Gulf stays with the Wildcats and beats the Knights.
By JAMAL THALJI
Published August 29, 2003
NEW PORT RICHEY - Remember, it's just the preseason. They have to see the film to be sure. Yada, yada, yada.
So it went at Thursday's three-quarter jamboree among River Ridge, Wesley Chapel and host Gulf at W.D. "Des" Little Stadium. There was some rust, some potential and plenty to look at on film later for all three coaches.
Gulf provided the most excitement, at one point leading Wesley Chapel 8-7 after a two-point conversion - before an illegal shift penalty nullified it.
Steve Purviance's extra point went wide right, and a few plays later, Marcus Stewart swept left for a 74-yard touchdown to put the Wildcats up 14-6 in the last quarter.
But those brief moments of excitement against a bigger, more athletic foe were worth it, coach Keith Newton said.
"We have to believe we can play with people," he said. "We're not very big, and we know we're not super fast. We have to win with execution, and the kids need to believe in that."
David Montanez was the Bucs' star. His 20-yard punt return led to the only score of the Gulf-River Ridge first quarter. After a hard 8-yard run by quarterback Jeff Blanchette, Montanez caught a 20-yard pass that deflected off of a defender and dragged another into the end zone in Gulf's 7-0 "victory" in the first quarter.
Then River Ridge had to face Wesley Chapel in the second quarter, and it played with far more emotion. Two different offensive line units opened big holes for wingback David Onorato, who had runs of 22 and 24 yards. But quick and elusive junior Sam Bell looked like the most intriguing new back.
"We stuck to the script," River Ridge coach Mike DeGennaro said. "We wanted to see some plays.
"We ended up calling some plays that probably we were not in the right situation for. But we wanted to see if we had the right blocking and if we were doing them the right way."
Wesley Chapel's passing game looked potent, and the running game looked competent. The quarter's lone score came when the Wildcats' Anthony Rawson used the play-action fake to hit Pat Cushman for a 56-yard touchdown and 7-0 lead.
Against Gulf in the third quarter, Derek Zabko's hard 23-yard run set up Rawson's 5-yard dive into the end zone. But the Bucs recovered the Wildcats' fourth fumble of the night - most by the second-team backfield - and Blanchette scored from 2 yard out on an option, faking inside and running it in.
