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Michaels gives Mustangs another option

Eric Horchy/SUNCOAST

Mitchell QB Matt Michaels has done well since taking over for the injured Cody VanDeBoe.

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By RICK HARMON

Tribune correspondent

Published: October 17, 2009

NEW PORT RICHEY - The next time Mitchell coach Brian Wachtel sees Pasco Superintendent Heather Fiorentino, he needs to give her a big thank you.

When Fiorentino named Jim Michaels the Mitchell principal last spring, he brought his son with him from River Ridge.

Matt Michaels was projected to be the Mustangs' starting wide receiver but when returning starting quarterback Cody VanDeBoe was hurt in Mitchell's Kickoff Classic game against Hudson, Michaels was moved to quarterback.

Against Gulf on Thursday, Michaels showed another dimension to his offensive abilities as the junior rushed for 161 yards as the Mustangs remained undefeated with a 28-7 win to spoil the Buccaneers' homecoming.

"(Michaels) had a great night," said Wachtel, Mitchell's first-year coach. "He really stepped up to the plate and came to play. It's nice to have other options. Ricky (Trinidad) is a great running back and when he runs, he draws attention. Eyes go to him on the field."

And those eyes are for good reason. Trinidad has 1,144 yards on 134 carries and 14 touchdowns this season, including 121 yards on 25 carries and three TDs against Gulf. And Michaels hadn't exactly been a running threat in the Mustangs first six games. He only had 215 yards rushing before the 161-yard effort Thursday.

"(Michaels) was faster than we thought," said Gulf coach Jay Fulmer. "I didn't know he had wheels like that."

Mitchell wasn't the only team to try something different. Gulf (3-4, 0-4 Class 3A-7) decided to start sophomore Tyshawn Peters at quarterback and use three-year starter Madison Burr at wide receiver.

"It's a change up we made this week to try to get Madison involved a little bit at wide receiver," Fulmer said. "I thought it was a good transition."

It seemed to work. Peters threw for 134 yards in the first half (7-for-9), including four to Burr for 68 yards and a 62-yarder to David Ramirez but the Bucs couldn't get the big play when they needed it. On their first possession, they drove 57 yards but had a 22-yard field goal attempt blocked by Marcus Hicks. Then, after Austin Jackson scored a 1-yard touchdown to tie the score at 7-7, Gulf turned the ball over on downs on the Mitchell 38 and following the long catch by Ramirez, Peters fumbled and Dylan Lamb recovered for the Mustangs.

Fulmer decided to return to Burr to start the second half.

"We did it to get an advantage. It was 7-7 so there wasn't any advantage," Fulmer said. "We needed to get our guy back in there and make plays. A 7-7 ballgame wasn't what we were looking for. We were looking for a 21-7 or 21-0. We were looking to try to get a lead and if that happens, Tyshawn goes the distance. It didn't happen so we had to make the switch back because you know (Mitchell) was going to play harder when they are in a 7-7 game and they're undefeated so you have to have your experienced guy in there."

With Burr back at quarterback, Mitchell's defense stepped it up. Of the three possessions Gulf had in the third quarter, two of them were three-and-out. On the other one, Burr drove the Bucs to the Mitchell 7, but a sack by Lamb on third down moved the Bucs back to the 13 and Burr's fourth-down pass was incomplete.

Mitchell, meanwhile, scored on its first two possessions of the second half and Michaels was the reason. His 48-yard keeper gave Mitchell first-and-goal at the Gulf 5 and two plays later, Trinidad scored from the 2 to make it 14-7. And on the next possession, Michaels scampered 80 yards for a touchdown on the second play of the drive. Trinidad added another touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Fulmer said after the game he couldn't say whether the quarterback switch was a one-time thing or if Peters would be at quarterback next week against winless Anclote.

"We might decide to go with Tyshawn the rest of the season," Fulmer said. "I don't know yet. We will break it down and decide. Madison might have a couple more 100-yard receiving nights."

Burr finished with 101 yards on eight catches and 46 yards rushing. He also was 3-of-10 passing for 42 yards.

Mitchell (7-0, 4-0 3A-7) puts its eight-game winning streak (dating back to last season) on the line next Friday at Sunlake.

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