Lecanto beats up on Citrus

The 'Canes never had a chance. A pair of Victor Cortes free throws started Lecanto's night and the Panthers never relented, thrashing Citrus 74-29 Tuesday.

"I don't think we've been beaten by that, ever," Citrus coach Tom Densmore said.

Lecanto (1-1, 1-0 Class 4A-6) used speed to double team the 'Canes (1-1, 1-0), leaving them grasping wildly for shots.

Citrus then lost 71-48 to Wildwood on Wednesday, which begs the question. Is Lecanto that good or is Citrus that bad? Or is a little of both and Citrus is in the middle of a crazy rollercoaster ride?

What do you think?

Photo of Victor Cortes taken by the Times' M.N. Golden 

Canterbury's Brooks resigns

Shannon Brooks resigned as Canterbury’s head football coach, he confirmed today. The 30-year-old is leaving for Lakewood, where he said he will be the offensive coordinator, serving under head coach Otis Dixon.

“I think it’s a bigger opportunity to play more meaningful games faster,” said Brooks, who coached two years at Canterbury. “Canterbury is still growing, and I’ll always be grateful they gave me my first head coaching job. But I’m excited about going to Lakewood, a bigger school with more kids. Hopefully we can bring (the program) to the next step.”

Lakewood went 3-7 last season.

-- JOE SMITH

(Times photo - Lara Cerri. Click to enlarge.)

Boys Hoops Showdowns

(Largo senior Charlie Lytle/Times Photo by Kathleen Flynn. Click to enlarge)

Clearwater boys basketball coach Jack Coit’s scouting trip to Tuesday’s Largo-Countryside game was a short one.
Coit left before halftime, likely having seen enough.
The Packers (2-0), whom Clearwater hosts on Thursday, pressed and pounded the Cougars, 55-23, while giving up just 8 field goals.
Largo showed why its one of the most well-conditioned teams in the area, picking up Countryside full-court, creating easy baskets off their pressure and swarming matchup zone.
“Their first five guys are as good as anyone in the county,” Countryside coach Bob Marinak said of Largo. “They’re really clicking.”
If that wasn’t enough for Coit & Co. to worry about, Clearwater’s game with Largo is the second of a back-to-back; The Tornadoes travel to play a tough Boca Ciega team tonight.
Here’s the skinny:
Clearwater at Boca Ciega (Wednesday, 7:45 p.m.) – Two guard-orientated teams face off in what could be a run-n-gun game. The Pirates, coming off a win over Dixie Hollins Tuesday night, will be less rested. But Boca Ciega senior guard Nehemiah Simpkins is the real deal, and is capable of matching hoop for hoop with Clearwater star Luke Loucks.
X-Factor: Expect Clearwater senior Jordan Scholl, one of the team’s top defensive stoppers, to be one of many Tornadoes sent to slow down Simpkins.
Largo at Clearwater (Thursday, 7:45 p.m.) – Flustering Loucks with a full-court press won’t be easy for Largo, who must try to keep the ball out of the star junior’s trusty hands. Clearwater also boasts several “zone-breakers,” shooters like Scholl, Loucks and Justin Morin.
X-Factor: Largo senior Charlie Lytle: The 6-foot-8 forward showed on Tuesday he can be a beast on the offensive boards. St. Pete scored inside on Clearwater last week – can Largo do the same?
“Clearwater’s a great team,” Largo senior Ben O’Donnell said. “I think we’re definitely the underdogs coming in.”

YOUR TAKE: Who will win Thursday, Largo or Clearwater?

--- JOE SMITH

Geiger, DeClercq To Be Honored

Countryside High will honor Matt Geiger and Andrew DeClercq just before the varsity basketball game against Alonso Friday night (7:30 – 7:45 p.m.). They will unveil banners in the gym and both Countryside alums will be available for pictures and autographs during the half-time.

(Former Sixers forward Matt Geiger. Doug Pensinger /Allsport)

YOUR TAKE: Who is the best basketball player to ever come out of the Bay Area?

-- JOE SMITH

Caparaso finished at Pasco

Pasco football coach Dale Caparaso will not return to coach the Pirates in 2007, athletic director Jim Ward said Tuesday morning.

Caparaso was 20-21 in four seasons at Pasco. The Pirates went to the playoffs his first two seasons falling to Jefferson in the first round each year. The Pirates went 8-3 in 2003 and 7-3 in '04. Pasco missed the playoffs each of the past two seasons with records of 2-8 and 3-7, respectively.

Read Wednesday's Pasco Times for full coverage of Caparaso's departure.

- IZZY GOULD, Times staff writer

Plant 38, Armwood 20

The top of our live blog coverage was cut off somehow. While our crack CSI team tries to track it down in Cyberspace, here's a quick recap:

Plant used a series of big plays and timely defensive stops to trounce Armwood 38-20, negating the Hawks' attempt to get back to a third straight state final.

The defense set the tone early as senior safety Chris Kuzdale picked off two passes and returned them for touchdowns in the first half. The first was a 64-yarder, the second was an 80-yarder.

The Plant defense forced six turnovers on the night: four interceptions and two fumbles.

Robert Marve was his usual spectacular self, throwing touchdown passes of 49 and 35 yards.

After going into halftime trailing 26-6, Armwood scored two touchdowns, both on Eric Smith runs, to cut the lead to 26-20. But Marve caught fire, throwing two touchdown passes to ice the game.

Props. . .

. . .to Chris Kuzdale, the senior safety who singe-handedly turned the tide in favor of Plant. Kuzdale scored on interception returns of 64 and 80 yards, plus had a couple of big stops in run support.

