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Pasco County Football Capsules: Week 4

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TBO.com staff

Published: September 25, 2008

Updated: 09/25/2008 06:01 pm

Pasco (3-0) at Hudson (1-1))
When/Where: 7:30 p.m./W.F. Edwards Stadium, 36850 State Road 52, Dade City
Coaches: Tom McHugh (Pasco), Mark Nash (Hudson)
Last Week: Pasco 21, Wesley Chapel 20; Hudson Bye
Last Meeting: Pasco 39, Hudson 34 (2007)
Need To Know: For the second consecutive week, Pasco will be without standout OL/DL lineman Mylon Brown, who is recovering from a knee injury. … Despite that loss, RB Jamall Haynes (147 yards, 2 TDs) and WR Josh Johnson (106 rushing/receiving, 1 TD) had no issues against Wesley Chapel. … The Cobras' general game plan will be to control the clock, keep the ball out of those players' hands and "use their speed against them." … The Cobras may be without OL Buddy Stockton because of an injury. … Nash raved about Johnson, saying he was the "most athletic kid" in the county and "would make the second-most-athletic kid look bad". He added that Haynes is the best runner in the county.

Ridgewood (2-0) at Brooksville Central (1-2)
When/Where: 7:30 p.m./Bear Den Stadium, 14075 Ken Austin Pkwy., Brooksville
Coaches: Chris Taylor (Ridgewood), Cliff Lohrey (Central)
Last Week: Ridgewood Bye; Central 41, Inverness Citrus 10
Last Meeting: Ridgewood 42, Central 21 (2007)
Need To Know: Ridgewood is 2-0 for the third consecutive season. Last year, the Rams didn't lose until their ninth game (Land O' Lakes). … RB Sterling Ross has rushed for 397 yards in two games, averaging 10.2 yards per carry. … QB Jimmy Mattos is 19-of-32 for 243 yards. … Last week, Central's senior QB Dallas Waugh connected on 8-of-17 passes for 145 yards and three TDs against winless Citrus. … TB Austin Forte rushed for 158 yards on 20 carries and scored a touchdown.

Springstead (2-1) at Land O' Lakes (2-1)
When/Where: 7:30 p.m./Gator Stadium, 20325 Gator Lane, Land O' Lakes
Coaches: Bill Vonada (Springstead), John Benedetto (Land O' Lakes)
Last Week: Pasco 34, Sebring 20; Land O' Lakes 45, Wesley Chapel 27
Last Meeting: Wesley Chapel 24, Pasco 10 (2007)
Need To Know: John Benedetto expects this to be the best Springstead team it has seen, including Eagles QB James Mahla. … Mahla will be forced to either get rid of the ball quickly or use his legs against a Gators defense that played its best game against Zephyrhills last week, collecting six sacks. … Benedetto is concerned that this might be similar scenario to the Pasco game, when the opponents' key offensive players jelled and were able to take advantage of Land O' Lakes' youth. … They'll have to defend RB/WRs Ben Noury (334 total yards, 2 TDs) and James Wozniak as well as WR Dominic Roberson. … The Gators are confident their offensive unit, when playing up to its capabilities, can score against anyone.

Wiregrass Ranch (0-3) at Gulf (3-0)
When/Where: 7:30 p.m./W.D. "Des" Little Stadium, 5355 School Road, New Port Richey
Coaches: Ricky Thomas (Wiregrass Ranch), Jay Fulmer (Gulf)
Last Week: Berkeley Prep 35, Wiregrass Ranch 0; Gulf 37, Hernando 6
Last Meeting: Gulf 45, Wiregrass Ranch 7 (2007)
Need To Know: Wiregrass Ranch was shut out for the second consecutive week and has scored six points in three games. Thomas vows to swing for the fences and will throw everything at the Bucs. He is urging his players to play with a chip on their shoulders. … Gulf piled up 478 yards on 52 plays from scrimmage against Hernando last week. Adrian Golden rushed for 242 yards on 15 carries and has scored seven touchdowns, most in the county. … Gulf QB Madison Burr has completed 67 percent of his passes (30-of-45) for 539 yards. … The Bucs are averaging 38.7 points a game, while giving up 6.7.

