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Wake-Up Call: Crusaders show it's good to be Green
Photo by KEVIN HOWE (2008)
Versatile QB Christian Green is one major reason why Tampa Catholic may be on a championship run.
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Published: October 30, 2009
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Which football team has been the most surprising this year?
The Wake-Up Call greets you each weekday with news, views and a few Tampa Bay area sports offerings to anticipate for the day and night. We encourage suggestions and contributions.
Good morning!
The Tampa Catholic Crusaders have two of the nation's most highly recruited football players - quarterback Christian Green and offensive lineman Chaz Green, who are related only by their ability to attract college scouts.
All things considered, the Crusaders might be Hillsborough County's best bet for a state championship.
So how could the Crusaders possibly be under the radar?
TC coach Bob Henriquez said his players have noticed the Crusaders' omission from the ongoing best-team-in-the-county debate - Plant? Armwood? Tampa Bay Tech? - but know they still have an opportunity for the greater glory.
The Crusaders (6-0, 2-0) can take another step toward what seems to be an inevitable Class 2B-District 5 championship tonight at home against Mulberry (2-4, 1-1).
If TC wins a district title, three questions remain.
• Can the Crusaders end their hex against arch-rival Jesuit (nine straight losses against the Tigers, plus defeats in 17 of the last 19 meetings)?
• Can TC win the first state football title in school history?
• And the one that can't be answered: Are the Crusaders as good (or better) than the Hillsborough County public-school powers?
"People disregard us because of the classification thing," Henriquez said. "We can't change perception. But the reality is we feel we have a good program. We're playing the folks on our schedule and doing a good job. At the end of the day, I don't think anybody would want to run into Jacksonville Bolles or Pahokee (other Class 2B teams) at any classification.
"Could we play with an Armwood or a Plant? I don't think we're supposed to. We're 2B for a reason. Certainly, we have some players who could play anywhere in the county. We're going to go about our business and let the pundits be the pundits. I wouldn't just dismiss us."
But with the Crusaders, even considering their luminous talent and tradition, it still happens.
TC has played games in Groveland, Miami, Orlando and Sarasota.
Out of sight? Out of mind?
"That's a factor, I'm not going to lie," Chaz Green said. "We travel a lot. We don't play a lot of the teams from around here. So we're probably not in the conversation, at least not at first."
"I think if we take care of what we need to do, people will know who we are," Christian Green said. "But we've got to keep it in perspective and not look two weeks from now when we should be looking to the next game. All we're worried about now is what we have to do to beat Mulberry."
Another interesting backdrop: TC could have the first unbeaten regular season in school history if it defeats Mulberry, Avon Park and Jesuit. That would make the Crusaders 9-0 (a 10th regular-season game, against Berkeley Prep, was a weather cancellation).
Twice, the Crusaders have started 9-0. But each time, they lost in the regular-season finale against Jesuit.
"We have a lot of goals and an undefeated season has certainly been talked about and thought about," Henriquez said. "But it's more important to win the district and have an opportunity to start the playoffs at home. We have about 15 guys who suited up (in 2007, when TC lost to Madison County in the state final). They appreciate what it's like to get there, what it takes, and that will help us.
"Playoff football at any level, you've got to play great on defense, be smart on special teams, take care of the football, be able to run the football if you get a lead. That has been our recipe all year. Now we've just got to keep it going."
Obligatory TC recruiting update
Christian Green said his final five is unchanged - Georgia, Florida, Florida State, USF and USC. He has visited Georgia and may travel to USC in a few weeks. He won't make any hard-and-fast decisions until after TC's season.
Chaz Green said he will decide between Florida, Tennessee, USC and Ohio State. He has visited Tennessee and Ohio State. After TC's season, he will visit USC and Florida. He said a fifth school could be added to his official visits.
Two straight for Chamberlain?
It has been a particularly difficult season for Chamberlain football, after the retirement of legendary Coach Billy Turner, the post-spring resignation of his replacement and several players fleeing for other schools.