. . .to the Plant offensive line. When Armwood defensive tackle Torrey Davis decked Marve on his first pass attempt of the game, it looked like the Plant quarterback might not live to the end of the first half. But an undersized and seemingly out-athleted Panthers offensive line came together. On Lovell Jackson's 69-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, Plant ran right at Davis, and there was a huge hole. Marve was sacked just once.

. . .to Marve. This kid is the real deal. I've never seen a high school quarterback throw a deep ball like he does. Granted, I haven't seen many great high school quarterbacks in my time. But Marve is one of him. His passing ability is on another level, but so is his field vision and maturity. He sees the whole field, makes smart, accurate throws, and on several occasions called successful audibles that exploited mismatches he saw at the line of scrimmage.

. . .to Eric Smith. The running back seemed to make a big play every time he touched the ball. And though his fumble in the third quarter essentially iced the game, his three touchdowns and 200-plus yards rushing more than make up for it.

What in Tarnation. .

. . .was Armwood passing the ball for? It seemed like every time Eric Smith touched the ball, he was running for eight yards. The Hawks' passing game, meanwhile, resulted in four interceptions, two of them returned for touchdowns. In the NFL, balance is a necessity. In high school football, it isn't.

Live Coverage: Armwood-Plant

Tampa football powers Plant and Armwood are squaring off tonight at Dad's Stadium on Himes Ave in a Class 4A region final. The winner will advance to play the winner of Miami Jackson and Miami Washington. The loser gets an early start on Christmas shopping. Times Staff writer David Murphy will provide running play-by-play and commentary throughout the game. The game will be shown live on Catch 47 and broadcast live on 1250 a.m. Tune in, grab your laptop, and follow along.

(Pictured: Plant's Robert Marve and Armwood's Ryne Giddins. Times photo - Daniel Wallace. Click to enlarge.)

2:28, Third Quarter

Armwood has already scored two touchdowns on fourth down, so it's only fitting that Plant gets some love. Robert Marve hooked up with Derek Winter on a 29-yard touchdown pass on 4th-and-4, giving Plant a 38-20 lead.

It was Robert Marve's 43rd touchdown pass of the season, putting him one behind Tim Tebow's state record of 44.

Plant 38, Armwood 20

3:34, Third quarter

Another dramatic turn of events. On Armwood's first play following Marve's touchdown pass, Eric Smith fumbled at the end of a 12-yard run. Plant recovered and now has a first down at the Armwood 35-yard line.

3:51, Third quarter

Plant is not going to relinquish control easily. Robert Marve made another beautiful pass, hooking up with wide receiver Luke Rorech on a 3rd-and-5 play for a 35-yard touchdown. Just like his 49-yard pass in the second quarter, the pass was nearly perfect. The Panthers went for the 2-point conversion and failed.

Plant 32, Armwood 20.

4:52, Third Quarter

That didn't take long. Armwood is within six. Two personal foul penalties killed Plant, putting Armwood running back Eric Smith in position to score on a 9-yard touchdown run on 4th-and-5 with 4:52 left in the third quarter.

Armwood's defense struck first, stopping Plant on a 4th-and-1 on its own 44-yard line.

On 3rd-and-5 from the Plant 23-yard line, Plant was flagged for a personal foul, giving Armwood a first down on the 12. Two plays later, Armwood had 3rd-and-22 on the 25-yard line, and Plant was again flagged for a personal foul.

5:14, Third Quarter

It's 3rd-and-7 from the Plant 9-yard line. A critical personal foul on Plant gave Armwood new life on the Panthers' 12-yard line. Now, the Hawks are threatening

9:16, Third Quarter

And just like that, there is life on the Armwood sideline. Running back Eric Smith has just brought the Hawks to within two scores with a 41-yard touchdown run. Armwood went 60 yards in less than three minutes, running the entire way. This is exactly what the Hawks need to do: keep running, keep pounding, and play good defense. Smith now has 168 yards rushing on 11 carries.

Plant 26, Armwood 13

(Pictured: Armwood quarterback Justin Hickman gets sandwiched by Plant's Cornelius Gallon (6), Derek Winter (5) and Zack Kruger (34). Times photo - Daniel Wallace. Click to enlarge.)

Can Armwood Come Back?

The mood here at Dad's Stadium is nervously confident. Nobody in the stands or on the field or in the press box can seem to believe that Plant currently holds a 26-6 lead. It will be tough for Armwood to do it, no doubt, but this game is not over. Not at all.

Though Armwood has been picked off on all three of its pass attempts, its running game is picking up five and eight yard chunks at a time.

Keep your eye on the Armwood defense. If the Hawks can get Plant's offense off the field quickly throughout the second half, and, perhaps, force a few mistakes, they could set the stage for a dramatic finish.

Some quick halftime stats: Armwood out-gained Plant 181-132 and controlled the ball for all but about four minutes of the first half. Armwood running back Eric Smith has rushed eight times for 122 yards and one touchdown. Marquise Branton has 16 carries for 45 yards.

Plant quarterback Robert Marve is 5-of-9 for 66 yards and one touchdown. Running back Lovell Jackson has two carries for 72 yards and a 69-yard touchdown run.

End of Half

I'm not sure, but I think I saw Armwood coach Sean Callahan carrying a can of kerosene and some matches into the locker room as his team left the field for halftime. From what I can tell, he is currently setting fire to the passing section of his playbook.

With 1:20 left in the first half and Armwood driving, quarterback Justin Hickman was picked off for his third straight pass attempt. Unlike the first two, the pick didn't result in a touchdown. But it did kill a promising drive for a team that desperately needed a touchdown heading into halftime.

