TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Tampa Catholic 10, Lennard 0

ADVERTISEMENT

Scott Purks/The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 27, 2007

TAMPA - The Tampa Catholic football team defeated Lennard, 10-0, and the question was: Could it have been worse?

Yes and no.

Yes, the score could have been far more lopsided.

No, Tampa Catholic couldn't have been much more sloppy.

Consider: Tampa Catholic gained 322 yards to Lennard's 88, but ... TC lost two fumbles (one on Lennard's half-foot line), was intercepted in Lennard's end zone, missed a field goal and was called for several penalties in what could have been crucial situations.

Nonetheless, TC coach Bob Henriquez said he was 'focusing on the positives.'

'What good would come from focusing on the fact we let Lennard stay in the game?' Henriquez said. 'I mean, sometimes you're going to have games like this. The bottom line is that we did enough to win. Now all we have to do is win next week against Bishop Verot and we win the Class 2A-District 5 title.'

Sophomore quarterback Christian Green, however, said his team needed to play better than it did Friday against the Longhorns, who dropped to 1-8.

'We can't play like this and expect to win,' said Green, who threw for 249 yards but fumbled twice, including the one on Lennard's half-foot line. 'We have to get better, and I think we will. Yes, I am disappointed with the way we played, but the positive thing is that we won.'

There were distractions, most notably the fact it was Tampa Catholic's homecoming, where the homecoming king was none other than starting tailback Drew Zink. At halftime, for instance, Zink wasn't in the locker room. He was on the field getting a crown placed on his head.

Zink led all rushers with 59 yards on 13 carries. Zink, however, did not figure in the scoring.

The only touchdown of the night went to Eric Gerken, who hauled in a 39-yard pass from Green 2 minutes into the game.

After Lennard stalled on downs at its 29-yard line, it appeared the route was on. But on the next play Green threw an interception in the end zone to Lennard's Blake Kennedy.

'We are not that football team,' Henriquez said. 'Yes, we made those mistakes, but we really are not that football team. We will get better after this. We will.'

TC's only other score came midway through the third quarter when Matt McLaughlin had a 32-yard field goal.

Lennard, which pushed beyond the 50-yard line once, missed a 32-yard field goal attempt of its own late in the fourth quarter.

The main problem for the Longhorns was establishing a running game, which totaled only nine yards on 25 carries.

TC-FG McLaughlin 32

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT