Tarpon Springs QB Wyatt Wikle off to strong start

TARPON SPRINGS – Because Tarpon Springs ran the ball so effectively at times in last week’s 27-2 preseason win over Gulf, it was easy to overlook the efforts of starting QB Wyatt Wikle.

But make no mistake, he performed well.

“He ran the team very efficiently,” Spongers coach George Kotis said. “We’re very happy with his progression.”

A first-year starter who succeeds standout Danny Reyes(now at Grambling), Wikle made only one mistake against Gulf, Kostis said. He was intercepted on a deep ball over the middle, a pass the coach said never should have been thrown.

“We had two guys open on the play,” Kotis lamented. “We had a tight end open over the middle and I would have liked to have seen what he could have done with the ball.”

Aside from his own talents (which the coach said are very good), the 6-foot, 165-pound Wikle, a junior, has three things working in his favor.

1. A big, physical offensive line.
2. A solid running game that has four excellent backs, one of which being Adrian Golden, a Gulf transfer who rushed for more than 2,000 yards last season.
3. A defense that appears to be quite good.

In other words, Wikle won’t be asked to drop back and throw 30 times a game – even though Kotis said he certainly could if asked.

“We’re going to surprise some people,” Kotis said. “Before we get too deep into district play, you’ll probably see us throw it 60 percent in one game just to get him more comfortable.”

--KEITH NIEBUHR