Armwood has now passed on four downs: three resulted in interceptions, one in a sack.

Plant leads 26-6 at halftime. Stay tuned for halftime stats.

2:40, Second Quarter

Armwood is driving, with a first down on the Plant 35-yard line. It's going to be tough for a running team like Armwood to overcome this deficit. But keep in mind that the Hawks get the ball at the start of the second half. And take those two interception returns for touchdowns away, and Plant really hasn't done a great job of stopping Armwood. The Hawks are running at will. So stay tuned.

5:11, Second Quarter

Robert Marve just showed everyone at Dad's Stadium why he's a Division I recruit. On 2nd-and-7 from the 50-yard line, the senior quarterback found wide receiver Cam Martin streaking down the left sideline on a fly route. Hanging in the pocket despite heavy pressure from his weak side, Marve threw a beautiful pass that hit Martin in stride heading into the end zone. The rout is on.

Plant 26, Armwood 6

9:15, Second Quarter

Lovell Jackson just broke a 69-yard run for a touchdown. Unbelievable. Give credit to Plant's offensive line, which did a good job of keeping Torrey Davis at bay and opened up a huge hole for Jackson, who easily won a foot race to the end zone.

Plant 20, Armwood 6.

9:35, Second Quarter

Armwood needed to answer, and answer it did. On 1st-and-10 from his own 26-yard line, Marquise Branton broke off a 53-yard run to give the Hawks a first down on the Plant 21-yard line. Four plays later, on 4th-and-3 from the 14-yard line, Armwood running back Eric Smith burst through the middle for a 14-yard touchdown. For some reason, the Hawks attempted the 2-point conversion. They failed, and Plant now leads 13-6 with 9:35 left before halftime.

(Pictured: Plant's Cam Martin (1) celebrates a touchdown with Alex Townsend (77). Times photo - Justin Cook. Click to enlarge.)

End First Quarter

The vaunted Plant Offense has been on the field for exactly eight plays, and haven't put on their helmets in close to 12 minutes of game clock. Kuzdale's second interception return for a touchdown ended a long Armwood drive on which the Hawks were running the ball with bruising efficiency. Riding the running of Eric Smith and Marquise Branton, Armwood marched from its own 17-yard line to the Plant 25-yard line. But on 1st-and-15 from the 25-yard line, Kuzdale stepped in front of Hickman's pass and returned it for a touchdown. Armwood needs to answer now.

0:32

Justin Hickman and Chris Kuzdale have hooked up on two long touchdown passes. Problem is, Hickman plays for Armwood and Kuzdale plays for Plant. With Armwood driving on the Plant 25-yard line late in the first quarter, Hickman attempted his second pass of the game, and for the second straight time, it was picked off by Kuzdale and returned for a touchdown. This one went for about 80 yards and a touchdown. The extra point snap was botched, so Plant leads 13-0.

For the record, that's two interceptions, 142 yards, and two touchdowns for Kuzdale.

7:55 First Quarter

A huge play for Plant as Chris Kuzdale picks off a pass over the middle by Justin Hickman and returns it 62 yards for a touchdown to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead.

9:13, First Quarter

Plant forced a fumble on Armwood's first offensive play, but could not capitalize. On 4th-and-1, Plant was flagged for a false start, and on the ensuing play, Marve was sacked at the 50-yard-line, giving the ball back to Armwood.

11:34, First Quarter

Robert Mavre is going to have a long night if his offensive line doesn't find a way to block Armwood's front four. Torrey Davis almost killed Robert Marve on a hit on 2nd-and-10, and Marve again went to the ground on 3rd-and-10. Three plays. Three incomplete passes. And a punt.

7:29

A sign hanging on the Armwood stands reads Pathletic Little Athletes w/ No Talent (PLANT).

7:25 p.m.

The captains are at the middle of the field for the coin toss. Armwood won the toss, but deferred, putting the ball in the hands of Plant quarterback Robert Marve. No real surprise there. We'll see how it works out.

(Pictured: Plant defensive back Chris Kuzdale (3) returns the first of two touchdowns off interceptions. Times photo - Justin Cook. Click to enlarge.)

6:26 p.m.

R. Kelly is blasting on the speakers and R. Marve is sitting at the 12-yard line with his fellow captains leading Plant in a stretching drill. I figure this is an appropriate place to start. "World's Greatest" might be a stretch, but Plant and Armwood both hope to make their case for "Tampa's Greatest" tonight at Dad's Stadium.

I arrived at the stadium an hour-and-a-half before game time, which was apparently too late, because it took me about three-and-a-half days to make a left turn off of Dale Mabry Ave and into the high school. Attempting to navigate through the swarms of pedestrians in the parking lot, I found myself in a real-life game of Frogger (it's much more fun on Atari, where human lives aren't actually in your hands).

When I finally parked (major props to the blonde parking attendant who hooked me up with a front-row seat), I couldn't believe what I saw. Winding through the parking lot, three-by-three, was a line that stretched the length of a football field. I felt like I was standing in line for "Tower of Terror" instead of a high school football game. I'm told people started lining up at 3:30, which was about the time my final helping of turkey and mashed potatoes finally made its way out of my digestive system and into the Hyde Park sewage system.

Thanks in large part to my my good looks and charming personality, I managed to skip the line and slide through a side gate (OK, the press pass probably helped a little, too). Now it's time to head down to the field to soak in some action (and maybe grab a hot dog).

6:20 p.m.