Coach Joe Severino's Chiefs (1-7) finally got some good news last week with a 13-6 victory against winless Gaither. Chamberlain now knows it won't finish with the school's first winless season since 1967.
With tonight's game at Brandon (1-6), could a winning streak be at hand?
Pride of the Yankees
Remember the last time West Virginia arrived to face the USF Bulls for a Friday night game on ESPN2?
It was 2007 - and West Virginia players got off the team bus wearing New York Yankees' caps. Rich Rodriguez, then the West Virginia coach, had compared his program to the Yankees for its ability to fill stadiums for road games.
USF defeated No. 5-ranked West Virginia 21-13 on that night.
Tonight, West Virginia (6-1, 2-0 Big East Conference) returns to Raymond James Stadium for another Friday night/ESPN2 date with the Bulls (5-2, 1-2).
Mountaineers quarterback Jarrett Brown said the "N.Y." cap from 2007 had a hidden meaning.
"It stood for 'Not yet,' " Brown told the Charleston (W.Va.) Daily Mail. "We were ranked high and they (USF players) were saying it was the biggest game they were going to play and they wanted to set their mark with that game.
"We were like, 'Not yet.' Whoops."
USF coaches used the Yankee caps as a pre-game motivational ploy.
Afterward, Wally Burnham, then the USF defensive coordinator, said he wanted West Virginia to "take those Yankees hats and stick them."
McCutchen honored by Baseball America
Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen (Fort Meade) was named Baseball America's Rookie of the Year. He batted .286 with 12 home runs, 54 RBIs and 22 stolen bases (in 27 attempts).
Florida Marlins left fielder Chris Coghlan (East Lake), who batted .321 with nine homers and 47 RBIs, was on Baseball America's all-rookie team. Rays left-hander Jeff Niemann (13-6, 3.94 ERA) made the all-rookie pitching staff.
Kathleen football forfeits six games
Lakeland Kathleen High School must forfeit six football games after allowing an ineligible player to participate. Kathleen self-reported the violation to the Florida High School Athletic Association. The school said its guidance staff "misinterpreted and/or misapplied" the school district's grade forgiveness policy in allowing the player to qualify academically.
Kathleen was 8-0 (4-0 in Class 4A-District 8) before the forfeits.
Joey Graham debuts with Nuggets
Joey Graham (Brandon) debuted Wednesday night with the NBA's Denver Nuggets, scoring three points on an old-fashioned three-point play, in a 114-105 victory against the Utah Jazz. Graham played his first four seasons with the Toronto Raptors, who made him a first-round pick in 2005.
Speights off to fast start
Philadelphia 76ers reserve center Marreese Speights (Admiral Farragut) had 25 points - on 10-for-11 shooting from the field - in Wednesday night's 120-106 season-opening road loss against the Orlando Magic.
76ers coach Eddie Jordan offered a measured compliment for Speights, the former Florida Gator who left early for the 2008 NBA draft.
"He looked good scoring the ball," Jordan told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "We want him to get better defensively."
Birthday wishes
Happy birthday to former Rays first baseman Fred McGriff, the Jefferson High School graduate who hit 493 major-league home runs and, if there's any justice, will some day be bound for Cooperstown. Saturday, McGriff turns 46.
The Answer Man
Here's the answer to Thursday's trivia question:
Former Chamberlain High School quarterback Jay Gruden, now offensive coordinator of the United Football League's Florida Tuskers, played at the University of Louisville for Coach Howard Schnellenberger.
Friday trivia
Here's our daily sports trivia question, featuring a Tampa Bay/Florida spin. Try your luck by commenting below.
The father of Tampa Catholic quarterback Christian Green is former USF basketball player Hiram Green, a freshman starter in 1978-79 when the Bulls went 9-7 down the stretch and reached the Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship game, just missing the NCAA Tournament.
Green was part of a USF starting lineup dominated by first-year players. That team was known as the "Four Freshmen" (OK, not exactly creative genius). Who were USF's other three freshmen starters that teamed with Green and senior point guard Penny Greene?
Check for the answer in Monday's Wake-Up Call.
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