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Aycock Has Led Chiefs' Charge

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By NICK WILLIAMS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 27, 2007

Updated: 11/27/2007 12:23 am

TAMPA - Chamberlain High football coach Billy Turner didn't know what he had when a 14-year-old sophomore named Dontae Aycock started at quarterback midway through the 2006 season.

A year later, Aycock, who turned 16 in October, has led Chamberlain to a Class 5A region final, putting the Chiefs two games away from the state championship. The Chiefs (9-3) host undefeated Kissimmee Osceola on Friday for a trip to the state semifinals.

Through the region semifinals, Aycock (5-foot-11, 190 pounds) has rushed for 1,065 yards and 21 touchdowns and passed for 853 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions. Against Gaither on Friday, Aycock went 5-for-8 for 105 yards and rushed 12 times for 42 yards and two touchdowns.

Turner saw potential, but didn't expect 1,918 total yards and 26 touchdowns during Aycock's junior season.

"Early in the season there were some inconsistencies," Turner said. "But the last two games, he's been playing great football."

During the summer, it was unclear whether Aycock would be the starting quarterback. Despite ending the 2006 season with 685 passing yards with two touchdowns and 380 rushing yards with seven touchdowns, Aycock was behind senior Robert Charies on the depth chart. The first few weeks of practice, however, Aycock won the starting spot and has been leading the offense since.

"We go as Dontae goes," Chamberlain offensive coordinator Brian Turner said.

His teammates agree.

"He's learned how to read the line and he's learned how to take his time," said senior offensive lineman Austin Chatman, who has been the lead blocker on 15 of Aycock's 21 touchdown runs. "In the 7-on-7 summer passing league, I knew he was good, but I didn't see this."

"He's getting his feet set and he's doing everything right," said senior wide out Fred Sykes, who leads the team with 360 receiving yards and two touchdowns. "He's making good reads and he's showing he can really throw. He makes us two-dimensional. He's a special kid."

But his improvement didn't come naturally. Aycock put in the time to get better.

"Sometime I take home game film to watch what my defense does," Aycock said. "I just try to get better in practice."

After Week 4 this season, Chamberlain switched its offense to a triple option. Brian Turner said the idea was to put the football in the best player's hands, that being Aycock.

"We knew he was a good runner because he played running back for us last year," Brian Turner said. "Junior Kenny Allen was hurt so he had to fill in against King and he had 120 yards. But we didn't know he could run from the quarterback position like that."

"The triple option is a great play because it's three on one," Aycock said.

Though Aycock enjoys having the ball in his hands on every play, he doesn't enjoy the attention he receives from an opponent's defense. On almost every play, he gets hit.

"I don't like being hit," Aycock said. "When I run the ball, I try to do whatever I can to not get hit."

But once he reaches hit limit of pain, Aycock dishes it out just as good.

"The kids know that when Dontae gets mad, you stay out of his way," said Brian Turner, who compared Aycock to a smaller Tim Tebow.

"I think I do better when I get mad," Aycock said with a laugh.

One area Billy Turner would like to see Aycock improve in is his passing. Once he improves that, Billy Turner said the sky is the limit for his abilities.

"I don't think there's been a kid in Tampa like that," he said. "Either the kid is a great passer and an OK runner or he's a great runner and an OK passer."

Reporter Nick Williams can be reached at (813) 865-4848 or nwilliams@tampatrib.com.

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