Alright, crazy bloggers, this is how we're going to do this thing: I'll be your tour guide tonight as the Hawks and the Panthers square off in this Class 4A region final. If you aren't one of the 4,000 people who the fire marshall will let in the gates tonight at Dad's Stadium, then take solace: this isn't going to be as good as actually being there, but it will be close. So watch the game on Catch 47, listen to the game on 1250 AM, and follow along throughout the night for our running play-by-play and commentary.

Feel free to shoot me an AOL IM (screenname: dmurph003) if there's something particular you'd like me to address.

St. Pete Times 360? Tune in Tonight for Armwood-Plant

OK, so we won't have a camera following Scott Purks as he runs up and down the sideline while keeping track of stats and play by play. But if you aren't one of the 4,000-5,000 who turn out to Plant HS tonight, or if you decide to bring your laptop to the game, make sure you stay tuned to the St. Pete Times Preps Blog.

From well before the opening kickoff to the final gun, we'll be blogging our way through the Armwood-Plant game, offering in-game play-by-play commentary and analysis, along with a complete critique of the concession stand fare offered up by Plant (the Band Boosters are a 2-to-1 favorite over the Football Boosters heading into the game).

So if you can't make it to the game, or if you've got your Blackberry handy, tune into the Preps Blog to follow all the action.

By the way, what do all the bloggers out there think?

Plant?

Armwood?

Blowout?

Close game?

Live Updates of Plant-Armwood Available

The Times will offer live updates of Friday night's Class 4A, Region 3 football final between Armwood (11-1) and Plant (12-0) on its Web site at http://blogs.tampabay.com/preps/. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.

Clearwater survives

The Clearwater boys basketball team hosted St. Petersburg on Tuesday night in arguably the game of the week.

The matchup lived up to its billing - in front of a near-packed house, Clearwater pulled away late to win 75-62.

It wasn't easy, that's for sure.

St. Petersburg stunned the Tornadoes, whom junior Luke Loucks (pictured) said "totally underestimated" the Green Devils. St. Pete plays scrappy, in your face defense and has some shooters - including senior Garren Adulte, who drained five 3s (IN THE FIRST HALF)

Here's some key notes - and early impressions:

*Luke Loucks - The 6-foot-5 star has improved his shooting a ton from last season, and is actually looking to score, too. Loucks had 4 3-pointers, shot well coming off screens and in transition.

*The Tornadoes new crew -- Senior Justin Morin, a transfer from Clearwater Central Catholic, played a pivotal role, slashing to the hoop and beating St. Pete back on breaks for 24 points. Forward John Burke (Gibbs) got in foul trouble and had just four points. Freshman Okaro White (6-foot-6) came off the bench and scored four points, including a nifty drive and dunk in the waning minutes.

*St. Pete -- Sophomore slasher Shamon Cox (21) was a beast again inside,where Clearwater appears vulnerable. Despite losing Donald Bowens (NC State), St. Pete has a few guys who can score in the paint, which will make them a factor in their district.

*The scene -- Parking spots were hard to come by at Clearwater High. Among the hundreds of fans in attendance were several Largo players - likely scouting for next Thursday's showdown at Clearwater - and a Pitt assistant coach, in recruiting Loucks and likely looking at a few others.

*Injury -- Clearwater starting guard Regan O'Rourke, a sophomore, left the game in the third with an apparent ankle injury. He came back in the fourth - with a boot on his left leg and crutches in his hand. Early word is that it's a sprain - at least, Clearwater coach Jack Coit hopes it is - but Loucks said "its really bad."

With senior guard Nick Nickerson still not likely to return from his ACL injury until Christmas, losing O'Rourke for an extended period of time could test the Tornadoes depth.

YOUR TAKE: Which under-the-radar team will surprise the county this season?

-- JOE SMITH

A Smashing Debut

Forget mid-season form. Wharton's boys basketball team displayed mid-March form Monday night in the first half of its 64-49 rout of Brandon. So much so, we can't let this game get by with a mere story, box score and photo, all of which ran Tuesday in The Times' Hillsborough County edition.

This blowout calls for a blog, just to cover any details you might have missed. Such as:

* Wharton senior guards Shawn Vanzant and Anthony Gomez combined for more than twice as many first-half points (33) as the Eagles' entire team (14).

* Wharton went on a 23-3 run at one point in the first half, capped by a Vanzant 3-pointer that gave the hosts a 37-8 lead.

* Brandon had to close the game with a 13-4 run just to make the final score respectable.

* The Eagles finished with more team fouls (22) than field goals (19)

"It's one game, it's a district game," Wharton coach Tommy Tonelli said. "It's a great way to start the season. But in our district every night, it's going to be tough."

It's just that Monday wasn't one of those nights.

Playoff football

The Times will publish scores from each of tonight's football playoff games involving Hillsborough and Pinellas County teams as we receive them. If you don't see the game you're looking for, check back. We'll be updating the list throughout the night.

(Pictured: Armwood's Eric Smith, right, celebrates a touchdown. Times photo - Brian Cassella. Click to enlarge.)

Lake Gibson 41, Chamberlain 6

Cardinal Mooney 19, Clearwater Central Catholic 10

Bradenton Manatee 31, Dunedin 6

North Fort Myers 23, Largo 19

(Pictured: Plant's Cornelius Gallon, left, and Robert Marve. Times photo - Chris Zuppa. Click to enlarge.)

Armwood 22, Jefferson 21

Clewiston 10, Tampa Catholic 7

Lakeland 37, Gaither 0

Plant 46, Winter Haven 6

TipOff Time

Basketball season is getting underway, with some exciting TipOff Classics giving local fans a glimpse of some up-and-coming teams.

