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Hawks' foe 'armed, dangerous'

To win a rare third straight state title, Armwood must "disarm" the state's best quarterback.

By ERNEST HOOPER
Published December 9, 2005

	[Times photo: Daniel Wallace]
	Armwood High School's Lance Tillison makes a run in the second half of Armwood's victory over Booker T. Washington.

SEFFNER - It's Armwood vs. "The Big Arm."

If Seffner's high school football powerhouse is to beat Ponte Vedra Beach Nease and win a third consecutive state football championship in Miami on Saturday, it will have to overcome the state's most highly touted player.

Nease quarterback Tim Tebow is being recruited by just about every school in the nation, including the University of Florida and two-time defending national champions University of Southern California.

He's a dual threat, having rushed for 980 yards and thrown for 3,065. He has broken the state's career passing mark and set 10 other individual records. In August, he played in the first regular season game ever to be televised on ESPN, and the worldwide sports network is making a documentary about Tebow.

But he's never faced Armwood.

The Hawks enter the game as one of the state's most successful programs in recent memory. They have won 42 of their past 43 games on the field while winning state championships in 2003 and 2004.

The success has made Seffner synonymous with championship football in this football-crazed state, and Armwood coach Sean Callahan has become a celebrity in local establishments. People even recognize his wife.

"I'll go check out at the grocery store and they'll see my card and say, "Are you coach Callahan's wife?' " Anna Marie Callahan said. "It's been fun."

The fun has continued this season. Even though the Hawks lost some key players on offense, their defense has been even stingier than in the past two years, allowing an average of only five points a game in the regular season.

The playoffs proved more challenging, with the team eking out a two-point win over Winter Haven and a three-point win over undefeated Miami Washington.

Steady play by quarterback Justin Hickman has been a key, along with standout play from receiver Lance Tillison, who transferred to Armwood after evacuating Louisiana to escape Hurricane Katrina.

Now the Hawks and six busloads of students, parents and fans will venture to Miami's Dolphins Stadium, hoping Armwood will become only the seventh team in state history to win three consecutive titles.

Kickoff is set for Saturday at 1 p.m.

[Last modified December 8, 2005, 07:50:08]