One who is weak must prepare against his enemy. One who is strong makes his enemy prepare against him.
It's a safe bet that Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu wasn't writing about the Delaware Wing-T offense when he penned The Art of War some 2,400 years ago. Nonetheless, the quote is on the cover page of the Pasco High coaching staff's scouting report in preparation for Thursday's district showdown with Wesley Chapel.
Pasco actually breaks out Sun Tzu, whom Redskins coach Steve Spurrier likes to quote in game preparation, for motivation leading into any week. Assistant coach Brian Rezzuti picked up the quotes at a coaching clinic, getting the idea from a former Gators assistant coach.
Loose translation and two millenia of interpretation allow Sun Tzu's work to be applied to nearly anything requiring a little strategy. Internet sites sell books that use Sun Tzu's principles for everything from small-business management to love and relationships to parenting teens, which isn't far from high school football coaching.
FRIDAY'S THEIRS: With the rest of the county teams playing Thursday night, Land O'Lakes and Mitchell have Friday night to themselves. Gators coach John Benedetto said he prefers the familiarity of playing on Friday night, and though it wasn't a factor in his scheduling decision, he expects a bigger crowd with no county games to compete against his.
"We'll probably have a bigger crowd," Benedetto said. "Then again, I don't know if they want to see two 2-4 teams play each other."
For the second time in three weeks, Benedetto said he was disappointed in the way players were rebounding from a difficult loss. The Gators' first two practices since losing 21-0 to Pasco haven't been what Benedetto said he needs heading into a crucial district game.
"Our kids can't handle defeat. It's a big problem," he said after Tuesday's drills. "It's the players, but it's everyone around also. It's so difficult for them to handle defeat that they get too down and depressed to even come out and have a good practice."
The next loss would match the most in a season for Land O'Lakes since 1996, and the Gators' streak of six straight seasons with a winning record is in jeopardy.
"It's very frustrating for me," Benedetto said. "We had a lot of success last year (a 12-1 record) and we're struggling this year. Rather than forget about what's happened in the past and try to get better, we have a tendency to just sulk and feel sorry for ourselves."
One positive for the Gators: Senior running back and linebacker Brett Ruvolo, who missed the River Ridge game with a strained Achilles' tendon and bruised his knee last week in a collision with Pasco's Donte O'Neal, will play Friday even though he has not practiced extensively.
"He's a fighter and he'll be there," Benedetto said. "Whether he practices or not is a moot point. He's one of our better players on both sides of the ball, and he's the kind of kid that makes you enjoy coaching."
BACK IN ACTION: Zephyrhills senior quarterback Keith Ostermann had eight tackles and eight assists plus an interception in his first full game at safety last week. Ostermann can go back to focusing on quarterback this week with the healthy return of sophomore Bryan Thomas, who leads the county with five interceptions but sat out last week's game with a bruised knee.
"We probably won't use Keith (defensively) unless we have to," said Bulldogs coach Tom Fisher, whose team plays host to 4-2 Crystal River at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Zephyrhills' Sidney Williams topped the 100-yard mark for the second week in a row, and his 67-yard touchdown provided the winning margin in the Bulldogs' 21-18 nailbiter against Mitchell. "He's starting to run the ball the way he's supposed to," Fisher said. "He's running harder, running with a little bit of confidence now."
