Uncharacteristic slide has Falcons seeking answers
Mistakes and inconsistent play by top talents lead to two straight losses for Dunedin.
By JOHN C. COTEY
Published September 25, 2004
Dunedin coach Mark Everett stood in front of his team after the most surprising loss in the careers of the current Falcons and tried to think of something positive to say about Dunedin's 14-10 loss to St. Petersburg.
"Thank God it wasn't a district game," Everett said.
Okay, so positive might not be the right word, but it was all the coach could come up with after one of the worst performances by the Falcons in the past two seasons.
Which brings us to this: What the heck is wrong with the Falcons?
After begining the season as the county's No. 1 team, with arguably the No. 1 player in Theo Wilson, and a 35-0 opening win, Dunedin has stumbled to consecutive losses.
The offense has been both maddening and marvelous, the defense has failed in the fourth quarter to come up with a big stop in both losses, Wilson has struggled and the team is searching for an identity.
And more bad news: Thursday, Dunedin found out running back Tim Benjamin's season was over before it even started as he was diagnosed with a torn ACL in his left knee.
The news got worse with the loss to St. Petersburg. "We got the news about Tim earlier in the day, and I don't know if (the loss) was an aftershock," Everett said. "We just didn't play well."
There was a missed field goal, an interception in the end zone and a fumble deep in Green Devils territory. And Wilson, who seems quicker to freelance on plays than last season, tossed three interceptions, giving him eight in three games.
Wilson's biggest problem may be trusting his teammates.
"Theo is such a competitor, I think he feels that he has the weight of the team on his shoulders," Everett said. "We keep telling him we have enough tools around him.
"The interceptions are a huge concern. We talk about it all the time. He gives me the right answer, but he keeps forcing it. He threw underneath a few times, and his receivers dropped it. He throws it long and gets picked off."
The Falcons played better defense than a week ago, when they allowed Largo to score 44. But with less than three minutes remaining, they let St. Petersburg convert a fourth and 11, then surrendered the winning score.
Everett was right, though: It wasn't a district game. While the Falcons, who started 7-0 last season, have a steep hill to climb, a win Tuesday against Dixie Hollins keeps them in the playoff picture.
"Maybe we just don't have the luck we've had," Everett said. "Some nights we had the golden horseshoe last year. Right now the breaks aren't going our way. That makes a huge difference.
"I think they'll bounce back. We'll know by the Dixie game. If we can get Dixie, were back on track. If not, it might be a struggle for the rest of the year."
