Two of the top teams in the county face off tonight. Hillsborough? Armwood? Try 5-0 Alonso against 4-1 Robinson.
By SCOTT PURKS
Published October 10, 2003
TAMPA - Okay, the biggest game to be played tonight in Hillsborough County is Robinson vs. Alonso.
No kidding.
Alonso is 5-0. Robinson is 4-1 after barely losing its opener 10-3 to Middleton.
Yes, this is the same Alonso that opened two years ago and suffered through a season in which it gave up 452 points and scored just 13 while having a running clock in just about every game.
It also is the same Robinson that went 2-8 the past two seasons.
Then again, it's not the same, is it?
"Far from it," Robinson coach Mike DePue said.
"There are a lot of good things going on around here that people are still learning about."
So far, Alonso, because of its brutal first season and 2-8 record a year ago, has gotten more headlines.
So what about those Knights?
For starters, they have DePue at the helm after being an assistant for more than 20 years. Second, they have an offensive coordinator, Rob Burns, who has played and coached nothing but defense his whole life.
Then third ... fourth ... and fifth ...
"Let's just say," DePue said, "we've gotten a little more organized, worked a little harder in the weight room, prepared a little differently and had a little more involvement with the parents. Lots of little things that add up."
The Knights also are blessed with talent, starting with sophomore quarterback Marcello Trigg, who ranks second among Hillsborough County passers with 679 yards while completing 26 of 51 passes with three interceptions and 10 touchdowns.
Trigg, however, shrugs at the numbers.
"All I want to do is whatever it takes to win," he said.
He said he doesn't worry about being a sophomore, how good the other team is supposed to be or, well, anything. So far this season, he said he's reading defenses better and clearly seeing plays unfold.
Then he just pulls the trigger.
"It's like it's been happening in slow motion," Trigg said. "I see it and hit my man."
"His man" actually has been many different men. Ten players have scored, including running back Willie Newton, who has three touchdowns and is averaging nearly 8 yards a carry.
Alonso, meanwhile, has had one man carry most of the offensive load. He is the county's leading rusher, John Forbes, with 104 carries, 975 yards and 11 touchdowns.
"We know (Forbes) is good, and we know what we have to do," said DePue of his defense, which ranks third in the county, allowing 156 yards a game behind Alonso (111) and Armwood (128). "We have to stop John Forbes."
"No matter what though," he said, "it should be interesting."