(Lakewood guard Ed Nixon/Times photo Lara Cerri)

Some Pinellas County games to check out Thursday night:

**At Largo: Dixie Hollins vs. Dunedin, 6:15 p.m.; Lakewood vs. Largo, 8.
Skinny: Lakewood boasts one of the county’s top teams, but the could get a pre-season test from a well-conditioned Largo group. The Packers are still missing about four football players, but forward Charlie Lytle and Ben O'Donnell should carry them early on.

**At Boca Ciega: St. Petersburg vs. St Petersburg Catholic, 6; Gibbs vs. Boca Ciega, 7:30;

Skinny: St. Petersburg sophomore swingman Shamon Cox racked up 35 points in a loss to Bogie on Wednesday night. He'll likely perform in front of a packed house against 3A power SPC, which also packs plenty of punch (forward Ed Rolax, senior Jock Sanders and shooting guard Tracy Parks (transfer from Gibbs)

YOUR TAKE: Who are the county's top-five boys basketball teams - and why?

- JOE SMITH

END OF SEASON WRAP

Last night the Red team beat the Blue 25-21,25-22,30-28 in the Pinellas County Senior All Star Volleyball Match. Casey Slater (East Lake) was the Red team MVP while Kristen Fisher (Clearwater) won the award for the Blue squad. Now that the season is over, who do you think the Player of the Year in Pinellas County should be? Post your comments and reasons why -- the POY and All County team will appear in about 2-3 weeks.
--BRANDON WRIGHT, Times Staff Writer

EARLY THOUGHTS

With soccer starting to get into full swing, it looks like the girl's side will be wide open this season. PHU, Seminole and St. Pete have already lost while teams like Osceola, East Lake and Lakewood will be quite strong. On the boy's side, Countryside and PHU are loaded while Seminole and East Lake should be tough. Any thoughts on these teams or perhaps some others that will jump up and surprise some people?
--BRANDON WRIGHT, Times Staff Writer

FHSAA To Get Tough on Recruiting

A cynic would look at the result of the much-ballyhooed Student Athlete Recruiting Task Force and say that the FHSAA finds itself in the exact same position as it was a year ago, before its representative assembly passed the controversial transfer by-law that led to a year-long fight between the rule's proponents and opponents.

But some important changes did arise from the task force. And though you could argue whether a 13-person panel and nearly six months of deliberation were required to arrive at these changes, the fact of the matter is the FHSAA is better prepared to combat recruiting now than it was before this whole mess started.

As I was sitting in the auditorium at Berkeley Prep Monday, I was a little concerned when I read the Task Force's recommendation that the FHSAA hire private investigators to pursue recruiting charges. One of the task force members said he thought the FHSAA should hire ex-law enforcement types, and the vision that popped into my head was a shady two-person goon squad running around the state picking through athletes' garbage and taking pictures of them as they arrived home from practice at night.

But it sounds like FHSAA commisioner John Stewart has the right idea. He's going to keep four investigators on retainer, and all of them will be former educators: ex-principals rather than ex-CIA.

The other big change that could spark a little controversey is that the FHSAA will likely start to penalize individual coaches for recruiting violations in addition to entire schools. I'm sure some coaches won't like it, but the move makes sense. A three strikes and your out policy is likely: a coach gets suspended for a game for a first offense, for a season for a second offense, and for life for a third.

So what do you crazy bloggers think about this whole deal? Are the changes necesarry? Are they tough enough? Will we ever be able to stop recruiting?

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/11/14/Sports/Recruiting_may_bring_.shtml

Playoff football

The Times will publish scores from each of tonight's football playoff games involving Pasco, Hernando, Citrus, Hillsborough and Pinellas County teams as we receive them. If you don't see the game you're looking for, check back. We'll be updating the list throughout the night.

(Pictured: Largo's Brynn Harvey. Times photo - James Borchuck. Click to enlarge.)

Lake Gibson 19, Plant City 6

Largo 27, Countryside 10

Gaither 17, Alonso 10

Dunedin 21, St. Petersburg 0

Tampa Catholic 31, Cardinal Newman 6

Orlando Pine Castle 32, Keswick Christian 13

Seabreeze 21, Central 20

Armwood 32, Hillsborough 7

Williston 26, Nature Coast Tech 13

Chamberlain 31, Land O'Lakes 22

North Marion 68, Citrus 7

(Pictured: Chamberlain's Fred Sykes. Times photo - Lance Aram Rothstein. Click to enlarge.)

Plant 48, Osceola 23

Merritt Island 35, Tarpon Springs 14

Jefferson 31, Southeast 28

Eustis 22, Zephyrhills 14

Winter Haven 21, Freedom 13

Lakeland 49, Brandon 6

Bishop Moore 24, Gulf 7

Clearwater Central Catholic 51, Wildwood 6

Glades Central 61, Northside Christian 18

Hardee 28, Jesuit 11

Bloggin' The Playoffs: Daytona Beach Seabreeze at Central

Midnight

Seabreeze 21, Central 20.

Sorry for the three-hour delay, but it's hard to blog and keep track of stats and play by play and attempt to make sense out of one of the craziest high school football games I've seen in awhile.

I'll say this: give Central tons of credit. I can't say they definitely out-played Seabreeze, but they at the very least played them even. Big credit to junior quarterback Chase Walker, whose 23-yard completion to Duane Marks with close to a minute remaining set up the Bears' go-ahead touchdown. Walker played with a ton of poise tonight, and will have a lot to build on next season.

