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Springstead Stops LOL

By EDDIE DANIELS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 27, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - Nate Schafer looked down at his hands, encased in red tackified gloves, and gave his confession.

"These gloves are terrible," he said. "I don't use them for catching."

He didn't really mean that. He couldn't have.

It might have been those gloves that allowed the Springstead linebacker to control a one-handed interception midway through the third quarter.

That turnover stopped a threatening Land O' Lakes offense and assisted the Eagles in a 21-17 Class 4A-District 8 victory against the Gators.

"We've been going over it all week, they run a certain formation and they run a screen out of that formation, so I knew it was coming the whole time," Schafer said. "I ran up, waited for it and he tried to throw it over my head and I just jumped, probably higher than I've ever jumped, and luckily I got it."

It's the first time Springstead (3-1, 1-0) has beaten Land O' Lakes (2-2, 0-1) in at least 11 years.

"Quarterback James Mahla made some really good decisions tonight, but he can't do that without some of the other guys," Springstead coach Bill Vonada said. "We have a few weapons here, and Ben Noury came through on some really key plays."

The first big play for the Eagles came at the 11:27 mark of the second quarter. Down 3-0, Springstead scored on fourth-and-2, as Mike Greco scored on an 11-yard run.

Land O' Lakes took a 10-7 lead less than three minutes later on a 3 yard Ben Hipps run, his first of two scores.

Springstead's ensuing possession ended with another fourth-down TD, on a 41-yard pass to Noury. Mahla ended the night 15-of-22 for 209 yards and two scores.

Land O' Lakes opened the third quarter with a promising drive and reached the Eagles' 9 before a penalty pushed the ball back to the Springstead 23. On the following play Schafer picked the ball out of the air with his right hand.

That turnover led to a 37-yard Mahla-to-Greco pass with 3:56 remaining in the third.

Land O' Lakes scored on a 4-yard run from Hipps with 7:32 remaining.