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Durant Plays Way Into Postseason

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A Tribune staff report

The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 11, 2008

Updated: 11/11/2008 12:23 am

PLANT CITY - The end result of the Class 6A-District 6 football tiebreaker Monday night at the Ron Frost Athletic Complex seemed only fitting.

With a postseason appearance on the line in a matchup between a team with five wins (Durant) and a team with five quarters of winning football to its name (Riverview), the team with the better resume prevailed.

The Cougars defeated the Sharks, 10-0, in the night's second one-quarter tiebreaker to earn the playoff berth as the district runner-up. The win puts Durant into the postseason for the first time since 2003.

"I'm kind of speechless right now," said Cougars coach Mike Gottman, whose team defeated Riverview twice in four days to secure a playoff spot. "It's a great feeling."

Durant quarterback Je'Twan Smith reeled off a 58-yard run on the Cougars' first offensive play and capped the drive five plays later with a 1-yard sneak to put the Cougars ahead 7-0 at the 5:20 mark. Any hopes of a Riverview comeback seemed lost when the Sharks fumbled away the ensuing kickoff, especially after the Cougars made it a two-score game when Connor Bass connected on a 37-yard field goal with about three minutes left.

Riverview (1-8) earned the right to play the Cougars for the postseason berth by beating Sarasota, 3-0, in the first one-quarter tiebreaker.

The strong running of tailback Ronnie Johnson (12 carries, 63 yards) set up a 20-yard field goal by Alex O'Regan that gave the Sharks the edge with 3:27 remaining. Riverview defensive back Willie Timmons essentially sealed the win with an interception on the Sailors' (3-6) ensuing drive, and the Sharks ran the remaining time off the clock.

Adam Adkins

Dunedin Takes 5A-9 Crown

DUNEDIN - Few if anyone watching the Class 5A-District 9 district tiebreaker would have been surprised that, with Dunedin trailing by three in overtime and the ball on the Countryside 6-yard line, running back Adarius Bellamy would get the ball.

A Rivals four-star recruit who has verbally committed to South Florida, Bellamy rammed through Countryside's defense from a Wildcat formation for the winning score in a 12-9 victory that secured the district title.

Countryside, which beat Palm Harbor 17-10 in double-overtime in the first tiebreaker, is the district runner-up.

"I was just hoping someone would pull through, whether it was me or any of the other 10 horses on the field," Bellamy said of the winning score. "You can't win a game with just one. You need 11."

Countryside survived against Palm Harbor in the first quarter to advance. The Hurricanes, who have never been in a playoff game in the school's 13-year history, dominated the quarter but a fumble in Countryside's territory and a missed field goal gave the Cougars new life in overtime. Dawrence Roberts ran in from 7 yards out for the winning score.

Lee Diekemper

Lakewood Is 4A-9 Runner-Up

ST. PETERSBURG - Bradenton Southeast beat Northeast 14-0 and Lakewood 7-3 to win Class 4A-District 9.

In the battle for the runner-up spot, top-seeded Lakewood held off Northeast 7-6 to advance to the postseason.

Trailing 7-0, Northeast scored on Tyler Tisdale's 5-yard run to draw within one. The Vikings went for a 2-point conversion to try to take the lead, but the Lakewood defense held strong.

Lakewood scored first on a 57-yard pass from Jacquez Jenkins to Sermetrius Dennis.

Greg Jenssen

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