King's Celerin Out With Foot Injury

NEWS AND NOTES

King's Celerin Out With Foot Injury

King starting running back Donovan Celerin will miss at least the next two weeks after suffering a foot injury during Friday's loss to Bloomingdale.

Celerin, a junior and one of Hillsborough County's leading rushers, won't be available to return to the field until Oct. 5 against Alonso, interim coach Alex Gonzalez said Tuesday. However, it's possible Celerin will miss only one game - Friday's home matchup with Durant (1-2) - considering the Lions (1-2) have a bye Sept. 28.

Sophomore Jameel Jackson will step into the starting role at tailback. Gonzalez said Jackson has a 'Pittman-esque' running style, referring to the hard-nosed style of Tampa Bay Bucs running back Michael Pittman.

'He's not scared of getting hit. In fact, he gets hit too much,' Gonzalez said of Jackson. 'But that's just because he'd rather run you over than use a little shake-n-bake to get around you. Maybe it's because he doesn't have any shake-n-bake.'

BACK TO WORK: Newsome senior cornerback Rubin Rumph missed all of spring workouts for a good reason - he had to work.

But he's making up for his absence this season for the Wolves (3-0).

Rumph has two interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown against Jesuit on Sept. 7.

Newsome may not have known exactly what it had in the first-year starter, but Coach Kenneth Hiscock does now.

'He's really filling in on the run and he's dropping back well in coverage,' Hiscock said. 'He's a playmaker and he's always on the ball.'

EXTRA TV TIME: Catch 47 announced Tuesday that it will add a prep football game to its live Friday night coverage.

Zephyrhills at Wesley Chapel is now the Game of the Week for Sept. 28. The broadcast begins at 7:30 p.m.

Additionally, Blake vs. Middleton will air at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 29 from Raymond James Stadium.

A GAUGE FOR FUTURE: Perhaps Sickles' 47-0 loss to Tampa Bay Tech on Friday was a wake-up call for Coach Pat O'Brien and his Gryphons. The Gryphons were held to 6 net yards in their first loss of the season.

But the Gryphons already have made strides this season. At 2-1, they're already better off than their 0-10 2006 and their 5-25 record under O'Brien the past three seasons.

'It shows us where we are now and where we've got to get to,' said O'Brien, whose team hosts Wharton on Friday. 'We played as hard as we could. We just have to tighten up now.'

ONE MORE THING TO CORRECT: Tampa Bay Tech played its most complete game of the season in its 47-0 victory over Sickles. The Titans (3-0) even corrected their point-after woes, going to a swinging gate play that yielded four two-point conversions.

But one other thing certainly has Coach C.C. Culpepper concerned, and that's penalties.

The Titans committed eight penalties for 75 yards Friday. That's 28 penalties in three games - all victories - for the Titans.

Culpepper said after the Titans' season-opening victory that his team's overall youth had something to do with it. But the Titans must correct the penalties as they enter their district opener against Freedom on Friday.

TWOMEY LEADS WAY: Jesuit junior Jack Twomey shot a 1-over 73 and fellow junior Trent Silver carded a 77 to pace the Tigers golf team at Monday's 18-hole Hawkins Crutchfield Invitational in Sebring.

Billed as the biggest invitational in the state with 41 teams participating, the Tigers finished 12th in the A flight (the toughest) at Monday's tournament at the Sun 'n Lake Golf and Country Club.

Senior Dylan Malafronte shot 80, while freshman Anthony Maccaglia shot 88 to round out the Tigers' scoring.

'It was not as well as we hoped, but two of our guys shot in the 70s and that was good,' Jesuit coach John Crumbley said. 'We're still trying to get ready for the postseason, and this was just another step towards that.'

A Tribune staff report

NEWS AND NOTES