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Prep Notebook: Hillsborough Wary Of Jefferson Quarterback

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The Tampa Tribune

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 5, 2008

Although the Hillsborough High football team has won four of the past five meetings against Jefferson, Terriers coach Earl Garcia is concerned about the offense of Jefferson under sophomore QB Quentin Williams. Drawing comparisons to former Dragon stars Stephen Garcia and Andre Caldwell, Williams is starting his first season at the position and led Jefferson to a 21-9 road win in its preseason game against traditional Space Coast power Titusville Astronaut.

With Williams quarterbacking an offense designed by Dragons coach Mike Fenton, Garcia says his defense will have to be better prepared than in last week's preseason game, a 30-18 win over Lakewood in which the Terriers surrendered more than 300 passing yards.

"It's a typical Mike Fenton offense - very diversified, very imaginative - where you have to defend the whole field," Garcia said. "We did give up a lot of yards through the air against Lakewood and part of that was we played everyone, including all 13 of our defensive backs, some of whom won't be playing that position again - ever. But we'll have to be ready for just about anything from Jefferson's offense."

In the victory against Astronaut, Williams passed for all three of the Dragons' scores, including a fourth-down, 23-yard touchdown strike to Andre Davis in the end zone. Hillsborough QB Tarean Austin was also effective last week, passing for 240 yards, including a 92-yard bomb to Charles Lovett, and rushing for another score. In one half of play, Terriers RB Lindsey Lamar had 120 yards on eight carriers, 76 of which came when he scored on his first touch of the ball.

RIVALS OUT OF THE GATE: While some may debate Plant and Armwood being a rivalry, there are a few matchups in Hillsborough County tonight where that is not the case.

A few of the more notable rivalry games are Plant City at Durant, East Bay at Riverview and Freedom at Wharton, neighborhood wars that are circled on each team's calendar.

These are the types of games that coaches always describe the same way: This game is going to be a dogfight. And, with these matchups also serving as season openers, that dogfight comes awfully quick.

"I tell you what," Durant coach Mike Gottman said, "you better be ready to play."

There are many instances in college football when natural rivals meet near the end of the season. Some examples include Florida-Florida State, Michigan-Ohio State and Southern Cal-UCLA. Of course, the obvious benefit is the extra preparation time afforded to teams before what often turns into their toughest games of the season. But, there's more.

"It would give it the season a climactic end," Riverview coach Bruce Gifford said.

While it may be unfortunate, neither Gottman nor Gifford spent much time bickering over the situation.

"It tough," Gottman said, "but it's tough on everybody equally.

"Besides, you've got to play them sometime."

BUCS HOPE FOR SUCCESS: Class 2A Berkeley Prep faces a 1B Bradenton Prep program that is still reeling from nearly $35,000 in fines levied by the Florida High School Athletic Association for numerous recruiting violations and the use of an ineligible player.

As a result, the Patriots' football team, as well as their boys basketball and boys tennis teams, has been placed on restrictive probation the next three years. Unless school officials can win an appeal they plan to present to the FHSAA, the restrictions include a ban from postseason play for those teams.

Berkeley Prep won last year's season-opening meeting with Bradenton Prep 35-6 but Bucs coach Dominick Ciao says the Patriots appear to have most of their squad - one that reached the state semifinals - intact for this year's campaign. Berkeley is coming off an impressive 44-12 preseason win over Northside Christian. In that game, senior RB Julian Crockett had TD runs of 10, 12, 50 and 78 yards.

"Julian had a great game and our O-line did a good job opening things up for him," Ciao said. "It was pretty encouraging to see us move the football on the ground like that."

Berkeley also scored on an 82-yard kickoff return by freshman WR Reggie Barnes, the younger brother of former Berkeley star QB Archie Barnes.

CHIEFS WON'T UNDERESTIMATE: Even though Chamberlain won both meetings against Gaither last year, 41-17 in the regular season and 24-8 in the Class 5A regional semifinals, the Chiefs don't expect to see the same Gaither team tonight.

"The feeling that we beat them in the season and the playoffs, I think they'll be even more ready to come out and beat us," Chamberlain QB Dontae Aycock said. "It'll be a good game."

Chamberlain coach Billy Turner said if his team plays the way it did last week against Jesuit, finishing with 100 yards in penalties in addition to a fumble and an interception, Gaither could be on the winning end.

"We had several holding penalties," Turner said. "I have to tell them we're not as good as the paper says we are."

Although Gaither decided to move the ball through the air against Durant in the preseason game, Turner is not convinced that's the offense he'll see tonight.

"They'll be 22 eyes focusing on running back Jarvis Giles," he said. "He's the real deal. Our goal is to slow him down.

TIGERS WARY OF EAGLES RB: In last year's season opener, Brandon attempted to hold on to a 10-7 lead over Middleton with less than 4 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Tigers scored two touchdowns, the final being a 65-yard interception return with 45 seconds left, to seal the win.

Although Brandon senior RB Jarquez Bradshaw will be sidelined with a broken foot for at least 8-12 weeks, Middleton coach Harry Hubbard is still expecting a battle.

"They have another running back we have to keep our eye on," Hubbard said of current Brandon starter DeAndre Bowers.

Bill Ward, Nick Williams, Katherine Smith, Adam Adkins

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