Wesley Chapel (1-2) at Hernando (1-2)
When/Where: 7:30 p.m./Tom Fisher Stadium, 700 Bell Ave., Brooksville
Coaches: John Castelamare (Wesley Chapel), John Palmer (Hernando)
Last Week: Pasco 21, Wesley Chapel 20; Gulf 37, Hernando 6
Last Meeting: Wesley Chapel 35, Hernando 3 (2007)
Need To Know: Wesley Chapel is coming off its second consecutive loss, but believes it proved it could compete with some of the best in the county with its effort. … Wildcats RB Hunter Joyer put up 120 yards against Pasco and blocked an extra point. … QBs C.J. West and Geoff DeGroot split time. West was 5-of-10 for 80 yards and an interception and ran for 31 yards, while DeGroot was 3-of-5 for 46 yards. … Hernando allowed 366 rushing yards against Gulf last week and faces another team in Wesley Chapel with a penchant for running the ball.

Sunlake (1-1) at Zephyrhills (0-3)
When/Where: 7:30 p.m./Bulldog Stadium, 6335 12th St., Zephyrhills
Coaches: Bill Browning (Sunlake), Tom Fisher (Zephyrhills)
Last Week: St. Cloud 39, Sunlake 12; Land O' Lakes 11, Zephyrhills 3
Last Meeting: Zephyrhills 49, Sunlake 0
Need To Know: Sunlake RB Mike Shaver rushed for 204 yards in the Seahawks' loss to St. Cloud last week. The Seahawks only completed four passes and fumbled six times, losing four. … Sunlake has never won a district game. …Fisher used WR Gage Hayes as a running back against Land O' Lakes and will continue to experiment with it. … WR Alex Sampson, who had a career-high nine catches for 115 yards last week, was not used on defense against the Gators after Fisher said he would be. …Zephyrhills QB Tyler Guy was 14-of-22 for 190 yards, but the Bulldogs couldn't find the end zone against Land O' Lakes. As a team, Zephyrhills rushed for 36 yards.

River Ridge (0-3) at Tarpon Springs (2-0)
When/Where: 7:30 p.m./Sponger Stadium, 1411 Gulf Road, Tarpon Springs
Coaches: Tim Stevens (River Ridge), George Kotis (Tarpon Springs)
Last Week: Mitchell 16, River Ridge 10; Tarpon Springs 27, East Lake 17
Last Meeting: Tarpon Springs 37, River Ridge 0 (2007)
Need To Know: After getting a brief taste of the Spongers' speed during this summer's 7-on-7 passing league, Stevens knows his offense and defense are in for a difficult challenge in tonight's Class 4A-District 8 opener. It also doesn't help that the Knights are dealing with injuries. LB Alex Hill (shoulder) is out, and LB Anthony McKinney and FB Trevor Shoun are questionable. … The 50-yard field goal made last week by River Ridge's Jack Paris (which landed about 8 yards beyond the uprights) is the longest by a Bay-area kicker this season, according to maxpreps.com. Stevens is comfortable letting him attempt kicks from up to 55 yards. … Tarpon Springs, in its home opener, has shut out River Ridge each season since 2005 and is averaging 46.3 points in those wins. Speedy RB Ladarius Only is the Spongers' most dynamic offensive player.

Canterbury (3-0) at Bishop McLaughlin (0-3)
When/Where: 7 p.m./Bishop McLaughlin Stadium, 13651 Hays Road, Spring Hill
Coaches: Stephen Dudley (Canterbury), Marty Williams (Bishop McLaughlin)
Last Game: Canterbury 35, Boca Raton Christian 20; Bradenton Chr. 21, Bishop McLaughlin 0
Last Meeting: First meeting
Need To Know: The Hurricanes will try to get out of their offensive slump in this Sunshine State Athletic Conference South division matchup. Bishop McLaughlin is averaging 122 yards of offense per game and has not scored an offensive touchdown in 10 quarters (since a Week 1 loss to Hernando Christian). … The Hurricanes have played, and lost, two of the toughest games on their schedule during that span. Against Bradenton Christian, they averaged less than 2 yards per carry and were held to a season-low 94 yards of offense. … Canterbury is averaging 42.3 points per game, but its opponents are a combined 1-6, according to the FHSAA's Web site.

Compiled by Eddie Daniels, Rick Harmon and Bart O'Connell.

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