TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

TBC Canceling Football Season

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 23, 2007

The hurt in Dennis Duggan's voice said it all.

The football coach at Tampa Bay Christian didn't want to cancel the Rams' 2007 season. But, when injuries shaved his roster down to 13 players, the third-year head coach had no choice.

'We just didn't have the numbers,' Duggan said. 'We could go into a game and guys would get killed because they have no relief.'

Duggan recommended to Tampa Bay Christian officials Tuesday the season be canceled. Duggan also said he recommended the program look into moving into either seven-man or nine-man football, due to their low numbers.

Duggan also told TBC officials he did not intend to come back in 2008.

'I think I'll take a year off,' Duggan said. 'This is draining. Since May, I've felt like the captain of the Titanic, saying it's not going to sink.'

One of Duggan's players, Chris Lundy, confirmed that the Rams would not play in 2007.

Tampa Bay Christian athletic director Chad Goebert said he could not comment on the cancellation of the season.Duggan said the hardest part was telling the remaining players.

'I'm real disappointed,' Lundy, a sophomore running back, said. 'I have to start all over again. It's something I just have to do.'

Duggan said TBC will allow any of the players to be released from the school, if they wish to pursue playing football elsewhere. Lundy said he is considering transferring to Tampa Catholic, along with a couple of other players.

Any player wishing to transfer must submit a hardship request to the Florida High School Athletic Association. The Section 3 appeals meeting is Sept. 7 in Bartow, and all required paperwork must be filed by Friday.

BASEBALL: Plant senior baseball player Logan Welch has verbally committed to Maryland, Panthers coach Dennis Braun announced Wednesday.

Welch, who played for Braun as a sophomore, attended school in Connecticut last year but has transferred back to Plant for his senior season.

WRESTLING: Brandon standout wrestler Eric Grajales fell to Iran's Hamid Zare in the first round of the 55 kilogram/121 pound Greco-Roman division late Tuesday night at the FILA Junior World Tournament in Beijing.

Grajales, who was competing at the world tournament for the second consecutive year, was eliminated from the 23-wrestler competition when Zare was defeated in the next round.

FOOTBALL: Armwood was ranked No. 39 in the Rivals.com National Fab 50 poll, released Wednesday, the only area team to make the poll.

Matthew Postins, Adam Adkins,

Nick Williams

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT