Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Bears try to regain control

Dominating the time of possession is the key to bouncing back from loss

By DAVID MURPHY
Published September 23, 2005

BROOKSVILLE - As Central coach Greg Bigham flashes wistfully back to his team's 41-6 win over Crystal River two weeks ago, you get the feeling that "Glory Days" should start playing in the background.

Owning a 31-6 lead over the beleaguered Pirates, Central controlled the ball for all but 7:13 of the game's final 24 minutes to finish a 41-6 victory.

"Every time they get the ball back, they are rushing," Bigham said. "They were in the hurry-up from there on out."

Fresh off a 44-14 loss to Tarpon Springs in which the Spongers rushed for 322 yards against the Bears, Central will be looking to get back that type of ball control. Tonight at Lecanto, the Bears face another test in running back Richard Chaney, who rushed for 215 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries in a 39-35 loss to Citrus last week.

Bigham and his team are convinced that their performance against Tarpon Springs was an anomaly and that they're prepared for Chaney and Lecanto's multiple-formation attack.

"The first couple days of practice this week were like hell week," senior linebacker Justin Adams said Wednesday. "But we had a great practice today and we feel very prepared."

Against the Spongers, the Bears were off kilter from the moment they stepped onto the field. The bus scheduled to take them to Tarpon Springs arrived late, and they didn't arrive until a half hour before kickoff. The Spongers scored a touchdown on the first play of the game, a 79-yard run; and on the fourth play, a 46-yard pass; and rolled to the victory.

It was indicative of Central's season. In their losses to Tarpon Springs and Booker, the Bears have been outscored by a combined 94-14. In wins over Crystal River and Hernando, Central has outscored opponents 74-6. "After every loss, we come back strong," Bears quarterback/linebacker Gary Owen said.

Owen, a 5-foot-11, 170-pound senior, has faced the Panthers twice in his career, and both times Central walked away with an easy win. Stopping Chaney is the key to stopping the Lecanto attack. In a 21-8 win last year, the 5-11, 185-pound running back produced a 4-yard touchdown run but, otherwise, was a non-factor.

"He's consistent," Owen said. "He gets his yards, but we've contained him pretty well."

Bigham, in his first year at Central, never has faced Lecanto but says the Panthers like running out of different formations to confuse defenses. "This week, we are trying to make sure we understand what they do, but that we don't guess at what they are trying to do," Bigham said. "When you are thinking too much, you get into trouble."

Though the Bears have defeated Lecanto easily the past two seasons, Bigham isn't concerned about his team overlooking the Panthers. "Coming off a loss, you can't overlook anybody," he said.

Besides, the Panthers have proven that they can be a dangerous team. Through three games, they are averaging just under 28 points. Last week against Citrus, they nearly overcame a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit before losing 39-35.

In an opening loss to undefeated Dunnellon, they scored 20 points against a squad that's allowed just 16 combined in three other wins. The Lecanto defense, on the other hand, is giving up just over 37 points. And for a team looking to control the ball and the clock, that's a good sign.

[Last modified September 23, 2005, 02:50:29]