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On the Gridiron: Week 10 prep predictions
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Tevin Drake will be the key to whether or not Nature Coast make the playoffs. (Courtesy of the St. Petersburg Times)
Game of the Week
(10) Land O’Lakes at (11) Mitchell
The winner of this game is headed to the playoffs. After Ricky Trinidad (1,192 yards, 15 touchdowns in seven games) missed last week’s 17-3 loss to Pasco, the star Mitchell tailback is expected to be back this week for the make-or-break matchup. The Gators were hammered by Pasco earlier this season, and with the Mustangs’ performance on the road last week, it wouldn’t be shocking if Mitchell upset Land O’Lakes and ended the Gators’ 14-season playoff streak.
Final: Mitchell 28, Land O’Lakes 27
(1) Plant at (39) Chamberlain
The question isn’t whether or not the Panthers are going to knock off Chamberlain this week, but by how much. Another issue for Plant is how well-tuned the program is going to be with these cupcake games right before playoff time. Playing in Class 5A with St. Thomas Aquinas, it may not matter. Phillip Ely and company are going to have to continue performing at an elite level and hope there is a hiccup along the way for some of the other programs if another state title is in the cards.
Final: Plant 56, Chamberlain 0
(2) Armwood at (23) East Bay
East Bay is coming off one of the biggest wins of the season for the program, but a winning record just isn’t feasible with the Hawks on the horizon. Armwood should handle the Indians easily while containing Aaron Mills, East Bay’s most dangerous option on offense. Josh Grady, Matt Jones, Sherman Jessie, A.J. King, etc. should prove too much for the Indian defense to handle even on an off-night.
Final: Armwood 49, East Bay 3
(29) Wharton at (3) Tampa Bay Tech
The Titans have been on cruise control for quite some time now, and another win is likely this week. TBT fans just have to hope that C.C. Culpepper has his crew focused for the upcoming postseason. Wharton won’t prove much of a task for the Titans to overcome as the once-promising Wildcats have been reeling since Week 1. Shane McEwen finally went over 100 yards last week in another loss, but the former 1,000-yard rusher has been very disappointing in 2009.
Final: Tampa Bay Tech 51, Wharton 10
(4) Jefferson at (36) Blake
Quentin Williams helped the Dragons put 63 points on the board last week, and with Blake’s flimsy defense, there is no reason to believe that kind of potential isn’t there again in Week 10. There just hasn’t been any stopping Jefferson since earlier this season when the team had an unofficial letdown at the hands of Newsome. Since the program has already clinched its district, it’s all about tightening the ship before the postseason rolls around in two weeks.
Final: Jefferson 63, Blake 0
(27) King at (5) Hillsborough
Two weeks ago, Hillsborough ended its last game with a two-touchdown loss at Armwood. The Terriers put up a good fight, losing for only the second time this season. The tough schedule doesn’t end with Armwood or Jefferson. Tarean Austin will lead his offense against TBT in the final week of the season, so this contest with the Lions should prove as only a warm-up. It’ll be interesting to see how Hillsborough reacts to King on both sides of the ball this week.
Final: Hillsborough 59, King 0
Lakewood at (6) Spoto
The best common opponent between Spoto and Lakewood is Jefferson. The Dragons drilled Lakewood 24-7 earlier this season, while the Spartans nearly beat Jefferson 24-21. Both programs find themselves behind Jefferson, who has already clinched the district title. The other team to emerge from District 3A-8 will be determined in this game. If Dale Caparaso can find a way to dominate the clock with the Spartan running attack, it is likely that Spoto will be headed to the playoffs.
Final: Spoto 21, Lakewood 13
Avon Park at (7) Tampa Catholic
On paper, the 3-5 Red Devils may not seem like much of a matchup for the Crusaders. However, Avon Park scored 20 on Fort Meade and gave Lake Highland Prep a real run for its money. With a schedule that would toughen up the softest bunch of players, the Red Devils should be ready for a trip to Tampa this week. Tailback Teddy Allen (177 yards, three touchdowns versus Lake Highland Prep) will need to have a big game on the ground for Avon Park to have a shot at keeping up with the streaky Tampa Catholic offense led by Christian Green and Hank McCloud.
Final: Tampa Catholic 27, Avon Park 21
(30) Sunlake at (8) Pasco
The big weakness for Sunlake plays right into the hands of Pasco’s strength. The Seahawks are not equipped defensively to handle the potent Pirate spread attack. D.J. Clower should have a solid day, but the real player to keep an eye on Friday is Janarion Grant. The freshman has grown more dangerous by the game and this contest versus Sunlake is a prime stage for Grant to shine on. Rashaud Daniels came up short for Sunlake last week in a loss to Land O’Lakes, and it seems like the Pirates will key on stopping him again this week.
