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Hillsborough 17, Alonso 0, FINAL

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 7, 2007

TAMPA - As much as Hillsborough sputtered in the first half Friday night, it rolled in the second.

The summary actually offers a lot of perspective: zero-zero at the half and 17-0 at the final horn.

'I think our guys were waiting for somebody to step up and make a big play and get everything going," Hillsborough coach Earl Garcia said. "It was like it was a lot of waiting and waiting and meantime Alonso is playing great.

'You bet after two quarters I was concerned.'

Truth is Alonso (1-1) had by far the best scoring opportunities in the first half, including a dropped interception that probably would have gone for a touchdown, and a first-and-10 at Hillsborough's 11-yard line that stalled four plays later at the seven.

The Ravens pushed it to the 2-yard line where Coach Mike Heldt decided to go for it on fourth down out of a shotgun formation, only to lose five yards.

'I felt we really, really needed to get the touchdown there,' Heldt said. 'I mean we're playing Hillsborough and I knew we would probably need those points and that momentum.'

Instead, Hillsborough (2-0) got the ball back and maintained more of a sense of control.

'No doubt that defensive stop was huge," Garcia said. 'But that first score a 38-yard sprint for a touchdown by Iziah Wyche early in the third quarter was the thing that really got us going.'

What followed was 17 more second-half Terrier carries for 123 yards by seven different backs. Lindsey Lamar and Wyche did most of the damage with 86 and 75 total yards apiece.

In the end, Hillsborough out-rushed the Ravens 242 yards to 42, and outgained them overall 249 to 111.

'What I really have to hand it to is our defense,' Garcia said. 'They flat out played great, hitting hard and swarming to the ball. Any time you shut out a team that says something, but tonight we shut out a pretty good football team.'

Still, Garcia reiterated that he was plenty concerned at the half.

'I told our guys they better get it going because Alonso sure wasn't going to just let us have it,' Garcia said.

H -Colborne 35 FG

H -Fennell 10 run (Colborne kick)

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