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Tribune Prep Football Top 10

A Tribune staff report

Published: October 26, 2008

TRIBUNE TOP 10

Pos. School	Record	Points	Up Next
1. Armwood	8-0	50	at Freedom (2-5)
Hawks can wrap up seventh consecutive playoff berth with win this week.
2. Chamberlain	8-0	44	at Plant (6-1)
Chiefs earned 5A-District 6 title with victory over Alonso and King's loss to Sickles.
3. Plant	6-1	41	vs. Chamberlain (8-0)
Panthers locked up fourth consecutive playoff berth with win Friday.
4. Tampa Bay Tech	6-1	32	vs. Middleton (2-5)
Titans need this one to keep playoff hopes alive.
5. Wharton	6-2	26	at Riverview (1-6)
Playoff-bound Wildcats surpassed last season's win total with victory Friday.
6. Tampa Catholic	5-2	25	at Lennard (4-4)
Crusaders can lock up fourth consecutive postseason berth with win this week.
7. Alonso	6-2	20	at Jefferson (4-3)
Ravens are 0-3 all-time against the Dragons.
8. Newsome	6-2	18	at East Bay (3-4)
Wolves can earn first postseason berth in program history with win this week.
9. Hillsborough	5-3	13	at Gaither (4-4)
Terriers haven't lost three consecutive regular-season games this decade.
10. Jefferson	4-3	3	vs. Alonso (6-2)
Dragons get a good look at potent passing attack before facing Plant.

Also receiving votes: Bloomingdale (5-2) 2, Gaither (4-4) 1.

WHO'S HOT

Tampa Catholic - The Crusaders rolled to their fifth consecutive win Friday and took control of the Class 2A-District 5 title race.

Spoto - The Spartans kept their playoff hopes alive with a huge win Friday against Sarasota Booker, which was the second consecutive victory for Dale Caparaso's squad.

WHO'S NOT

Middleton - The Tigers have dropped five of their last six, and their latest loss Friday to Freedom severely hurt their chances of reaching the postseason.

NOSE FOR THE END ZONE

When you're hot, you're hot. And Armwood safety Angelo Hadley is hot.

The Hawks' senior standout returned another interception for a touchdown in Armwood's victory Friday against Hillsborough. It is the third consecutive game that Hadley has accomplished the feat.

Hadley's three interception returns this season tie a school record set by Kirk Callahan, who did it during the 2002 season, according to Armwood coach Sean Callahan. Hadley, however, is the first player in program history to return a pick for a score in three consecutive games.

Hadley had two interceptions in Friday's win against the Terriers, giving him seven this season. That is a school record, according to Callahan, breaking the previous mark of six.

GET READY TO CUE THE PARADE

One of the worst streaks in Hillsborough County football is on the verge of finally coming to an end. Bloomingdale, which started its football program in 1987 but has never had a winning season, is one win away from ending more than two decades of futility.

The Bulls, who picked up their fifth win of the season Friday night against East Bay, will have a chance this week to secure its first winning season on the road against their biggest rival, Brandon. And there's an extra incentive for Bloomingdale as well.

Not only would a victory against the Eagles provide the Bulls with magical win No. 6, but a win also would clinch a postseason berth, sending the Bulls to the state playoffs for the first time.

"We had practice this morning and I was talking to the kids about it," first-year Bloomingdale coach Jason Stokes said Saturday. "I was just saying, 'Don't put the pressure on yourselves to do that. You've just got to treat it like another game, and I know that's hard to do. But don't put pressure on yourselves because that's when you go out there and try to do too much, and that's when you make mistakes.'"

BY THE NUMBERS

Winless teams in Hillsborough County after Cambridge Christian and Riverview each notched win No. 1 on Friday night.

Times this decade Earl Garcia's Terriers have dropped consecutive regular-season games, though two of those occasions have come in the last two seasons against the same two teams - Plant and Armwood.

Number of Hillsborough County programs (Bloomingdale, Cambridge Christian, Lennard, Newsome and Spoto) that have never made the postseason, not counting Carrollwood Day School Prep, which is in its first season and is ineligible for postseason play. Bloomingdale and Newsome can get off the list with wins Friday.

Consecutive playoff berths for Jefferson and Chamberlain, which clinched postseason spots with wins Friday, tied for the longest active streak in Hillsborough County with Hillsborough, though the Terriers still have a chance to extend their streak this season.

The jersey number worn Friday night by Plant senior tight end Orson Charles, switching from his usual No. 7 to honor Panthers senior quarterback Aaron Murray, who had surgery Friday to repair his broken leg. Murray wore No. 11 for the Panthers.