Final: Pasco 41, Sunlake 6
(33) Brandon at (12) Freedom
The slippery slope of a losing season seems to be getting to Brandon. The Eagles should have easily handled Chamberlain last week after some of the impressive performances that the team has had in losing efforts throughout the schedule, but they weren’t able to produce offensively. If that was the case against the Chiefs, there is little hope that Brandon has much of a shot of putting up numbers against Freedom, who shutout Leto last week.
Final: Freedom 31, Brandon 7
(13) Nature Coast at (20) Hernando
The St. Peterburg Times online headline read “Biggest Hernando County game ever?” While we won’t go that far, it definitely is the biggest one we’ve seen in a while, with a playoff spot on the line in District 3A-6. A loss by Nature Coast knocks them out and cements the Leopards first berth in years. A win by Nature Coast could create a three-way tie for second place in the district (pending the Crystal River result). Either way, the best storyline of this contest will be the battle of the running backs. Tevin Drake and Alvin Delaine were once teammates at Parrott Middle School in Brooksville, and both have gone on to prep stardom. Who will come out on top?
Final: Nature Coast 31, Hernando 28
(15) Durant at (17) Newsome
Along with Plant City, the winner of this game will be in the driver’s seat for the postseason in 5A-6. Newsome is on the way up, performing well even with star tailback Conner Powers on the sidelines due to injury. Durant had been riding its defense into prime position for the postseason, but with a loss this week, the Cougars could be done. The Cougars lost to Plant City last week and now have their postseason lives on the line. Je’Twan Smith will need to break lose early in the game if Durant is going to keep its footing.
Final: Durant 17, Newsome 14
(40) Gaither at (16) Alonso
This might be the best 3-5 program the Suncoast has ever seen, and guess what? The Ravens are almost surely going to the playoffs. If Alonso defeats Gaither Friday, the Ravens will join Plant as the two postseason teams in District 5A-5. Not if, when. C.J. Bennett will have a huge day through the air, and the Ravens will amass large point totals on its way to an overwhelming win. Mark it down.
Final: Alonso 49, Gaither 7
(45) Strawberry Crest at (18) Robinson
Robinson, undefeated in District 2A-5, has wiped the floor with every district rival it has faced in 2009. Strawberry Crest, the lowest-ranked of all the programs in the district, should prove no competition at all for the Knights. Blake Rice and the Robinson offense will have a field day on the Charger defense. Even with the strides that the Crest has made this season, especially in the running game, there is no chance it walks into Robinson and walks out with a victory.
Final: Robinson 63, Strawberry Crest 0
St. Petersburg Catholic at (19) Jesuit
A win here would cement the second playoff berth in District 2A-5 for Jesuit. Bobby Eveld and the Tiger offense should have plenty enough in the tank to handle the Barons at home. St. Pete Catholic has a fair amount of firepower, but besides Robinson, there aren’t many programs in Class 2A that can hang with Jesuit. Chris McKay and Keelyan Bryant have been a sturdy one-two punch for St. Pete Catholic on offense, but Eveld and Robby Garcia form a similar combo for the Tigers.
Final: Jesuit 27, St. Petersburg Catholic 21
Indian Rocks Christian at (21) Berkeley Prep
Hosting the talented Golden Eagles will be a decent test for the Buccaneers before the Class A playoffs. Second only to Fort Meade in District A-6 this season, Berkeley Prep has done a solid job of distancing itself for the second postseason position. With only two games remaining, Nelson Agholor is only 231 yards away from his first 1,000-yard season as the Berkeley tailback.
Final: Berkeley Prep 34, Indian Rocks Christian 21
(26) Hudson at (22) Wiregrass Ranch
Here’s another interesting contest this week. The Bulls and Cobras did not prove much competition for dominant Tarpon Springs in District 4A-6, but the winner here will clinch the runner up postseason position in the district. Wiregrass has gone from a Pasco County joke to a legit playoff contender thanks in large part to the surge of Josiah Johnson in the Bull backfield and the attitude brought on by first-year coach Jeremy Shobe. The Bulls are faced with the task of dethroning Zack Wynn and the potent Cobra offense. Home field advantage should play a big role here.
Final: Wiregrass Ranch 31, Hudson 28
(24) Middleton at (37) Leto
The three-man backfield of Earnest Mingo, Vasty Paul and Maurice Campbell has now gone over 1,400 yards on the season. While Leto has received similar production from the combo of Jeremy Deering and Terik Greensberry, the Falcons have shown no signs of coming out of their season-long lull recently. On the other hand, the Tigers had reeled off four straight wins before being toppled by Jesuit last week. If the Tiger defense can force Leto to throw the ball, Middleton should win easily.
