WESLEY CHAPEL - St. Petersburg Catholic came into Saturday's game with the state ranking and the 1,000-yard rusher returning but left with a humbling loss.
Wesley Chapel rushed for 307 yards and dominated field position, cruising to a 45-6 win against the Barons and earning the program's first win against a ranked opponent.
"We read our press clippings and we had a big head from it," said coach Danny Mancuso, whose team was ranked 10th in the Class 2B poll. "They're a real good team, but this is a gut check for us."
Running back Deondrea Lindsey fumbled the opening kickoff, setting up a field goal. That was the theme of the night: SPC giving Wesley Chapel a short field, and the Wildcats taking advantage.
Wesley Chapel kept SPC off the scoreboard with big stops on fourth down early. The Barons went for it on fourth-and-4 from the Wildcats 34, turning the ball over on an incomplete pass, then tried again on fourth-and-8 from their 40, missing by 4 yards.
SPC couldn't move the ball after that. Its only first down in the second or third quarters came on a pass interference penalty on a Hail Mary pass with three seconds left in the half.
"We were worried about this team," Wesley Chapel coach John Castelamare said. "They had some weapons, and we were worried about our defense. That No.7 (Lindsey) is a pretty good player, but we got to him before he started going."
Lindsey rushed for 48 yards on 10 carries, losing another fumble in the second half, while quarterback Billy Tapp completed 8 of 24 passes for 80, with 49 on the opening drive.
The Barons could not stop the Wildcats. They punted once, getting 144 yards and two touchdowns from junior Nigel Bryant. Wesley Chapel's first five drives started, on average, at SPC's 40, while the Barons' best field position in nine possessions was their 26.
SPC spoiled the shutout late in the fourth when Eliot Ramsberger scored on a 1-yard run. Mancuso said his team can learn from losing.
"We have a really hard schedule, and I'm hoping it primes us up for district matchups," Mancuso said. "Even if we got hammered, something good can come of this. I hope our heads will shrink a bit."
