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Sports & Recreation

Armwood-Jefferson clash tonight's gridiron highlight

The Dragons are undefeated. Armwood seeks a third straight state championship.

By ROD GIPSON
Published September 16, 2005

SEFFNER - If December comes and finds Armwood celebrating a third straight state championship, no one will be able to say the Hawks didn't earn it.

Armwood continues to play the best teams in their own county, and this week will be no exception.

Tonight's heavyweight is Jefferson.

In the Dragons, Armwood faces an undefeated squad with a potent offense on a mission of their own. Jefferson was the state's Class 3A runnerup a year ago and is now out to prove itself at the 4A level.

Jefferson is off to a good start. The Dragons are 3-0 and are outscoring opponents 33-10 on average.

Stephen Garcia is among the best quarterbacks in the county and has numerous weapons spread throughout his offense, which racked up 500 yards last week in a 48-13 rout of Alonso.

Armwood, meanwhile, is no stranger to tough teams. In addition to facing the state's best during the past two postseasons, the Hawks have already faced powerhouse Hillsborough this season (a 21-20 loss) and now will see another top-notch team in Jefferson.

In addition to the Armwood-Jefferson clash, Newsome opens district play a week early at home with Hillsborough, while Durant and Tampa Bay Tech continue searching for that elusive first win of the year. All kickoffs are scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

BLOOMINGDALE (1-1) at DURANT (0-3)

Last Week: Bloomingdale was idle; Durant lost to Brandon 21-6.

Last Year: Durant defeated Bloomingdale 51-14.

The Skinny: This may be Bloomingdale's best shot at beating Durant as the Cougars are struggling on both sides of the ball. Durant, however, will want to use this game to get back on track.

The Edge: Bloomingdale plays tough, but Durant is slightly tougher.

HILLSBOROUGH (3-0) at NEWSOME (1-2)

Last Week: Hillsborough defeated Chamberlain 42-12; Newsome lost to East Bay 28-27.

Last Year: Did not play.

The Skinny: Each of Newsome's games has been decided by a point this season. The Hillsborough Terriers are eyeing another run deep into the postseason.

The Edge: This is Newsome's welcome to Class 4A, District 11 play. And the one-point factor shouldn't come into play this week. Terriers win big.

LAKE GIBSON (0-2) at PLANT CITY (1-2)

Last Week: Lake Gibson lost to Riverview 26-24; Plant City lost to Armwood 42-7.

Last Year: Did not play.

The Skinny: Lake Gibson is far removed from the team that was the state's Class 4A runnerup a season ago. Plant City has been inconsistent and is trying to find an identity.

The Edge: Plant City has the offensive weapons to do damage, and it should do enough to handle the Braves.

TAMPA BAY TECH (0-3) at MIDDLETON (2-1)

Last Week: Tech lost to Robinson 51-13; Middleton defeated Plant 31-21.

Last Year: Did not play.

The Skinny: Tech has struggled mightily, only mustering 13 points of offense this season. Middleton and quarterback Dominick Grooms, meanwhile, have averaged almost four touchdowns a game so far.

The Edge: Simple math, Middleton wins.

KING (0-3) at BRANDON (1-2)

Last Week: King lost to Blake 48-12; Brandon defeated Durant 21-6.

Last Year: Did not play.

The Skinny: Brandon finally got in the win column last week, putting together a solid performance against Durant. King has had little go right and is out to stop its losing skid, which now has stretched to 10 games dating back to last season.

The Edge: Both teams have struggled, and this may be a good chance for the Lions to end their streak. But expect Brandon to play well enough to win.

ARMWOOD (2-1) at JEFFERSON (3-0)

Last Week: Armwood defeated Plant City 42-7; Jefferson defeated Alonso 48-13.

Last Year: Armwood beat Jefferson 54-7.

The Skinny: Both teams are hitting on all cylinders offensively. Jefferson has the passing attack, and Armwood still is a steamroller with its ground game. The difference may be who can stop whom defensively.

The Edge: Forget about last year's score. Armwood should win but not by 47 points.

RIVERVIEW (2-0) is idle.

To find scores from tonight's high school football games, read Saturday's St. Petersburg Times or go to http://sptimes.com/preps/

You can sound off on the Times high school sports blog at http://www.sptimes.com/blogs/preps/

[Last modified September 15, 2005, 11:01:03]