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Bulldogs Do Just Enough

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A Tribune staff report

Published: October 10, 2007

ZEPHYRHILLS - Doing just enough to win has been the M.O. for Zephyrhills this season, but that is what has led the Bulldogs to a 4-1 record (2-0 in Class 3A-District 8). The latest win came in Monday night's three-quarter makeup game against Pasco, 14-7.

The Zephyrhills defense stood firm against the Pirates, only allowing 90 yards of offense. Pasco's Josh Johnson had 95 yards while the rest of the team had minus yards.

'Our defense kept us in the game as usual,' Zephyrhills coach Tom Fisher said. 'Great defense, we pressed them all night and we didn't give up the big play.'
Chris Henry got big plays when the Bulldogs needed them.

Henry had an 80-yard kickoff return on the play after Pasco got on the board with Johnson's 20-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

Henry was buried underneath a pile of players around midfield but somehow he came out running and broke another set of tackles before finally getting hauled out at the Pasco 18-yard line.

'I was trying to keep my legs pumping,' Henry said. 'I was trying to get a touchdown.'
Four plays after the return, Tyler Guy completed a 7-yard TD pass to Jordan Smith.

Henry had Zephyrhills' other touchdown in the fourth quarter on a 19-yard run.

On Pasco's final drive of the game, Bulldogs linebacker Anthony Viernes recovered a fumble at the Pasco 6 with 1:39 left.

Johnson took over at quarterback at the start of the second half, but left the game at the 9:40 mark of the fourth quarter with what Pasco coach Tom McHugh believed was a twisted ankle.

While at quarterback for just more than a quarter, Johnson was 4-for-5 for 24 yards passing and rushed for 69, including the Pirates' only TD, a 20-yard score.

McHugh said if not for the injury, Johnson would have stayed at quarterback for the remainder of the game.

'He showed a spark in a certain situation that D.J. Clower doesn't and that's what we had him in there for,' McHugh said.

Cristina Ledra

Land O' Lakes Proves To Be Inhospitable

LAND O' LAKES - There was about 4:03 left in the third quarter when Land O' Lakes stopped being hospitable house guests Monday night in its 39-20 victory against Tarpon Springs.

It was then that Gators coach John Benedetto marched down the home sideline, visibly aggravated, and barked, 'Run it!' to his offense lined up at the Spongers' 31.

On the previous play, a fourth-and-6 punt by the Gators, the Spongers were called for a 15-yard roughing-the-kicker penalty when Alex Spock was knocked to the ground following his punt.

A furious Benedetto yelled that it was the second time Tarpon Springs went after the junior kicker, who leads Pasco County in punting yards and average yards per punt.

From that point, it was a smash-mouth style of football Land O' Lakes employed, imposing its will.

On the first play of the fresh set of downs, Chris Singleton started things off with a 4-yard run. Then it was Tyler Peak for 5, Ben Hipps for 7 and Singleton for 7.

Two plays later, freshman quarterback Stephen Weatherford hit Jerome Harrison on an 8-yard slant for a score with 1:12 left in the quarter, giving the Gators a 30-14 lead.

'Major attitude adjustment, especially on my part; I had a big attitude check,' Land O' Lakes offensive guard Raleigh Bamberg said. 'I knew they were going to rely on us, the offensive line, to run the ball down their throats and kill the clock.

'We had the lead, we had the momentum back and we just shoved it down their throat, that's all we did.'

That attitude check came at a crucial moment in the game. Friday night, Land O' Lakes (5-1, 2-0 Class 4A-District 8) built a 17-0 advantage before the game was postponed due to lightning. When the game resumed Monday night, the Gators fumbled on the first play, giving Tarpon Springs (3-2, 1-1) the ball.

In four plays, the Spongers capitalized with a 50-yard Danny Reyes-to-Brian Bowie touchdown pass, cutting the deficit to 17-7 with about 1:00 left in the first half.

Tarpon Springs ended the Land O' Lakes ensuing drive with a sack, tightening its grip on the game's momentum.

Land O' Lakes came out in the second half and scored on its first drive when Hipps collected his second score.

The point total is a season best for an offense that has been shaky. Quarterbacks Ely Payne and Weatherford combined to complete 10 of 18 passes for 124 yards and one touchdown. The Gators' ground game collected 161 yards and three scores.

Spock nailed a 41-yard field goal in the rain Friday and added a 46-yarder Monday.

'You've got to hand it to the offense,' Benedetto said. 'The offense came out and drove the ball down the field and we played hard-nosed football, which I like, which really set up the little passing game that we had and we were successful doing both.'

Eddie Daniels

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