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Gryphons grab overtime victory

Staff photo by ROCKY GLISSON

Sickles running back Cary White runs for yardage against Boca Ciega defenders in their overtime game friday night.

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By KATHERINE SMITH

ksmith@tampatrib.com

Published: October 10, 2009

TAMPA - Turnovers nearly cost Sickles a district victory again.

But on Friday night, unlike their turnover-plagued district loss to Largo, the Gryphons finally capitalized on someone else's mistakes to beat Boca Ciega, 31-28, in a Class 4A-District 10 overtime game.

On the Pirates second snap in overtime, Sickles senior Chris Nahat intercepted Shaquille Bradford's end zone pass to set up the game-winning field goal by sophomore kicker Andres Vasquez.

Sickles' playoff hopes were looking grim before the Gryphons snapped out of their funk. Boca Ciega scored 22 unanswered points to take a 22-7 halftime lead. A much different Gryphons team exited the locker room for the second half.

"We told them at halftime it's a pride thing," O'Brien said. "They had to come out and take a little individual pride about this game. We felt like there were some things happening that we kind of gave them some opportunities in that first half.

"I told these kids it was a personal challenge."

After scoring first, on a 69-yard scoring drive capped by Brieann Dollard's 9-yard touchdown run, Sickles defense gave up 22 unanswered points.

Boca Ciega's Emmerson Clarke returned the ensuing kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown and the Pirates' first points of the game. Boca Ciega took the lead in the second quarter when Latavien Washington connected with Gekarro McCall on a 51-yard halfback pass.

The Pirates scored again just before the end of the first half, capitalizing on a pass interference penalty against Sickles which kept a 72-yard scoring drive alive.

In the second half, Boca Ciega's defense went after Sickles running back Cary White, Hillsborough County's leading rusher, and took advantage of two Gryphons' turnovers. White got the bulk of his 132 rushing yards in the first half while quarterback John Melvin Hendrick picked up the slack in the second half.

Hendrick (41 passing yards and one touchdown and 116 rushing yards and one touchdown) connected with Nahat for a 28-yard touchdown completion and also ran for a 69-yard touchdown on back-to-back possessions near the end of the third quarter to pull the Gryphons within two points.

That's when Sickles felt the momentum shift in its favor. Dollard tied the game with 4:59 remaining when he capped off a 79-yard scoring drive with an eight-yard touchdown run.

"This means we're a playoff team," Hendrick said. "We're thinking playoffs for the rest of the season. Nothing but playoffs."

BC-Clarke 70 kickoff return (pass failed)

BC-McCall 51 pass from Washington (Johnson pass from Bradford)

BC-Green 27 pass from Bradford (Washington run)

S-Nahat 28 pass from Hendrick (Vasquez kick)

S-Hendrick 69 run (pass failed)

BC-Coston 13 pass from Bradford (run failed)

S-Dollard 8 run (Dollard pass from Hendrick)

S-FG Vasquez 27

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