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Pasco Finally Plays The McHugh Way

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By BART O'CONNELL Tribune correspondent

Published: September 23, 2007

DADE CITY - The mysteries that surrounded the struggles of the Pasco offense finally have been solved.

So have the reasons why the Pirates haven't been a playoff contender in recent years.

After beating Hudson 39-34 Friday night, scoring more points against the Cobras than they had against their previous three opponents combined, Pirates coach Tom McHugh led his team to the North end zone of W.F. Edwards Stadium and couldn't contain his excitement.

He spoke of determination, a sense of accomplishment and simply flat-out beating a much-improved Hudson squad in the fourth quarter - overcoming a nine-point deficit in the final 12 minutes.

But what really excited the first-year Pasco coach was how his team overcame their mistakes in an ugly, two-touchdown loss the previous week to play a clean, turnover-free football game and emerge as winners and more mature players.

'I think these guys just have to have confidence in themselves, and the game plan,' McHugh said. 'Our coaches put a great game plan together; we worked together as a team. We know what we want to do, but it's just a matter of sticking with it, working hard and not giving up.'

That unwavering belief in the system was most evident in the play of sophomore quarterback D.J. Clower and junior running back Jamall Haynes.

Clower, who split time under center with senior Josh Johnson, got off to a slow start, missing on four of his first five passes, including two deep balls overthrown to an open Demetrious Larry. But he completed six of his final eight passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns, and did not turn the ball over as was his problem against Wesley Chapel.

'You know when he grew up? He grew up last week,' McHugh said. 'We don't have to tell him. He knows what he did. He's a smart kid. He fixed it.'

As for Haynes, he found little running room early, often colliding into hard-charging Hudson linebacker Paul James. He gained just six yards on his first seven carries, though McHugh never quit calling plays for him.

The stubbornness paid off, as Haynes finished with 142 yards rushing on 23 carries, highlighted by his 53-yard fourth quarter scoring run that gave the Pirates the lead for good.

'At first, they were killing me,' Haynes said. 'But after halftime, I started running harder. After that, we started passing and it opened everything up and we just ran it down their throats.'

The numbers back Haynes up: Hudson out-rushed Pasco 239 yards to 92 in the first half, but the Pirates were the better running team from then on, 156-64. Johnson was actually the biggest gainer, with 173 yards of total offense (99 rushing, 42 passing, 31 receiving).

The Cobras' defense was decimated by injuries which may have contributed to their late collapse. Starting linebackers Vance Lizama (right knee) and Hunter Newton (ribs) both missed most of the second half.

During the third quarter, Lizama was taken by ambulance to University Community Hospital in Tampa to have a specialist assess the damage to his knee, injured while trying to recover a kickoff.

'That's going to be a major problem for us,' Hudson coach Mark Nash said. 'I hope it's not serious.'

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