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Prep Football Notebook: Longtime Coach Has No Plans To Retire

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A Tribune staff report

Published: November 22, 2007

Compared with the 47 other football seasons he has coached, this one stands out for Chamberlain coach Billy Turner.

And for many reasons.

For the second time in his career, Turner has not coached the offense, and for the first time in 48 years, he missed coaching a game.

Health issues kept Turner out of the team's game at Blake in Week 4, when he had to check himself into the Pepin Heart Institute for respiratory problems.

The team was 1-2 heading into the game, but won 28-0. They did it for Billy.

Turner returned the next week at half strength.

"I have great coaches who stepped up for me when I was stuck to a golf cart for four weeks and couldn't raise my voice," Turner said.

The program went on to win its next four games, three of which were shutout victories. During that time, his son and assistant coach, Brian Turner, ran the offense.

"I couldn't second guess anything he called," Billy said.

There were more alterations besides the team's offense. The player's attitudes had changed as well.

Before his team's home game against Plant, Chamberlain defensive back Justin Bell said the team rallied for Turner, becoming more focused on the field to give their coach the season he deserved.

"On the outside looking in, people told me the kids seemed more determined," Turner said.

But after 48 years of coaching, 37 in Hillsborough County and 29 at Chamberlain, and 242 wins, Turner, 70, said he's not close to announcing retirement. He already has started scheming for next season and wants to start on a new weight-room facility.

The thought may creep into his mind every winter, "maybe it's time to quit," but then he remembers how much fun he has coaching football. When the day comes, it'll be when everyone least expects it.

"I think in high school, if you're going to retire, do it after Christmas or the next year," he said. "It's a distraction to the kids."

CLEWISTON-TC A GROWING RIVALRY: This is the third straight year Tampa Catholic and Clewiston will tangle in the Class 2A state football playoffs. Clewiston is 2-0 in those matches, and both games have been close.

Clewiston won last year's regional semifinal matchup 10-7, and the 2005 opening-round matchup 33-28.

That's two playoff losses to the same team by a combined eight points for Tampa Catholic. And that doesn't include TC's playoff loss to Clewiston in 2001, a 58-7 drilling.

"After last year's game, it's become quite a rivalry," Tampa Catholic coach Bob Henriquez said.

Why? Henriquez felt his team was good enough to beat Clewiston last year, but the Crusaders were their own worst enemy.

"We controlled that game on defense and cost ourselves with a couple of fumbles in their territory and one special-teams blunder," Henriquez said.

This year, Henriquez believes the key is to take Clewiston out of its power running attack.

"We've struggled in games against power running teams," he said. "That will be a challenge this week because we need to force them out of it and make them throw it a little to beat us.

"We're a complete team. It's a matter of getting over that Clewiston hump."

MUCH PRAISE FOR THOMAS: If Armwood has any chance of gaining its fourth straight victory against Hillsborough in Friday's 4A regional semifinal, the Hawks are going to have to neutralize the Terriers' biggest threat: senior Marc Thomas.

While Thomas has contributed to Hillsborough's offense with 249 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns this season, his biggest impact has come on defense, where he's distinguished himself this season as one of the county's best linebackers.

And make no mistake about it. Armwood coach Sean Callahan is well aware of No. 27, who he thinks seems to always have his best games against the Hawks.

"I think when you look at him on film, you see a very good football player," Callahan said. "But when he plays us, he's unbelievable.

"Outside of Armwood kids, if I had to pick one kid from the county to build a team around, it would be him."

Armwood offensive coordinator Chris Taylor agreed. In fact, Taylor and the Hawks have so much respect for Thomas' playmaking abilities, when the two teams met Oct. 18 they tweaked their game plan to try to neutralize the Terriers' linebacker.

Taylor shifted standout offensive tackle Matt Patchan to guard so the Hawks would have a better chance at getting the quick, physical Patchan on Thomas on every play. But it didn't work out as planned.

Thomas, the county's leading tackler, had 14 tackles and caused and recovered a fumble at the Terriers' goal line, negating an Armwood score.

"The thing about it is, he never avoids a block the same way. Sometimes he powers through the block, other times he goes around it. He's just very good," Taylor said. "He makes plays. He makes tackles, and most of them are between the tackles. And that doesn't bode well for us, because we like to run between the tackles.

"For three years now he's created problems for us. In my opinion, he's the second-best linebacker in Hillsborough County."

RECRUITING UPDATES: Their seasons may be done, but the recruiting process is heating up for a few county players.

Wharton senior defensive back/linebacker Josh Powell, who visited West Point and Western Kentucky two weeks ago, said he will make an unofficial visit to Marshall this weekend.

Last weekend, Blake offensive lineman Vittorio Ottanelli and receiver/defensive back Terrance Robertson visited Florida International. Although he hasn't visited the campus yet, Blake coach Sean Washington said senior running back Willie Hopps has received interest from Hofstra.

SEASON LEARNING EXPERIENCE: First-year Freedom football coach and former USF quarterback Marquel Blackwell would call his team's 1-9 season a learning experience for everyone involved, especially for himself.

Other than suffering a losing year, the program had many distractions which included week-long suspensions for players involved in a brawl with Tampa Bay Tech players and Blackwell being investigated by the Hillsborough County School Board for a verbal confrontation with another teacher. There were numerous comments made online from people questioning Blackwell's coaching ability.

"You learn how to deal with it," Blackwell said. "You don't buy into that."

If anything, Blackwell said this season will be used as a motivational tool for next year.

"We're still going to work hard in the offseason," he said. "As long as we stay with our plan and we see progress, everything will be OK."

Matt Postins, Nick Williams, Adam Adkins

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