Tonight's games could define whole seasons

There's a fork in the road ahead for Pasco County's teams tonight as district play begins. What's at stake? Let's find out.

THIS IS IT: Hard to believe that a team's entire season could be on the line in just the third week, but 0-2 River Ridge faces the moment of truth against Central.

A win against the Bears, also 0-2, could give the Royal Knights plenty of momentum as they enter the more competitive stretch of their schedule. Hudson, Gulf and Mitchell follow next, before big Class 4A, District 6 games against Ridgewood and then Land O'Lakes, clearly the class of the district.

Central doesn't look like the Bears of old, but Springstead does look like the Eagles of old. That means there could be an extra playoff spot open for an opportunistic Pasco County team. River Ridge hasn't been to the playoffs in three years. Do the Knights understand how close they are? Do they see the stars aligning?

But a loss tonight could be fatal. The team leadership is already shaky. A loss tonight and it could collapse, and don't think Hudson, Gulf and Mitchell would love to pick at River Ridge's bones. Which brings us to ...

BELIEVE IT: Ridgewood, which hopes to start 3-0 for the first time since 1994 with a win against Mitchell. Which begs the question: Could this be the first playoff team in school history?

I'm starting to believe it. Because the most dangerous weapon in Ridgewood's arsenal isn't defensive end Adamm Oliver crashing through the line or Sean Jester sprinting free upfield.

It's confidence.

That's a mental edge the Rams have rarely enjoyed in the last six seasons; but with every win they're learning to believe in themselves. Don't underestimate what that means to a hungry team with a handful of talented players.

Remember, Ridgewood doesn't have to beat Wesley Chapel, Pasco and Zephyrhills to get into the playoffs, though Zephyrhills looks beatable.

The Rams do have to beat Central, Mitchell, Springstead and River Ridge. (Sorry Ridgewood, but I can't pick you over Land O'Lakes.) Those four 4A-6 teams are all winless. Against any of them tonight, the Rams would be favored.

Yes, the Rams' two wins are over foes with a combined record of 0-3. But that doesn't mean Ridgewood isn't a good team. It just means the toughest challenges lie ahead.

MISSING PIECES: Gulf has the offense. Mitchell has the defense. Maybe the Bucs and Mustangs should join forces

Otherwise neither team is going anywhere. We wouldn't put it past Mitchell coach Scott Schmitz to lead his horses to an upset of Ridgewood tonight. But the situation for Gulf looks grim against Wesley Chapel, which many coaches believe to be better than last year's juggernaut.

But the reality is that both teams are going to come out swinging with one arm tied behind their backs.

For Gulf, it's a non-existent defense. For Mitchell, Schmitz is pleased with the new-found aggressiveness and spirit on his defense. But his anemic offense is the problem. Ricky Moise's is third in the county with 198 rushing yards, but the passing game doesn't exist and the offense has yet to score a touchdown.

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