TAMPA - If you're wearing an Alonso Ravens jersey these days, 2001's inaugural season must seem like it was light years ago.
Alonso is sitting atop the Class 4A, District 10 standings, tied with Armwood and Plant at 1-0. Perhaps even more impressive is that they're 4-0 on the season.
Compare that to two seasons ago when the Ravens were the county's newest team.
Through their first four games in 2001, Alonso had been outscored 169-7, and they finished 0-10. In Week 4 Robinson running back Kwane Doster dusted the Ravens, gaining 353 yards on 17 carries for and scoring seven touchdowns.
Don't expect a performance like that any time soon.
The Ravens are the No.1 defense in the county, holding opponents to 108 yards a game. Teams have 161 yards rushing against Alonso this season, less than half of Doster's output in that game.
In 2001 it took Alonso three games to get on the scoreboard, and it took a Tim Goodrich interception return to do it. Goodrich later scored the Ravens' first offensive touchdown, accounting for 12 of the team's 13 points that season.
Alonso enters this week as the fourth-best offense in the county, averaging 361 yards. Running back John Forbes, a member of the inaugural team, leads the county with 771 yards rushing.
What is perhaps the most important - if not toughest - part of Alonso's season starts Friday.
First is Blake at home, important only because the 0-4 Yellow Jackets are a district foe. Then comes Armwood, one of the strongest teams in the county, followed by Plant and Leto.
No matter what happens during the next month, though, one thing is certain: Alonso is a team to be reckoned with. Words that would have inspired laughter two years ago.
GIVING THE RAIDERS A KICK: Fans attending Plant City's home games have a chance to walk away with more than a fun night out. How about a $100 bill?
Platinum Bank donates $100 per home game to the football team, and fans can buy raffle tickets for $2 each during the game. The money goes toward supporting the football team.
At the end of the third quarter a name is drawn and that person gets to try a field goal from the 10-yard line after the game.
If the kick is good they get $100. If they miss, the money rolls over to the next home game and the kicker gets a game ball.
Friday night, Ray Pletcher, father of Raiders receiver Matthew Pletcher, split the uprights and took home $200 with the carry-over from Week 1.
David Sullivan, senior executive and vice president of Platinum Bank, said it allows the bank to get involved in the community.
"We'd like to be able to do it for other schools as well," he said.
The bank has branches in Brandon, Plant City, Lakeland and Tampa.
Mark your calendars, the Raiders' next home game is October 16 against East Bay. Just in time for your next mortgage payment.
ROBINSON! ROBINSON!: First-year coach Mike DePue said things were going to be different at Robinson this season, and he wasn't joking.
Robinson already has more wins (three) than it did last season (two). It also is one horrible game away from being 4-0 (see six turnovers in a 10-3 loss to Middleton in the opener).
Since that loss Robinson has outscored opponents 104-15, including a 22-7 victory over Jesuit. The Knights had not beaten the Tigers since 1977.
What's the difference?
DePue, a Robinson assistant for more than 20 years, said it comes down to focus and determination.
"These kids were in the weight room all summer," he said. "They want this, and they want to work for it."
It also doesn't hurt that Robinson has a talented quarterback in Marcello Trigg, who is surrounded by hard-working, talented kids.
As DePue said after beating Jesuit, "I think we're going to have some fun this year."
- Times staff writers Mike Readling and Scott Purks contributed to this report.[Last modified October 1, 2003, 02:04:42]