I didn't have much space to devote to his performance in the newspaper, but for all those paying attention in Blog Land, make sure you keep on eye on Walker and Marks next season.

Make sure you check out our coverage tomorrow and Sunday. Go to the gas station and buy a paper -- or, better yet, subscribe at https://www.subscriber-service.com/sptimes/SplashScreen.asp -- and come back here and reflect on the seasons that were for all of Hernando County's teams.

9:13 p.m.

Seabreeze quarterback Troy Dannehower hooked up with wide receiver Kevin Blanchard on a 46-yard touchdown pass to tie the game 14-14 with 5:59 remaining. Looks like this one's going to come down to the wire.

9:07 p.m.

Central had a big defensive stop on 4th-and-goal from the 1, stuffing Seabreeze and taking over possession with 7:09 remaining.

8:59 p.m.

At the end of the third quarter, Central is leading 14-7, but Seabreeze is driving on the Bears 40-yard line. DuJuan Harris has 189 yards rushing.

8:54 p.m.

Wow. I've watched DuJuan Harris a lot this season, but still all I can say is wow. Central had a 1st down on their own 8. First, Harris broke off a 54-yard run. A couple plays later came a 36 yard touchdown run that was a thing of beauty. I don't have time to describe it here. Read the paper tomorrow. Central up 14-7 with 1:44 left in third.

8:35 p.m.

Just a quick clarification before we begin the second half: Central's touchdown drive in the second quarter actually covered 82 yards in 22 plays and ate up a whopping 10:43 of game clock. The drive actually started with 2:04 left in the first quarter and appeared to end on 4th-and-18 from the Central 21. But a roughing-the-kicker penalty on Seabreeze on a Duane Marks punt gave the Bears new life, which they capitalized on.

Some halftime stats: DuJuan Harris 14 carries, 61 yards. Chase Walker 4-6 for 25 yards and a touchdown. The Bears defense has three sacks. Seabreeze has 94 yards passing but -29 yards rushing.

8:27 p.m.

Our boy Derek LaRiviere just checked in from the Nature Coast game and Williston is leading 16-13. Nature Coast freshman Tevin Drake has around 130 yards rushing, 80 of which came on a touchdown run 12 seconds into the game.

We've got five minutes to go before the start of the second half here at Central. Stay tuned.

8:13 p.m.

The Bears defense had a huge stop on 2nd-and-10 from the 31 as Jessie Hartman and Nathan Brazeau sacked Troy Dannehower for a loss of 13, forcing Seabreeze into a 3rd-and-23 from its own 45-yard line. The Bears then got another sack on third down to force a punt and take an 8-7 lead into halftime. Central needs to keep pressuring the quarterback. When Dannehower has time, he is picking apart the Central secondary.

8:10 p.m.

Seabreeze is driving on the Bears' 31-yard line with 1:22 left in the half.

8:06 p.m.

Central took an 8-7 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Carlos Becaria and a 2-point conversion run by Chase Walker. The Bears went 74 yards in 16 plays, eating up nearly nine minutes of game clock. The key play was a 20-yard hook-and-ladder on 3rd-and-16 that gave Central a first down at the 50.

8:03 p.m.

In other action, word is Nature Coast leads Williston 13-9. Tevin Drake scored on an 80-yard run on the Sharks' first drive.

7:51 p.m.

Seabreeze leads 7-0 at the end of the first quarter after quarterback Troy Dannehower hooked up with wide receiver Demetrius Wright on a 23-yard touchdown pass with 2:04 remaining in the period. Central had a golden opportunity early, stopping Seabreeze on 4th-and-3 on their first possession, but turned it over on downs on the Seabreeze 23-yard line.

7:06 p.m.

It's a beautiful Veterans Day Eve here at the Bears Den at Central High School in Brooksville. The air is about 70 degrees, the sky clear, no breeze to speak of. From a reporter's perspective, it doesn't get much better than this. I remember covering a playoff game featuring Moorestown (N.J.) in November and having the ink freeze in my pen because the wind chill was about 20 degrees. And if ink is freezing, think about how my fingers felt as I attempted to hold my notepad.

Anyway, I spoke with Central coach Cliff Lohrey on the sidelines prior to the game and he repeated what he has said all week: this game is winnable. Daytona Beach Seabreeze is the obvious favorite, but Central honestly believes it belongs as the same field as the No. 9 ranked team in Class 4A. I think we'll be able to tell whether Lohrey is right or not in the first quarter.

The Sandcrabs don't look overwhelmingly large, but they have a lot more depth than Central. Their speed is also a concern.

Stay tuned, we'll try to keep you updated throughout the game. Make sure you check out our complete playoff coverage of Central, Nature Coast and the rest of the North Suncoast in tomorrow's St. Petersburg Times. We'll also have a special playoff review in Sunday's Hernando Times section of the St. Pete Times.

ON DECK

Receiving playing time as a freshman on any varsity team is a feat in itself, but doing so on a defending state championship club makes it that much more impressive. This week's ON DECK selection is Cina Salemi, a freshman sweeper for Palm Harbor.

"So far she's been very calm under some pressure back there," coach John Planamenta said. "Especially for a freshman."

Planamenta said some of the upperclassmen expressed concerns about having such a young player at sweeper, but Salemi's performance in PHU's two preseason matches alleviated those worries.

"Some of them came to me but Cina's proven she can handle the position," Planamenta said.

The last line of defense before the keeper, sweepers need to be the vocal leaders in the back. Planamenta said this is something Salemi is becoming more comfortable with.

"She's a little shy back there, but that's because she doesn't want to step on any of the older players toes," he said. "But that'll change."

