Sports

You dummy . . . I love you man

By SCOTT PURKS
Published May 17, 2006

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They yell and scream and threaten each other, and yet Hillsborough's seemingly dysfunctional team has proven its ways work just fine. The Terriers are 29-4 and play at 8 tonight in a Class 5A semifinal at Sarasota's Ed Smith Stadium. On Monday the Times checked in with Terriers coach Pat Russo and 12 of his boisterous players who have started many of the games. Here's a sampling of what they had to say about the "Loud Family Terrier."

MARCO LAMONTE, 2B, SR.

"If you would have asked people outside the team if we would have made it to the state semifinals they would have said, "No way, because those guys are going to kill each other before the regular season ends.' But we knew each other and we knew we weren't going to kill each other. We knew we could do it."

RYAN FLEMING, DH, JR.

"When we're quiet things don't go our way, we start making errors and mistakes. When we're yelling at each other we play better."

CASEY NUNEZ, C, SR.

"No matter how it may come out of our mouths, we take it and give it as constructive criticism. I mean, if we were quiet, if we didn't give that "constructive criticism,' we might go crazy."

CHRIS RAMIREZ, 3B, SR.

"We can't be relaxed. Really, we can't. That would be impossible."

ALEX COOKS, SS, SR.

"I'd say none of us takes what we say personally. If we took it personally we wouldn't be able to play."

RICKY ACOSTA, DH, SR.

"We yell and scream but it's like brothers yelling and screaming. We care about each other."

JUSTIN BOWMAN, CF, SR.

"There are arguments in every family. So our family argues and then, you know, we get over it."

MICHAEL BURGESS, RF, JR.

"Our yelling is a good thing."

MATT SCHURIG, P, JR.

"If you had thin skin you couldn't play here. You'd get eaten alive. I've gotten tougher after playing here and I wouldn't want to play for any other team. I love the way we are."

ORLANDO BACON, LF, SR.

"I'm more of the quiet one. I let everybody else give their opinion to each other. Does it bother me that everybody else is yelling at each other? Not at all. That's the way we are and I'm fine with that."

VICTOR ZAMORA, 1B, SR.

"Everybody knows how to push each other's buttons and sometimes, you know, we push them. We push them to get the guy's attention, to get them fired up. But then we transfer that intensity onto the field. But hey, it works pretty well, doesn't it?"

JOEY GILDEA, P, SR.

"If you have an off day you're going to hear about it from everybody. So there's pressure, but it's a good pressure. A pressure you want."

PAT RUSSO, COACH

"Look, you've got to understand that this team comes from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures and there are strong personalities among us. They do rip on each other about school and girlfriends and how they might play, but in the end there is no doubt: They are a team and they would do anything to help each other win. Some people could not play for this team. If you were soft you couldn't play here. So, believe me, nobody on this team is soft. These guys are strong, and together, despite whatever they might say to each other, they are even stronger."

[Last modified May 17, 2006, 01:29:12]

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