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Pinellas County Football Capsules: Week 2

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Lee Diekemper

Tribune correspondent

Published: September 10, 2008

Thursday

Countryside (1-0) at Gibbs (1-0)

Countryside won a much closer game than expected against Pinellas Park, 19-6. it was a game
Cougars coach John Davis did not foresee being one of his team's tougher matchups. Now, the Cougars begin a four-game stretch that will likely make or break their season by traveling to Gibbs, which also won its first game of the year over Lakewood 14-9.

Second-year Gibbs coach Yusef Shakir has done such a good job since taking over the program his rival coaches now consider Gibbs a St. Petersburg power.

Friday

St. Petersburg (1-0) at East Lake (0-1)

The host Eagles hung tough with Largo to open the season. But East Lake, which lost 12-0, will have to learn not to collapse once it gets into St. Petersburg territory like it did last week.

Third-year St. Petersburg coach Joe Fabrizio likely has his best team. Both teams like to keep the ball on the ground, so this should be a quick game.

Lakewood (0-1) at Pinellas Park (0-1)

Matt Lance seems to be getting a lot out of a bad situation at Pinellas Park. This could be a sign of things to come for the host Patriots who hung tough with Countryside to open the season.

Was the game against Countryside a fluke? This game should decide that. The visiting Spartans narrowly lost to Gibbs and have its three best skill position players returning from a team that narrowly missed the playoffs last year.

Palm Harbor (0-1) at Largo (1-0)

Most coaches would be happy with a shutout win to open the season. Largo's Rick Rodriguez was not. Immediately after the game, Rodriguez, frustrated by what he deemed sloppy play, put his players through an impromptu practice under the lights. We'll get things straightened out," Rodriguez said.

That's bad news for Palm Harbor which will have to figure out how to combat one of the best linebacker corps in the area. If East Lake couldn't, it doesn't look good for the Hurricanes.

Clearwater (1-0) at Osceola (0-1)

Before the season, Clearwater coach Tom Bostic raved about his defense but wasn't as enthusiastic about his offense. Sure enough, Bostic was prophetic as Clearwater beat Seminole in its opener 3-0.
This game could be of a similar score. Osceola has some decent players but not enough to overwhelm opponents, as evidenced by a 28-7 loss to Dixie Hollins last week.

Seminole (0-1) at Dunedin (1-0)

The host Falcons have arguably the best team in Pinellas County this year, and certainly have the best running back duo in Darius Bellamy (USF commitment) and Kim Howard.

Last week, an expected stingy Boca Ciega defense gave Dunedin a bit of competition. If the Falcons played sluggish, don't look for that to continue against Seminole.

Tampa Catholic (0-1) at Clearwater Central Catholic (1-0)
Call this game a measuring stick between two longtime rivals. A lot is expected from both teams. The Crusaders stubbed their toe in a 20-10 loss to Ocala Trinity Catholic while the host Marauders cruised to a 19-0 win over Miami Bay Point. The winner could use this as a season-long springboard. The loser will know what it needs to work on to bounce back.

Indian Rocks Christian (1-0) at Calvary Christian (1-0)

Both teams are coming off emotion season-opening wins: Indian Rocks Christian defeated Keswick 35-0 for its first win over Keswick in over a decade. An improved Calvary Christian knocked off Northside Christian, 13-7.

While IRC's strong running game should get the job done, Calvary has already demonstrated it can hand with a team that has a much longer history and tradition.

St. Petersburg Catholic (0-1) at Jacksonville Trinity Christian (1-0)

The Barons had a rough start on the road being shut out 23-0 to Orlando Lake Highland Prep and it doesn't appear to get any easier this week. Jacksonville Trinity Christian also posted a shutout win to begin the season, a 37-0 win over Miami Dade Christian.

The Barons will need to get their strong running game in gear to avoid another road loss.

Vero Beach St. Edwards (0-1) at Shorecrest Prep (0-1)

Things should get easier for Shorecrest beginning this week. Last week, going from the Wing-T offense is has run under coach Phil Heyford for decades broke out the spread option last week against state powerhouse Fort Meade. The result was predictable: a loss.

Friday, Shorecrest will play a team that has scored a combined seven points in its kickoff classic and season opening game.

Orlando First Academy (0-0) at Northside Christian (0-1)

Northside Christian may catch a break as it is hosting a team playing its first game of the season. In its first game last week against Calvary Christian, Northside Christian's defense looked strong but its offense didn't. Was it first-game rust or a pattern? The answer should be learned Friday.

Kissimmee Heritage Christian (0-0) at Canterbury (1-0)

If Canterbury keeps up the same strong offense as it did last week it should be 2-0. In a 47-0 win over Miami Northwest Christian, the visiting Crusaders racked up over 400 yards of offense, nearly all of it (380) on the ground.

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