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Wildcats Playoff Bid Falls Short In Penalty-Laden Game

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By EDDIE DANIELS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 25, 2008

WESLEY CHAPEL - Most players had left the field inside Wildcat Stadium.

The stands were mostly cleared following Gaither's 32-22 victory against Wesley Chapel and Wildcats coach John Castelamare sat on the bench alone.

His hands clasped, looking solemnly out at the field.

His team suffered its second Class 5A-District 5 loss of the season, dashing the program's hopes of a playoff appearance.

"We had a game plan we worked real hard on. At the start of the game, they were all there; the shots were there and our guys didn't perform," Castelamare said. "They performed in practice. They looked forward to it. We were eager to see how it would work. It was working, but our boys weren't producing. The plays were there and we drop it. One guy's on the line instead of being off the line.

"Then they got so frustrated, and I can understand. They felt like everything we're trying, [it's not working]. All the plays were there. We had everything played right, but Gaither's a good football team."

Some of that frustration was visible in the number of personal-foul penalties Wesley Chapel was assessed. Of their 14 penalties, six were 15-yard personal-foul or unsportsmanlike-conduct infractions.

That infuriated Castelamare.

"I always teach our kids that doesn't make us tough when you retaliate," Castelamare said. "It's a legal game out there. You hit and if you hit illegal, you did wrong. If you want to go and have a boxing match and fight, then do that. It's who wins the legal way. Fight with your blocker, fight with the tackler. That upsets me."

On the opening offensive play of the game, Wesley Chapel (3-5, 0-2) went for the big play, which was there. Quarterback C.J. West faked a handoff to the left and pitched it to his right to Geoff DeGroot.

DeGroot sent a pass up the visiting sideline intended for Mitchell Wozniak, but the toss was too long for the receiver. That strike would have set the Wildcats offense up inside the Gaither (4-4, 2-0) 20-yard line.

That drive came to an end in three plays and a punt.

Gaither pounced, scoring on its first two drives. Wesley Chapel blocked the first extra-point attempt and a penalty pushed the second PAT back 15 yards, which sailed low and to the left. That kept Gaither to a manageable, 12-0 advantage.

Keenan Reynolds' 3-yard scoring run cut the deficit to 12-7, but Gaither came right back with Jarvis Giles' second rushing score of the night.

On that play, Giles was on the receiving end of a tremendous blow to the head by Wesley Chapel safety Arron Duncan. As Giles fell backward, his helmet dislodged and he was helped from the field at the 8:22 mark of the second quarter.

At that point, Giles had 69 rushing yards on six carries.

When asked if he was alarmed when Giles went down, Gaither coach Mark Kantor raised his eyebrows and understated his disposition.

"A little bit," he said, halfway smiling. "A little bit, but he'll be fine."

Giles spent the remainder of the game standing along the sidelines minus his shoulder pads, coherent and joking with teammates.

The Gaither victory sets up the Nov. 7 matchup against Wharton, which beat Mitchell and Wesley Chapel, for the 5A-5 title. The winner will host the first round of the playoffs, while the runner-up travels.

That was an opportunity Castelamare wanted for his group.

"We needed this win," he said.

As for keeping his team focused on its remaining two ballgames following Friday's bye, Castelamare expects his team to finish strong. If not from pride, then by attempting to make amends from Friday night's loss.

"If these kids like football and they want to play football, [they won't give up]," Castelamare said. "We teach them the right way. Monday when we start practice, when we do the film and they see this, especially when they think they didn't do anything, or if they say to me, 'Well, Coach, he had my facemask.' Fine. The official didn't see that, but he saw you punch. That's the wrong thing. What are you going to do? What are you going to say to yourself?

"I always tell them, 'Who did you hurt? You hurt the team, you hurt your parents, you hurt the school. [Forget] yourself. You're the one who messed up. You're the one who hurt your school, your teammates and your parents. You're last.' "

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

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