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Football Playoff Preview

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Tribune staff

Published: November 27, 2008

CLASS 5A

WHARTON (9-2) AT CHAMBERLAIN (10-1)

John Adcock Stadium, 9401 North Blvd., Tampa

Since starting the season 0-2, Wharton has won nine in a row, including a 35-28 win against Alonso last week to advance. The Wildcats were led by quarterback Andrew Clifford's 295 passing yards and three touchdowns. The team also was playing for former defensive coordinator Earl Goodman, who died Nov. 8.

Whenever two-way athlete Jairus Jones is in the mix, the Wildcats have success. Jones has 576 receiving yards and eight touchdowns along with 151 tackles and four interceptions on defense.

Chamberlain senior quarterback Dontae Aycock was unstoppable against Gaither last week, as he was responsible for six scores in a 54-6 victory vs. Gaither in the region quarterfinals. He finished the game with 196 rushing yards and four TDs, and 100 passing yards and two TDs.

The Chiefs defense was also having a season-best performance, holding Gaither to six points, and none in the first half.

Against Chamberlain (10-1), Wharton will face the best defensive line it has seen since facing Armwood in Week 2.

"Their line is huge," Wharton coach David Mitchell said. "You have to be able to stonewall those guys, maybe change the snap count."

Chamberlain kicker Austin Pullaro nailed a 43-yard field goal with seconds remaining to give the Chiefs a 26-25 win vs. Wharton in the region semifinals last year.

ST. PETERSBURG (9-3) AT LARGO (10-1)

Packer Stadium, 410 Missouri Ave., Largo

In a rematch of two teams that mirror each other, both Largo and St. Petersburg are smashmouth, ground control offenses that are throwbacks to another era. But neither Largo coach Rick Rodriguez nor St. Petersburg's Joe Fabrizio care so long as the wins pile up.

While Largo has a solid running back in Marcel Durham, who ran for 155 yards against Countryside, St. Petersburg fullback Ben Sams maybe underrated but lethal.

Sams, a bruising hulk of a back, who averages more than 5 yards a carry, was playing hurt for most of the season with an injured ankle he suffered early in the year. His ankle now healed, Sams is making opponents pay.

When Sams' ankle was at its worst, St. Petersburg came within a point of the Packers in a 17-16 Largo win Sept. 26.

Save a complete fourth quarter meltdown by the Packers against Lakewood, Largo would be undefeated. It uses a stifling defense to set up its offense with good field position.

The key to this game will be Sams vs. Largo's defense. If Largo is able to keep Sams in check, Largo will win. If Sams starts to wear down Largo's speedy, muscular defense in the second half, the edge goes to St. Petersburg.

CLASS 4A

TAMPA BAY TECH (10-1) AT ARMWOOD (11-0)

Lyle Flagg Field, 12000 U.S. 92, Seffner

Tampa Bay Tech put together the best regular season in program history and followed it by claiming the program's first postseason victory last week at Auburndale. Now, the Titans get a shot at redemption against the only team to hand them a loss this season — the nationally ranked Armwood Hawks.

If the Titans are going to fare any better than that 45-6 loss in Week 6, they're going to do three things: take care of the football, get consistent production from their ground attack and figure out a way to slow down Armwood's high-scoring offense, which has averaged 41 points in the last 10 games.

Meanwhile, Armwood, ranked No.3 in the latest USA Today Super 25, is looking to advance to the region final for a sixth consecutive season and the seventh time in the last eight years.

The Hawks rolled past Winter Haven in a first-round playoff matchup last week, getting big contributions from the usual suspects on offense (quarterback Mywan Jackson and running back Tavari Grant combined for 345 rushing yards and four touchdowns) while the defense held the Blue Devils to 14 points. The Hawks defense has not allowed more than 14 points in a game this season.

One of the biggest tests for the Armwood coaching staff will be to keep the players focused on the Titans and not looking ahead to a possible rematch next week with Plant, a highly anticipated matchup that has been predicted since the Hawks and Panthers met in the season opener.

