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Pirates Move Forward In Dramatic Fashion

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By EDDIE DANIELS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 11, 2008

DADE CITY - Consider Friday night a cleansing process for Pasco High's football team.

The week prior, the Pirates went toe-to-toe with Nature Coast and was one fumble away from derailing the highly touted Sharks. Pasco eventually faltered, 18-17.

Friday night at W.F. Edwards Stadium against Zephyrhills, Pasco left no doubt, imposing their running game and defense on the Bulldogs, en route to a 24-0 victory.

Pasco coach Tom McHugh isn't much for playing the "What if?" game and the week leading into Friday night's matchup was proof his team agrees.

"For a year and a half, two years, however long I've been here, I've been telling my guys you don't give up," McHugh said. "They're a good football team and they know it and they know the team they played [Nature Coast] was a good team. And the team that we played knew we were a good team, so there's no reason to get down. You don't have to drag your lip when you get beat and they understand that. I really didn't have to say much to them."

The act of moving past the Pirates' lone loss was displayed on the game's opening drive.

Of the first six Pasco (5-1) plays, four were runs by senior running back Jamall Haynes. The senior had 51 yards on that drive, capping it with a 40-yard sprint to the right for a touchdown.

On Pasco's fourth drive, Haynes ripped the Zephyrhills (2-4) defense with a 25-yard scoring run for the 14-0 advantage with 7:12 left in the first half.

Haynes racked up 205 rushing yards on 21 carries and two scores, his first career 200-yard game.

"They couldn't tackle me," Haynes said. "They were trying to hit me in my legs and I was just breaking through it. That's [because] I squat almost 500 pounds."

Friday night's game, dubbed the 9-Mile War, was the 51st meeting between the teams. Considering the way Zephyrhills played the previous week, blanking Wesley Chapel 28-0, Haynes expected a furious challenge form the Bulldogs.

"That motivated us because we thought they were going to play us harder than how they played Wesley Chapel, but that didn't happen," Haynes said. "We ran the ball hard, they started giving up after the third quarter, but we just kept pounding and pounding and pounding."

Defensively, the Pirates' attack was relentless. Zephyrhills quarterback Tyler Guy could never get a rhythm going despite completing nine of 16 passes for 98 yards. He was sacked eight times and picked off four times.

The Bulldogs were held to 59 yards of total offense.

The victory allows Pasco to keep pace with Class 3A-District 8 foe Gulf, who is 2-0 in district play, as is Pasco.

That fact was just as important as shaking loose the funk from last week's loss.

"I really didn't have anything that I needed to say to them other than, 'You got a game this week, you gotta go beat Zephyrhills, be 2-0 in the district with Gulf,' " McHugh said. "That's what you have to do. Our goal is '10-Plus' and we want to go to the playoffs as a district champion and that's what we have to do."

Reporter Eddie Daniels can be reached at (813) 948-4214.

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