DADE CITY - In the final frantic moments of last week's game, Pasco coach Dale Caparaso fidgeted compulsively on the sideline as his players gathered around him.
The Pirates had just scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the last on a 40-yard pass from Tony Smith to Darrell Davis on third-and-21 with four minutes left to go ahead 22-21.
Now their improbable comeback was about to come to an end. Land O'Lakes had first-and-goal on Pasco's 22-yard line with less than a minute remaining.
"I bring the kids to the sideline and I'm my usual animated self," Caparaso said. "But the kids had a calming effect. The players told me not to worry. They said we were going to win."
They were right.
Just when you thought the Pirates had filled their quota of Houdini acts, they came up with another last-gasp victory. Remember how they scooped up a fumble for the game-winning touchdown as Jacksonville Trinity Christian tried running out the clock two weeks ago?
Well, that as just a warmup for what they did against the Gators. All Land O' Lakes had to do was run a few plays to get in position for a game-winning field goal.
The Gators never got that chance. A miscommunication resulted in a fumble that linebacker Mike Onyskin pounced on to give the Pirates another victory that came down to the last hand-wringing play.
After an 0-2 start, Pasco has now won three straight as it heads into tonight's home game against district rival Wesley Chapel.
"The way these kids have come back speaks volumes about the Dade City athlete," Caparaso said. "These guys fight, scratch and bite to get themselves back into a game. They don't quit. We could have had a disastrous year after our first two games. But the kids rededicated themselves and we're back in the race."
The transformation of the Pirates now seems complete. They are a clutch-play, hustling-to-the-end group that will not give up.
"I think we have more heart now," said Onyskin, who also had a game-saving tackle against Trinity Christian. "We just want it more."
Pasco's about-face has been contributed to two things. First, Caparaso switched quarterbacks, replacing Kyle Hobbs with Tony Smith.
Smith has thrown for 548 yards. His favorite target is Dominique Brown, the county leader in receptions (22) and yards (472).
Second, the defense became more aggressive, forcing 16 turnovers during the team's win streak.
That has helped the Pirates prevail in two close encounters in as many weeks.
"The best thing I can say is this is a charmed football team right now," Caparaso said.
Cheat the hangman often enough, and you start to get blase about it. That's why Pasco believes if the game is close, it can win.
"If it's in the fourth quarter and we're down by 10 or less, the kids believe the game is theirs," Caparaso said. "But the fourth quarter I liked the most was the Hernando game (a 60-6 win). We were able to take a knee at the end. I think my doctor enjoyed that a lot more, too. That's a lot less stress on the heart."