Perhaps the best thing for the Hawks other than the fact they've already beaten the Titans this year is that this game is at Lyle Flagg Field, where Armwood hasn't walked off a loser since the 2002 state playoffs — a streak of 40 consecutive wins.

PLANT (10-1) AT SOUTHEAST (9-2)

John Kiker Memorial Stadium, 1200 37th Ave. E, Bradenton

The Panthers kicked off their fourth consecutive postseason with a 67-7 thrashing of Lakewood, a team Southeast lost to in the regular season, 20-9. That win marked Plant's 10th consecutive victory since dropping the regular-season opener against Armwood.

A victory against Southeast, coupled with a win by Armwood against Tampa Bay Tech, would pit the two teams against each other in the region final for the third consecutive year.

First, Plant must get past the Seminoles, a team that possesses a lot of speed, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Southeast's offense averages 22.2 points per game while holding opponents to an average of 8.1.

Southeast advanced with a 14-7 win vs. Jefferson on Friday. The Seminoles' defense held Jefferson, a team that averaged 26 points and 402 yards of offense in the regular season, to 60 yards and intercepted two passes, bringing their season total to 21 interceptions.

But Southeast's defense hasn't faced an offense like Plant's. Led by sophomore quarterback Phillip Ely, who threw four touchdown passes in last week's playoff victory, and wideouts Orson Charles and Allen Sampson, the Panthers offense is averaging 42.9 points and 422.4 yards per game.

Sampson returned to practice Wednesday in a limited role, a week after suffering an ankle sprain. Coach Robert Weiner expects him to play tonight.

CLASS 3A

GULF (10-1) AT PASCO (10-1)

W.F. Edwards Stadium, 36850 SR 52, Dade City

This is a rematch of the Nov. 7 game when Pasco won, 21-20. In that game, Gulf running back Adrian Golden was held to 58 yards and one score in the first half. Half of that yardage came on a 27-yard run. He ended the game with 168 rushing yards.

Gulf QB Madison Burr (knee, leg) is out. Sophomore Jacob Jackson will start for the second time this season (his first start was against Ridgewood).

The Gulf defense will have to deal with Jamall Haynes, who has nearly 1,500 yards rushing; 1,000-yard passer D.J. Clower; and dangerous wide receivers in Josh Johnson, Chaise Dunn and Hakeeme Ishmar.

The winner of this game will face the winner of the Citra North Marion-Williston game. Pasco will host the next round (Dec. 5) if it wins. If Gulf wins, it would travel to North Marion, but would host Williston.

CLASS 2A

MULBERRY (8-4) AT TAMPA CATHOLIC (8-3)

Crusaders Stadium, 4630 N. Rome Ave., Tampa

The first time these teams met this season, it was a game that decided the winner of 2A-District 5. Thanks to some big plays — including a 67-yard touchdown run by Henry McCloud — and three lost fumbles by Mulberry, the Crusaders posted a 24-13 victory.

One month later, the teams are back at Tampa Catholic to decide which team will advance to the state semifinals. Crusaders coach Bob Henriquez should be aided by the return of senior tight end A.J. Mulkey from a hip flexor injury, but injuries to defensive back Ralph Grover (shoulder) and defensive lineman Mike Aguila (hip pointer) are likely going to be game-time decisions. Henriquez said he has been in similar situations where his team is playing an opponent for the second time in the same season. From those experiences — and the fact the Panthers have outstanding team speed — he expects this game to be closer than the first meeting, where TC built a 24-7 third-quarter lead.

The X factor in this game could be which team will be able to keep its emotions in check. In the previous two meetings (this year and last), tempers ran so high the teams did not exchange the traditional postgame handshakes. Henriquez wants his team to avoid any trash talking — before, during or after the game — and he's certain Mulberry coach Kenneth Grantham feels the same way.

"I've told my guys, 'In a war of words, we'll lose,'" Henriquez said. "If [Mulberry] want to be better trash talkers, that's fine with me. Let's just play football."

Compiled by Adam Adkins, Nick Williams, Katherine Smith, Bill Ward, Lee Diekemper, Eddie Daniels and Rick Harmon

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