So far, so good for Salemi and the 'Canes. PHU is 2-0 and have yet to surrender a goal, including a 1-0 win against a tough Seminole team in the opener.

"Cina's an intelligent player and I think she's starting to confirm our beliefs in her ability to play at this level," Planamenta said.

So who's next on deck?

--BRANDON WRIGHT, Times Staff Writer

Hillsborough County Signees

An updated list of Hillsborough County prep athletes who signed college scholarships on Wednesday, the start of the NCAA's early signing period:

Boys

Robby Carl, Bloomingdale (golf): South Florida

Juan Carlin, Riverview (baseball): South Florida

Matt Cooney, Gaither (golf): South Florida

Nick Driscoll, Riverview (baseball): Navy

Ben Foerstner, Gaither (soccer): Florida Gulf Coast

Stephen Hunt, Jesuit (baseball): South Florida

Chris Jones, Gaither (baseball): South Florida

Jonathan Koscso, Jesuit (baseball): South Florida

Kevin Quackenbush, Jesuit (baseball): South Florida

Brad Schneider, Bloomingdale (golf): Central Florida

Tommy Toledo, Alonso (baseball): Florida

Tommy Wyher, Jesuit (swimming): North Carolina

Girls

Ashley Adkins, Robinson (softball): Troy (Ala.)

Brittany Bell, Riverview (softball): Mississippi State

Meghan Broderick, Alonso (tennis): Kentucky

Jennifer Chamblee, Plant (volleyball): Davidson (N.C.)

Katie Ely, Sickles (softball): Troy (Ala.)

Catriana Messina, Holy Names (basketball): Tampa

Gianna Messina, Holy Names (basketball): South Florida

Richelle Mirabal, Sickles (softball): Newberry (S.C.)

Kaley Read, Plant (volleyball): North Florida

Christine Williamson, Plant (volleyball): Miami

Top Performers

  Jaime Center rushed for 353 yards and accounted for seven touchdowns in the Calvary Christian football team's 63-62 loss on Friday to Indian Rocks Christian, which got 220 rushing yards from Jonny Sitton. Tampa Prep's Chelsea Nauta and Jesuit's Tommy Wyher each won two individual events at the state swim meet, bringing their high school totals to seven apiece. Northeast's Megan Romano placed first in the 100 and 200 free, and Countryside's Katie Kastes won the 100 fly and swam a leg on the winning 200 free relay team. These are a few of the performances that drew our attention in recent weeks. We'd like to hear about those that caught your eye.

(Pictured: Tampa Prep swimmer Chelsea Nauta. Times photo - Steve Mitchell. Click to enlarge.)

TMQB: Decision 2006

We're looking for the best of Hernando County.

Log your votes.

1. Player of the year
A. DuJuan Harris, Central
B. Josh Ortiz, Nature Coast
C. Stephen Johnson, Hernando Christian
D. Ralph Nader, Independent

2. Coach of the year
A. Cliff Lohrey, Central
B. Jamie Joyner, Nature Coast

3. Referendum 1
Proposes changing referees’ yellow flags from a standard weight of a few ounces to a standard weight of 25 pounds so the men in stripes will think twice before throwing them.
4. Newcomer of the year
A. George Fribley, Hernando
B. Tevin Drake, Nature Coast

5. Referendum 2
Makes the presence of an ambulance at all high school football and cross-country matches mandatory. Also creates money to fund full-time athletic trainers at every public high school.

6. Defensive player of the year
A. Cody Fritsch, Nature Coast
B. Nick Pauliott, Hernando
C. Jessie Hartman, Central
D. Corey Drummond, HCA

7. Unheralded Player of the Year
A. John Hogeland, Springstead
B. Chris Doran, Hernando
C. Carlos Becaria, Central
E. Stephen Palaez, Nature Coast

8. Punter of the  Year
A. Casey Jones, Nature Coast
(unopposed)

FINALLY, REAL FOOTBALL!

Soccer has kicked off around the county and I must say, I'm overjoyed.  When I started last year, people told me soccer was the strongest sport in the area and after 3 state championships in 2005-06, I agree. This area is blessed with some incredible talent and a number of teams that have a legit shot at states. Starting next week, I'll be doing a boys and girls section that will include notes, upcoming events, players of the week. Starting in week 4 or so, I also want to print stats. My goal is to make it a better package than last year and to improve the section week by week. Feel free to contact me at 727-892-2216 or bwright@sptimes.com with any suggestions or comments.

BRANDON WRIGHT, Times Staff Writer

No charges in NE case

No crime was committed in the altercation between Northeast assistant football coach Jay Austin and senior Eric Terrell, a St. Petersburg Police Department investigation revealed Monday.

Austin, a special education teacher at the school, will remain on paid administrative leave as the case is passed along to the county's Office of Professional Standards.

A full story will be in Tuesday's Times

-- JOE SMITH

Top Feat of the Fall?

If they make a soundtrack for the 2006 prep football regular season, it will play like a broken record.

Think about it. Can you recall an autumn when so many team/individual records fell? When Plant quarterback Robert Marve wasn't tossing a state-record five TD passes in a quarter, Tampa Baptist was snagging a county-record eight interceptions in a game, or Jesuit's Kevin Valenti was rushing for 533 yards in an eight-day stretch -- which has to be some type of record in itself.

