riverview Sharks (6-3) 20 Bloomingdale Bulls (3-6) 14
Riverview made the 6-mile trek over to Bloomingdale and left with the close 20-13 district win over the Riverview rival Bulls.
Sophomore Carter Peternell tossed for 102 yards on 12 of 16 passing, but it was the ground game that put the ball into the end-zone. Shark Senior Jordyn Bailey accounted for two of the three Shark scores. Peternell found the end-zone, using his feet to score the other Riverview TD, and was at the top of the rushing stats for Riverview with 61 yards.
Riverview head coach Tony Rodriguez was named Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach of the week after the win over East Bay last week, Week 9 of the season.
Riverview finishes with a 2-1 district record with its only loss in a one-point heart-breaker against Durant. The Durant Cougars celebrated a district championship at home with their win over Bartow in a high scoring 46-40 contest.
Up Next:
Riverview finishes the regular season on Oct. 31 at 9-0 Armwood, a tough task against a Hawks squad that is having a strong season and is currently ranked number 8 for MaxPreps in the state and 80th Nationally. The Sharks, like the other South Shore Six, with the exception of the Sumner Stingrays, who won their district, find themselves in a place where they’re likely going to be waiting for the playoff brackets to come out to see if they are invited as an at-large addition or if they are invited to the new FHSAA Invitational tournament.
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