Countdown to Kickoff: A sneak peek
Tampa Catholic fans will see a familiar face on the sideline tonight during the Class 2A final at the Florida Citrus Bowl. Ali Peek, a TC alum, is working as a radio reporter for the FHSAA Network (the game is being broadcast statewide -- locally on 970 AM).
To support her alma mater, she’s decked in green.
Peek, a University of Florida graduate, comes from a football family. Her father, Scott "Skipper" Peek Jr., and grandfather, Scott Peek Sr., both played for the Gators. Peek Jr. won the Guy Toph Award in 1975 as a Jesuit player. Ali's younger brother, Scott Peek III, played for Freedom this fall.
Read more kickoff notes ...
Pregame Prep
Tampa Catholic came out in their home green jerseys for pre-game warmups.
The player everyone wanted to keep their eye on was No. 21 - senior tailback Drew Zink, their leading rusher.
Zink suffered a knee sprain two weeks ago, forcing him to miss the semifinal last Friday. But Zink told the Times Tuesday in the PrepCast that there was nothing that was going to keep him from playing for a state title.
Low and behold, here Zink is, zipping through the Crusaders walk-through. He doesn't appear to show any lingering impact of the injury. Although, we'll have to keep an eye on how he responds to the first few hits.
The Crusaders are sure responding to the couple hundred fans - at least - that are donning red, with horns, etc. Before TC headed back to the lockerroom, they raced toward their stards, slapping hands with fans, jumping up and down and getting hyped.
The Crusaders had plenty of pre-game locker room material, with a few Madison County fans donning some 2007 State Champs t-shirts. Of course, Pahokee did the same thing earlier in the day.
Pahokee backed it up with a 53-14 win. We'll see if Madison County can do the same.
TC's T-shirts telling?
If you run into a Tampa Catholic fan - or catch one on TV tonight for the 2A state final -- check out their commemorative t shirts.
TC coach Bob Henriquez said they've been selling like hotcakes all week - 800 strong. So don't be surprised if they cover the bottom of the Citrus Bowl.
The front? Not so flashy - just "Tampa Catholic Football." But on the back, there's the TC vs. Madison County in the middle, with the team's mottos of the past four years below:
"Return to Glory" (2005)
"Unfinished Business" (2006)
"It's Time" (2007)
And, at the bottom it says, "It's Time to Make History."
Can they? We'll find out in about 8 hours.
TC's tailback challenge
When Tampa Catholic takes on favored Madison County tonight, one of their many challenges will be through MC's running game.
Their two-headed monster of junior Chris Thompson (120 rushes, 1,254 yards), who has offers from Florida and Florida State, and Corey Atkins (93, 913) both can break the big one.
MC, perennial state semifinalists, have rolled through the season, with its most impressive win over 4A Nease, which will play for the state title next week against Booker T. Washington.
But the one thing TC can point to; when it comes to slowing tough tandems at tailback, they've done it before. Twice this season.
In wins over Jacksonville Trinity Christian and Clewiston, TC slowed dual threat attacks, including Division I prospects.
Can they do it again? Or is third time's a charm for MC?
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The St. Petersburg Times High School Sports blog is written and compiled by the Times preps sports staff from Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando counties. We invite your participation in the comments area.
