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Football Countdown: No. 4 Terriers Feature Balanced Offense

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By BILL WARD

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 25, 2008

The Tribune is counting down the top 10 football teams in Hillsborough County. The rankings were compiled in a vote by the Tribune's four staffers who cover high school football and News Channel 8's Dan Lucas.

In his 15 seasons leading the Hillsborough High football program, Earl Garcia has been known for producing some of the top running backs in the county. It's an impressive list of names, including such former Terriers stars as Mo Harris, Ronnie McCullough, Jamall "Juggy" Anderson, Ricky Ponton, Derrick Edmonds, Jimmy Sapp, Dexter Battle, Keith Williams and K.K. Davis.

With athletes like those, Garcia says he "would've been a fool" to build a team around the passing game.

But there was a time when Garcia had a reputation for developing quarterbacks. That came at Gaither, where Garcia was head coach from 1987-1991. There, he guided a stable of quarterbacks that included Tommy Ferrari, Terry Jordan, Michael Jordan and Kevin Bell, all of whom threw for more than 1,000 yards each season.

At Hillsborough, however, Garcia says he's only had one true drop-back passer. That was Jeremy Earle, who led the Terriers to the 1996 state title game and went on to play for South Florida. Garcia's most recent star behind center, Jarred Fayson, was someone Garcia calls "a great athlete playing the position." Fayson is now a wide receiver at the University of Illinois.

Heading into 2008, Garcia believes he has found another passer who can give the Terriers - No. 4 in the Tribune rankings - a multidimensional attack once more. It's Tarean Austin, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound junior who started all of last season but was "still learning the position." If Austin can live up to his potential, Hillsborough, which returns eight starters on offense, could be one of the most productive offenses in the county.

"If I do my job and we can protect with the linemen we have, we're going to be tough to defend," Garcia said. "Offensively, I'd like to be 60 percent run and 40 percent pass, but the better we are at throwing the football, the more effective our running game will be."

When it comes to skill positions, the Terriers are loaded. With players such as running back Lindsey Lamar, who rushed for nearly 1,000 yards last season, and wide receivers Colby Walden and Terrence Mitchell, it's certainly the fastest group.

All three were state medalists in the sprints at the Class 3A state track finals in the spring and Lamar's 100-meter dash time of 10.35 seconds from the regional meet was among the national leaders that season.

Hillsborough also returns two sophomores who started last year as freshmen, 5-8, 220-pound Jamie Knott, who benches 345 pounds, and 5-8, 160-pound Charles Lovett, who was one of the Terriers' top receivers in 2007.

If the Terriers can develop a balanced offense and continue to play the type of stingy defense it's been known for under longtime defensive coordinator Dean Eychner, they should be Armwood's stiffest competition for the Class 4A-District 11 crown.

KICKOFF CLASSIC: Friday vs. Lakewood.

SEASON OPENER: Sept. 5 at Jefferson.

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