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Shark attack to rely on run duo at Lake Gibson

Tonight Brandon and Durant square off in a battle of winless teams. East Bay is at Newsome.

By ROD GIPSON
Published September 9, 2005

RIVERVIEW - In their two games this season, the Riverview Sharks have achieved the same result: a win.

That's about where the similarities end. The undefeated Sharks opened the year with a 36-35 nail biter against Newsome and followed that with a 28-14 comeback against East Bay.

If there is any likeness in the two contests, it came in the backfield where Jaheel Addae and Antwain Powers are quickly becoming one of the better running tandems in the county.

The two are diminutive runners: Sophomore Addae is 155 pounds and 5 feet 10, while junior Powers is 155 pounds and 5 feet 6.

After both topped 100 yards in the opener (Addae had 128 and Powers added 113), the duo was integral again against the Indians. Addae rushed for 70 yards, 58 coming on a scoring run, while Powers ran for 72 yards and a touchdown.

The Sharks, playing at the Class 6A level this season, ventures to Polk County tonight to face an unfamiliar Lake Gibson squad. Not knowing exactly what to expect against the Lake Gibson defense, the Sharks will rely on something familiar: doses of Addae and Powers.

Other contests tonight include Brandon and Durant squaring off in a battle of winless teams and Newsome hosting East Bay. All kickoffs are scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

PLANT CITY (1-1) at ARMWOOD (1-1)

Last Year: Did not play.

The Skinny: The potent Plant City offense came up lame last week in its loss to Wharton. Meanwhile, everything is back to normal for Armwood, which got on track to the tune of a 44-0 win.

The Edge: Armwood starts another winning streak tonight.

BRANDON (0-2) at DURANT (0-2)

Last Year: Durant defeated Brandon 28-27.

The Skinny: Who's more desperate? Brandon, which lost to Newsome in the final seconds, or Durant, which was blasted 44-0 by Armwood.

The Edge: Durant should come out swinging in this one.

NEWSOME (1-1) at EAST BAY (1-1)

Last Year: Did not play.

The Skinny: Missed extra points have meant everything to Newsome. A missed one meant a loss. A made one meant a win. East Bay's defense did little in its loss to Riverview last week.

The Edge: Newsome's introduction to Class 4A football has gone well but an extra point probably won't come into play tonight. Consider this one growing pains for the young Wolves.

RIVERVIEW (2-0) at LAKE GIBSON (0-1)

Last Year: Did not play.

The Skinny: The Sharks are pounding the ball this season, evidenced by their 262 yards on the ground last week. They'll try to do plenty of that against a Lake Gibson team that opened the season two weeks ago with a 14-13 loss against Lakeland Kathleen.

The Edge: If the Sharks want to play at the 6A level, this is the kind of game they should win.

ROBINSON (1-1) at TAMPA BAY TECH (0-2)

Last Year: Robinson defeated TBT 49-13.

The Skinny: Robinson's loss to Middleton was of the last-second variety, and quarterback Marcello Trigg has been outstanding, tossing seven touchdowns in two contests this year. Counter that with a Tech defense that hasn't shown much ability to stop anyone.

The Edge: A good Robinson offense against a bad Tech defense. That's not a good combination for Tech.

BLOOMINGDALE (1-1) is idle.