Wildcat D stuns Pasco

Wesley Chapel returns two fumbles for touchdowns.

By IZZY GOULD
Published October 8, 2005

WESLEY CHAPEL - There were days John Castelamare wondered if Wesley Chapel's season was lost.

For more than three quarters Friday against rival Pasco, it appeared so.

The Wildcats offense had no pulse trailing by a touchdown while the Pirates moved seemingly at will.

Time was running dangerously low in the fourth quarter as Castelamare paced nervously along his sideline. Suddenly, one senior shook the defense until it awoke.

An emotional 2 minutes and 16 seconds turned the Wesley Chapel-Pasco rivalry upside down. When it was over, the Wildcats walked away with renewed hope after a 13-7 victory.

"We had eight guys going both ways," Castelamare said. "We trained and practiced and said this is the way the football game has got to be played this week to win.

"They did it."

The game turned on two jaw-dropping defensive touchdowns, both started by Wildcats linebacker Chad Hatfield.

Maybe the biggest play of his career was the fumble recovery he returned 71 yards to slay the Pirates (1-6). Hatfield, a Dade City native who had lost the starting quarterback job, was overcome with emotion after the win.

He spoke through tears and said he was completely drained.

On the game-winning play, Hatfield's legs were fueled by hope of making amends for an earlier fumble.

"I saw the end zone the whole way," Hatfield said. "I didn't want to get caught from behind. I wanted the touchdown."

Hatfield had a chance to score the tying touchdown when he recovered a Mario Jenkins fumble inside Pasco's 20-yard line. Once he scooped up the football, he began to run toward the goal line where he fumbled and kicked the ball into the end zone.

Luckily for the Wildcats (3-4), Evan Mills jumped on the ball to tie the game at 7.

The score seemed to stun the Pirates, who had enjoyed a relatively strong performance to that point.

Pasco quarterback Josh Johnson had scored on a 21-yard touchdown run in the first half as part of his 13 carries for 41 yards.

He also was 6-of-10 for 142 yards passing, including 109 of those to Darrell Davis.

[Last modified October 8, 2005, 01:27:10]