Pasco's Tony Fiscarelli makes a mark, and keeps his emotions in check, in a win over Zephyrhills.
By FRANK PASTOR
Published October 26, 2004
DADE CITY - It was the sort of situation that might have meant trouble in the past.
In his first game back from a six-game suspension, Tony Fiscarelli was at the bottom of a pile near the end of Pasco's 40-7 victory over Zephyrhills on Friday when a player punched him in the mouth.
The player received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, but it was Fiscarelli who went to the sidelines, telling coach Dale Caparaso, "Take me out of the game. I don't want to lose my cool."
"I turned to two of my coaches and said, "Gentlemen, we just saw a young man grow up,"' Caparaso said. "Six weeks ago, he would not have done that."
Six weeks ago, Fiscarelli, a lineman, received the Florida High School Athletic Association's maximum suspension after pushing a Mitchell coach during a 41-13 loss to the Mustangs on Sept.10.
After leaving the team for two weeks, Fiscarelli vowed to "start putting fear into people's eyes" upon his return. Days after Pasco got a letter from the FHSAA last week reinstating him, the 5-foot-11, 255-pound senior lived up to his boast.
Seeing time at guard and tackle, Fiscarelli delivered four pancake blocks - few players have more than six to eight in a season, Caparaso said - including a devastating shot to Gary Smith's jaw on an option play that forced the Zephyrhills lineman from the game.
"I fired off the ball and went to go seal a linebacker," Fiscarelli said. "I sealed the linebacker, I looped back and there he was. He was getting ready to hit (quarterback) Tony (Smith). I hope there's no tough feelings between me and Gary."
Smith was at school on Monday but sustained head and neck injuries that make him doubtful for Friday's game against Hudson, Zephyrhills coach Tom Fisher said.
After viewing videotape, Caparaso called the hit, "100 percent clean." Fisher said it was "a judgment call" that "could have gone either way."
Fiscarelli said Zephyrhills tried to retaliate by repeatedly clipping him. On one play, Fiscarelli said he was chop-blocked by one player, leaving him open to a punch from another.
Rather than punch back, Fiscarelli said he jumped to his feet, pointed at the scoreboard, where Pasco led 40-7, and walked off the field.
"I learned to keep my hands to myself," he said. "I just learned to walk away."
Fiscarelli played between 30 and 40 percent of the offensive plays, Caparaso said. He was limited on defense to avoid disrupting a unit that has forced 28 turnovers in its past five games, all wins.
"He was just a physically dominating blocker out there, and that kind of surprised me after not being in the speed of the game after all that time," Caparaso said. "He just physically dominated the game."
During his suspension, Fiscarelli practiced at tight end or fullback to help teammates prepare for games, and encouraged his replacements.
"I see Tony being a major contributor to this football team," Caparaso said. "He's a great offensive lineman, one of the better in the league. He will tag you. He'll be a great addition come the Texas tiebreaker and come playoff time."
