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Chiefs' Monsters Hard To Handle

Tribune correspondent photo by KEVIN HOWE

Chamberlain's RB Kenny Allen, #5, is dragged down after a long gain against Plant.

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By ADAM ADKINS | The Tampa Tribune
and BILL WARD | TBO.com
and NICK WILLIAMS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 2, 2008

There are two sets of four-headed monsters on the Chamberlain football team.

Individually, those heads can cause problems for opponents, but as a whole, they are tough to battle.

"You have to stop their offense," said Gaither coach Mark Kantor, who faced Chamberlain twice this season. "Their defense is no slouch, too. They are athletic on defense."

Chamberlain will travel to Lakeland on Friday night for a Class 5A region final.

On offense, the Chiefs are led by dual-threat QB Dontae Aycock, who has rushed for 1,334 yards and 26 touchdowns and passed for 1,428 yards with 16 touchdowns. For his career, Aycock has 5,869 passing yards, 55 rushing TDs and 23 passing TDs.

"Last year, we just put in the new offense," Aycock said. "Knowing all the plays this year, I knew we would be a better offense. I knew I would get more yards rushing, but I didn't think I'd get as many passing."

Senior RB Kenny Allen, a four-year varsity starter and third-year running back, became the school's all-time leading rusher this season with 3,009 career yards. This season, he has rushed for 1,297 yards with 11 TDs. Senior WR Anthony Williams, who transferred during the spring from Jefferson, set a single-season school record with 13 TDs and is approaching a school record in receiving yards with more than 800 yards.

Senior RB Lamond Scott, the X-factor on offense, has 528 rushing yards with three touchdowns and 302 yards receiving with two touchdown catches.

On defense, the Chiefs are led by defensive linemen Eric Hammond (71 tackles, three sacks) and Dontavious Pyron (65 tackles, three sacks), DE/LB James Wilder (135 tackles, 14 sacks) and DB Rico Valdez (76 tackles, two INTs).

"Opponents focus on the triple option and our offense puts a lot of points on the board, but we get a lot of turnovers," Valdez said.

Kantor said it was a challenge to prepare for both.

"Lakeland better be worried about both," Pyron said.

RECORD BREAKERS: Armwood senior defensive standouts Angelo Hadley, Petey Smith and Ryne Giddins have been regarded as some of the best the Hawks have ever had in the program. And now, they've each left their imprint by working their way into the record books.

Each of the three tied or set a program record during Armwood's region semifinal victory over Tampa Bay Tech. Hadley became the program's all-time leader in interceptions, Smith the all-time leader in tackles and Giddins set a program record by scoring two defensive touchdowns in the same game.

Hadley's fourth-quarter interception of Titans QB Angel Rodriguez was the 19th of his career, surpassing former Hawks standout Trevor Weeks, the Guy Toph Award recipient as a senior in 1986. Hadley, who now has a Hillsborough County-best 10 interceptions on the year, had bested Weeks' single-season mark of eight earlier this season.

"He's not the smartest in a football sense and not the most talented, but he's definitely the smartest with his talent," defensive coordinator Matt Thompson said of Hadley.

Smith surpassed former LB Dougie Thompson on the all-time tackles list. Thompson, a standout on the Hawks' consecutive state title teams in 2003-04, had 439 career stops. Smith now has 446.

Giddins scored Armwood's first and last touchdowns in Friday's game. His first score was on a 7-yard fumble return in the second quarter, and the second was on a 16-yard interception return in the fourth quarter. They were the first touchdowns of his career.

Giddins also set a program record earlier this season when he surpassed former DL Sergio Joyner's career sack total of 33. Giddins has 35 career sacks, thanks largely to his single-season record 21 as a junior.

TC'S JONES OUT: Tampa Catholic coach Bob Henriquez said his squad has its usual list of players battling injuries - including TE A.J. Mulkey (hip flexor) and DL Mike Aguila (hip pointer) - but he expects them to be ready to play when the Crusaders host Miami Gulliver Prep on Friday in a Class 2A semifinal.

"We have guys we seem to have to patch together each week," Henriquez said. "They'll have limited time practice-wise this week but they should be able to play Friday."

One loss for the remainder of the season, however, is Crusaders junior WR Jordan Jones, who has suffered a ligament injury in his foot called a "Lisfranc fracture." The injury, a fracture and dislocation of the joints in the midfoot, is fairly uncommon among football players, Henriquez said.

TC is in the state semifinals for the second straight year and hoping to reach the 2A title game for the second consecutive season, too.

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