Final: Middleton 28, Leto 10
(42) Bloomingdale at (25) Riverview
These two programs are a combined 2-14 on the season, but both have a stud tailback that is capable of breaking off a big run at any time. Both Derrick Johnson and Ronnie Johnson should have big games this week against subpar defenses. In the end, the Sharks should handle the Bulls thanks to a more consistent offensive attack. Riverview has handled stronger programs than Bloomingdale, and even though the Sharks have been slumping, Bloomingdale has spelled relief for many teams this season.
Final: Riverview 27, Bloomingdale 13
(49) Central at (28) Springstead
With recent news that the Bears now have one win, the motivation to not go winless is gone for Central as well. Even though West Port beat them earlier this season, the Ocala-based program played an ineligible player in the contest and was forced to forfeit the game weeks later. Either way, Springstead would have creamed their 20-year rivals Friday. The Eagles should see a superb performance from Devean Huff and Brian Beeker as they cruise to an easy win.
Final: Springstead 49, Central 0
(31) Gulf at (35) Wesley Chapel
Many believe this will be the final game that Wesley Chapel coach John Castelamare coaches in his career. That is all the more motivation for the Wildcats in front of the home crowd. Jon Mahan is coming off the best performance of his career, and he’ll have to put up numbers close to those if Wesley Chapel is going to come out on top Friday. Madison Burr has feasted on mediocre programs throughout his Buccaneer career, and Gulf coach Jay Fulmer is banking on that kind of success once again.
Final: Gulf 27, Wesley Chapel 24
(43) River Ridge at (32) Ridgewood
The Rams have done a terrific job of progressing throughout the season, and with this rivalry game with River Ridge looming, there is little doubt that Ridgewood will come away with a victory. Cameron Rodriguez, an unknown quantity coming into the season, will likely follow in the footsteps of Sterling Ross and Byronell Arline by going over the 1,000-yard mark in this contest. He and starting quarterback Scott Kujak should both be returning for the 2010 season, giving Chris Taylor a lot to look forward to.
Final: Ridgewood 34, River Ridge 7
Canterbury at (34) Carrollwood Day
This is one of the five biggest games of the week, and it’s surprising to find it this far down the list. The Patriots have been rolling all season, and early in the year, the results for Canterbury were not overly impressive. However, Carrollwood is facing a very motivated Canterbury squad Friday afternoon. Billy Embody and Darius Bing will have to continue putting up the eye-popping numbers that have gotten them to where they are right now. The winner of this game is in the driver’s seat for the Sunshine State Athletic Conference.
Final: Carrollwood Day 34, Canterbury 24
(47) Anclote at (38) Zephyrhills
For the second time in three weeks, the Bulldogs are in line for a victory. Zephyrhills has made some small strides on both sides of the ball as the year has worn on, and these strides should only help the young program come next season. Anclote, sadly, will likely not win this week and will continue its winless run in 2009. The Sharks have done a good job of developing junior running back Kris Aratchiysky. Since Anclote has no seniors on the roster, the experience the team is gaining this season has been valuable.
Final: Zephyrhills 21, Anclote 0
(41) Lennard at (46) Steinbrenner
One week after handing Strawberry Crest a loss, Lennard gets a similar contest with a trip to Steinbrenner. Much like the Chargers, it is hard to imagine the Warriors will have much of an answer for Fred Porter or Tevin Abney on the Longhorn offense. This is the final shot at another win for the Warriors, who wrap their first campaign and a limited varsity schedule. Steinbrenner has shown no ability to stop anyone, so expect big numbers from the Longhorns.
Final: Lennard 49, Steinbrenner 0
(44) Cambridge at Victory Christian
Steve Stanley has helped lead Victory Christian to a 8-1 record this season, and the Lancers have little shot of stopping the Storm with him leading the way. Chris Brown has become more and more dangerous in the Cambridge backfield by the game, but since Victory has toppled teams such as Admiral Farragut, which has already defeated Cambridge, it is likely the Storm will have no problem Friday.
Final: Victory Christian 48, Cambridge 17
(48) Bishop McLaughlin at All Saints
The Hurricanes have come a long way since early in the season, and with the way All Saints have been reeling with blowout losses to Cambridge and Carrollwood Day, there is no reason why the ‘Canes can’t pick up win No. 2 this week. Mitch Ritter will have to lead the Bishop Mac offense on solid drives every time they have the ball if the Spring Hill team is going to win another game.
Final: Bishop McLaughlin 27, All Saints 13
Bye: (9) Sickles, (14) Plant City, (50) Hernando Christian
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