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© St. Petersburg Times, published October 18, 2002
Thanks to a healthy back, Jarvis Patterson is back.
The Lecanto tailback did not play Friday due to a bruised back and muscle spasms, but he was still the North Suncoast's leading rusher after six games with 892 yards.
It was hard for him to watch from the sideline during the loss to Hernando, and Patterson joked that he "thought coach (Dick Slack) was going to ask me to dress during halftime."
The senior, feeling the best he has all season, practiced every day this week after missing about 11 workouts at different times.
Although the Panthers enter tonight's game against Dunnellon with a 3-3 record, no one is throwing in the towel, Patterson said.
"It's been better, actually," he said. "Everybody is flying around, practicing like they want to be winners. We seriously want to beat this team."
Lecanto sophomore C.J. Osborn, 1-for-10 in his first varsity start last week, will be the quarterback. Slack said Osborn, fundamentally doing the same things he did on the junior varsity, is handling his promotion well.
"The kids are really rallying around him and supporting him," Slack said. "I think it's very good for him to be up with us at this time. I think he's ready."
After initially taking over the quarterback spot when Phil Reed was lost for the season, senior Brian Dawsy will be at receiver and running back.
DUNNELLON DOIN' WELL: Despite having the No. 7 team in Class 3A, Tigers coach Perry Brown said a well-rested Patterson could be the difference in the game.
In a 42-40 Dunnellon win last Friday, a North Marion tailback ran for more than 200 yards.
Since tonight is a District 3 game, the 2-0 Tigers will not be looking past 0-2 Lecanto.
"They've got the right ingredients with the Patterson kid, ball control and a big line, so that's going to be enough to worry about right now," Brown said. "You can't get caught up in the No. 7 ranking and being undefeated and think you can just show up."
Dunnellon has several standout backs of its own -- Marty Allen (576 yards), Rodney Jones (451), Jay Dow (406) and Kristen Bullock (265). Dunnellon averages 40 points.
CRYSTAL RIVER: The Pirates face Ocala West Port in the last of the county Homecomings.
Last season, Crystal River beat the first-year program 52-3.
Junior quarterback Chris Bunch said he is looking forward to playing an opponent that throws the ball, since most area teams are run-oriented. Although it is a non-district, non-conference game, the Pirates are not looking ahead to North Marion.
"They've got a good quarterback and receivers," Bunch said of the Wolf Pack. West Port junior Bobby Kissane has passed for 1,477 yards, tops in the state the last few weeks. Coach Alex Castaneda's team has 11 rushing and 11 passing touchdowns. "Kissane's so good we're going to have him throw at least 30 times, but we're running another 30," Castaneda said. "We try to be balanced."
The West Port ground attack will be without Tyree Pinder, who was hurt in the second series last week. Pinder was the team's second-leading rusher with 333 yards, and he has eight receptions.
FRIENDLY RIVALRY: Crystal River coach Jere DeFoor and Castaneda are old friends, often golfing on Sundays. Years ago, Castaneda hired DeFoor at Lake Weir, and refers to DeFoor as "the Bear Bryant of Citrus County."
"That's how much respect I have for him," Castaneda said. "There are teams with better talent -- we play Belleview, we play Ocala Forest -- but his is probably the best-coached team." West Port is 2-4, but several losses came to state-ranked opponents. It fell to Dunnellon 14-7, was leading undefeated Forest 17-14 at halftime, and lost to Dixie County by two points.
NFL CONNECTION: Castaneda previously was at Ocala Vanguard, where he coached Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper. Castaneda is mentioned in Culpepper's biography as "one of five finalists for NFL High School Football Coach of the Year award."
West Port assistant coach Steve Rhem, who played at Vanguard, was with the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles.