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Game of the Week: Tampa Catholic (8-1) at Jesuit (4-5)

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 9, 2007

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m., Alumni Field at Corral Memorial Stadium

WHAT TAMPA CATHOLIC MUST DO TO WIN

TOE THE LINE: Controlling the line of scrimmage will be key if the Crusaders want to end their seven-year losing streak. Tampa Catholic will match its speedy defensive linemen against Jesuit's physical offensive unit. Crusaders defensive leader Marco Mendoza noted the Tigers' line may be big, "but they're slow." Ouch.

THINK ZINK: Let leading rusher Drew Zink loose. The senior running back has broken 100 yards three times this season, two of which were in blowouts. Zink's capable of carrying the load for the Crusaders and eating up the clock to help keep Jesuit's offense on the sideline.

FORGET-ME-NOTS: Tampa Catholic enters the game on a seven-game winning streak, while Jesuit has dropped four of its last five games. The Crusaders need to throw records out the window and concentrate on the opponent. Jesuit proved earlier this season that it is capable of handling top-caliber opponents, which Tampa Catholic certainly is. Despite their losing record, the Crusaders can't afford to take Jesuit lightly.

WHAT JESUIT MUST DO TO WIN

SEVEN GOING ON EIGHT: Momentum is a wonderful thing in football, and Jesuit has had it in this series since 1999. That was the last time Tampa Catholic was victorious. That was pre-Y2K and Britney Spears' custody battle. The Tigers definitely hold the mental edge. Another incentive - a victory would prevent Jesuit's first losing season since 1989 and make it eight in a row against its arch-rival.

GRIND IT OUT: Rediscover the ground game that helped it win four games this season. Leading rusher Chris Kavouklis averaged more than 100 yards per game at the start of the season. However, in the Tigers' five losses, Kavouklis has only averaged nearly 70 yards. His pounding style of running would certainly wear down Tampa Catholic's defense.

TAKE CONTROL: Jesuit gave up 35 consecutive points to Kathleen last week, leading to a running clock in the fourth quarter. The Tigers have the ability to control the clock with their running game. They also need to hold onto the football a little better. In four of its five losses, Jesuit has turned the ball over 12 times.

X-FACTOR: Some visiting teams have struggled to adjust to the slippery conditions of Jesuit's new artificial turf. Last week, however, Tampa Catholic played Bishop Verot, a school with a similar playing surface. The Crusaders won't be as unfamiliar with the intricacies of the field as past Tigers opponents.

This will be the deal. This will be the show [tonight]. It's good that all the alumni come out and support their respective schools. The competition is great and I think it's good for high school football and the city of Tampa. It's just an enjoyable feeling." - Jesuit coach Joe Ross

I'm not going to say that we haven't started to look ahead a bit, but that's really for the coaches to do and we're going to prepare the players to perform at their best. And pride is important. In our case, because it's been such a long drought, this game is very important to us and it sets a certain amount of tone for the playoffs." - Tampa Catholic coach Bob Henriquez

It has been a long time, but it's going to stop this week." - Tampa Catholic defensive end Marco Mendoza of the Crusaders' seven-game losing streak to Jesuit

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