But which individual/team achievement of '06 was the most impressive? We'll leave that question for you. We're considering only those feats accomplished during this past regular season, which excludes career achievements (i.e. the alltime county passing yardage record Jefferson QB Stephen Garcia broke last month). Here are the nominees:

1) Plant QB Robert Marve's five TD passes in one quarter

2) Tampa Baptist's eight interceptions in one game

3) Jefferson QB Stephen Garcia's 445 passing yards in one game

4) Cambridge's three interception returns for TDs in one game

5) Jesuit RB Kevin Valenti's 533 yards (and eight TDs) in an eight-day stretch

6) Other

Week 11 football

The Times will publish scores from each of tonight's football games in Pasco, Hernando, Citrus, Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties as we receive them. If you don't see the game you're looking for, check back. We'll be updating the list throughout the night.

(Pictured: Jesuit quarterback T.J. Paratore. Times photo - Brian Cassella. Click to enlarge.)

Armwood 44, East Bay 14

Victory Christian 16, Berkeley Prep 6

Alonso 21, Blake 6

Jesuit 35, Tampa Catholic 17

Gibbs 16, Palm Harbor U. 8

Osceola 13, Largo 7

Countryside 41, Lakewood 0

Newsome 38, Bloomingdale 0

Plant 52, Robinson 14

Chamberlain 10, Gaither 9

Ridgewood 34, Zephyrhills 7

Mitchell 20, River Ridge 6

The Villages 31, Citrus 13

Pasco 42, Hernando 34

Central 32, Nature Coast Tech 14

Boca Ciega 14, St. Petersburg 10

Dunedin 56, PInellas Park 7

Seminole 21, Northeast 7

Indian Rocks Christian 63, Calvary Christian 62

Land O'Lakes 40, Gulf 7

Springstead 35, Lecanto 6

West Port 25, Crystal River 0

Plant City 14, Riverview 6

King 34, Leto 8

Tampa Baptist 22, Central Florida Christian 8

Keswick Christian 28, Northside Christian 27

Admiral Farragut 29, Bradenton Prep 27

East Lake 35, Dixie Hollins 12

Shorecrest Prep 28, Moore Haven 0

Sharks Coach Will Be Absent From Season Finale

TAMPA - A criminal battery complaint has been filed against Riverview football coach Dan O'Regan, who already is being investigated by the school district for an alleged physical confrontation with one of his players during an Oct. 6 game.

O'Regan, in his fourth season as Sharks coach, won't be on the sideline when his team plays at Plant City in its season finale tonight.

"The principal (Robert Heilmann) called us, and they agreed that it would be best if (O'Regan) stayed home," Hillsborough County Public Schools spokeswoman Linda Cobbe said.

Hillsborough sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway confirmed a battery complaint was filed Thursday against O'Regan, but wouldn't disclose its source. The player's identity hasn't been revealed.

"We are investigating and nothing has been determined at this moment," Callaway said.

Pasco-Hernando: The 15-year Anniversary

Not sure how many blog-savvy Times folk out there were even alive back then, but 15 years ago today (Nov. 2), Pasco and Hernando played in one of the best games in Bay Area history. Pasco was ranked No. 1 in the Class 3A poll, Hernando was No. 7, and both teams were undefeated. At least eight future Division I players played in that game, including running backs Darren Hambrick and Dwayne Mobley.

My first question: Was anybody at that game? What was it like?

My second question: What the heck has happened since then? Pasco and Hernando both have two wins this season, and tonight will mark the third straight year both teams enter their rivalry game with losing records. That's a long way from eight division I players.

Also, make sure to check out our special look back at that game in Sunday's Pasco and Hernando sections. We'll talk with some of that game's key players, as well as take an in-depth look at why the game has dropped in stature.

ON DECK

This is the second installment of ON DECK, a new online feature that will spotlight a Pinellas freshman every Thursday. Thank you to all the bloggers who posted suggestions for future freshmen; they will all be considered.

KATIE HOMME
Homme may not be tall in stature (4-foot-11), but her contributions to the Seminole girls cross country team have been large. Said coach Bruce Calhoun, "Katie has been our number one (runner) since the first day she got here."
And although this might be Homme's first year as a Warhawk, Calhoun's been familiar with her for some time. Homme's older brothers -- Christian and Michael -- run for the boys team, which Calhoun also coaches.
"She's been running since middle school and always shown talent," Calhoun said. "She's got an extremely great family and that's something that I very much like. It's been a great situation."
Homme finished second at last month's Viking Invitational, second in the PCAC Championships and third in the recent district race. Most freshman have a hard time finding their classes, so its no surprise Homme has taken some time adjusting to the high school level.
"She got lost earlier this year in race; took a wrong turn," Calhoun joked. "She probably would have won the race, too."
This weekend, Homme leads Seminole into the region meet in Fort Myers. The top 15 teams and top 6 individuals advance to states, held at Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City.
--BRANDON WRIGHT, Times Staff Writer

So who's next on deck?

Nothing At Stake, Or Is There?

Among the flaws in the state's football playoff system is the fact that, for playoff purposes, the last week of the regular season is meaningless. All district competition must be completed by Oct. 28, meaning this week's games are for little more than pride or parents' night.

So what do you do if you're 9-0 Plant? Rest standout quarterback Robert Marve for the playoffs, or try to keep him sharp Friday against Robinson, the school's biggest rival? Does Armwood give 1,000-yard rusher Marquise Branton a blow this week at East Bay, or unload its bench and save its marquee players for the postseason?

Our guess: The starters will start, and play as long as needed. Enter a game with a half-hearted approach and, to steal a line from Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid, "You get squashed just like grape."

"I don't think you can stop playing," Plant coach Bob Weiner said. "Football's not a game you can play tentatively, from a coaching standpoint or playing standpoint."