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Wiregrass Gives Coach Reason For Optimism

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By EDDIE DANIELS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 26, 2008

WESLEY CHAPEL - To watch Ricky Thomas just before 9:30 Friday night, one would have thought the Wiregrass Ranch football coach had just read each of the six winning numbers of a lottery ticket - his own lottery ticket.

There was excitement in his eyes during and following the Maroon and Silver Spring game in which the Maroon team collected a decisive 32-0 victory.

There were three words in constant rotation in every coach's vernacular inside the Wiregrass Stadium describing the Bulls' efforts: quicker, stronger, hungrier.

"I think last year was a great learning experience for our kids," Thomas said. "We were pushed around, knocked around, thrown around, you name it, they did it. As a head coach, I took it personally and my team took it personally. So, in January, we challenged our kids and said, 'Listen, you either commit to the weight room or I want you out of this program.'

"These kids have committed to this program, they believe in what our coaches are saying and they believe that they can win. They believe in our system. It was quite obvious tonight."

The quickness, strength and hunger was personified on at least two big plays during the intrasquad scrimmage.

The first came with just under 5 minutes remaining in the second quarter when freshman running back Nick Lomba burst through the offensive line. He plowed into a defender, knocking him off his feet, scoring a 35-yard touchdown.

That put Maroon ahead, 19-0.

"Defensive coordinator Jeremy Shobe asked me what was going on and I said I felt slow," Lomba revealed. "He said it didn't have to be with speed, it just has to be with power when I break on a run."
Lomba finished the night as the game's leading rusher with 63 yards on nine carries, two rushing and a receiving touchdown. He also completed a 41-yard halfback-option pass.
Lomba was one of three different players to score on the ground. Travis Duffy scored from 26 yards out and Solomon Muhammed plunged in from 3 yards away.

The second time the trio of adjectives came to life on one play came four minutes, 33 seconds later in the second quarter.

It was a second-and-12 play from the Silver 31. Quarterback James Tringali took the snap and immediately had to use his legs to escape the pressure up the middle.

As Tringali squared to the line of scrimmage, he found Lomba creeping into the middle of the field and hit him with a laser shot. Lomba turned up field, receiving a crushing block from Duffy, which allowed Lomba to score.

The play was a glimpse into the level of confidence Tringali has with the offense and those around him.

"On varsity, it's a lot faster than JV, and that probably helped me with this game going into next season," said Tringali, who quarterbacked the Bulls to their only win of the 2007 season as a backup. "It started in the weight room. Guys coming in, doing all of the workouts, being intense, no one slacking, no one sitting around and getting out to the practice field, keeping the intensity."

Tringali finished the night six of eight for 96 yards and one score.

In addition to an interception nearly returned for a score by Blake Burch, the Maroon defense broke up several passes and recovered two of five fumbles on the night.

According to Thomas, the unit is taking on the personality of its defensive coordinator.

"Coach Shobe does an outstanding job with my defense," Thomas said. "He's done his homework, the kids believe in it. It's a fly-around defense, an attacking defense. That's what fits our personnel. He's done an outstanding job. He's a complete wild man and that's the way I want our defense to play."

Now there's a fourth word to add to the list.

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