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Academy At The Lakes, Bishop McLaughlin Meet

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By BART O'CONNELL Tribune correspondent

Published: October 5, 2007

SPRING HILL - The anatomy of a rivalry is often lost in time. The reasons two schools simply don't like each other are forgotten, yet the animosity festers and grows greater every year.

The three constants most rivalries share is close proximity, similar successes, and those heated emotions.

For those reasons, tonight's first football game between Academy at the Lakes and Bishop McLaughlin has all the makings of a potential rivalry. But at least for now, there is no bad blood, or hard feelings, between the private schools.

That could change when the final whistle blows at Bishop McLaughlin Stadium. Players from both schools see tonight's game as one of their best chances to win all season.

'It's the game,' said Wildcats receiver/linebacker Mikel Cook. 'It's a 'we're gonna have fun on Monday or not' game. Losing is not an option.'

'It's a school pretty close to our home school, so that makes it a little more important,' said Hurricanes quarterback Jeff Pope. 'A win could kind of define our season. Winning can lead to more winning.'

Presently, both programs have a mutual respect and appreciation for the hardships that the other is going through, from limited player numbers to struggling offenses and simply being unable to win. Bishop McLaughlin is 0-4, Academy at the Lakes 0-3.

But calling this a rivalry game may be premature, said Hurricanes coach Marty Williams. His experience comes in district games and inter-city feuds decades old in Central Florida, and these two schools are far from that.

'It's hard to put the rivalry label on this, but if this becomes a rivalry and the kids see it as that, they'll play accordingly,' he said. 'If we can make this happen every year and it blossoms into a rivalry, that'll be nothing but a positive.'

Academy is currently an independent, so tonight's game has no playoff implications for Class 1B Bishop McLaughlin. But it's possible that come 2009, when districts re-align, the Wildcats and Hurricanes will meet annually in a district game.

Maybe because they have no chance to participate in the playoffs, Academy's players seem to be taking to this game as the most important of their season.

'For us, it is. Definitely. This is an emotional game,' Coach Mark Arbet said. 'They're 15, 20 minutes away. There are students that came to here from there, and went there from here.'

The game itself would never have happened if not for the commitment of Bishop McLaughlin's six seniors - fullback Trae Williams, linemen Paul Padilla, Todd LoCasio and Adam Mahon, linebacker Kevin Aungst and kicker Matt Gronau.

Williams and assistant coach/athletic director Mike Zelenka allowed them to decide if they wanted to play the Academy. The opening in their schedule was caused by the cancellation of Tampa Bay Christian's season.

Maybe years from now, their decision will be credited for setting up a top rivalry in the county.

'They're gonna run across each other at the mall,' said Williams, 'and someone's going to have bragging rights.'

Bart O'Connell can be reached at boconnell@pop.tampatrib.com.

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