TGIF? Not so fast

Enjoy some garlic knots with that pregame meal, slip a rabbit's foot into your equipment bag and, by all means, don't step on a crack or base line. Today, of course, is Friday the 13th - or Bill Buckner Day, as the Red Sox Nation refers to it. Don't believe there's any correlation between the year's unluckiest day and sports? Well, consider the fact Jason - the grisly antagonist of Friday the 13th and its umpteen sequels - wore a hockey mask. In accordance with the calendar, we've selected 13 of the area's most hard-luck teams and athletes in recent memory.

By JOEY KNIGHT
Published July 13, 2007

Newsome baseball, 2007

The Wolves, above, were four outs from a shutout of Port St. Lucie in the Class 5A semifinals when momentum made a seismic shift. With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, pinch-hitter Max Scarogni - he of the .111 average - outran an infield dribbler for a hit. The ensuing throw to first went to the fence, allowing two runs to score. A mishandled line drive, a triple and two doubles later, Port St. Lucie led 7-2. The score stood up. To their credit, so did the Wolves. "They'll get over this, and they'll be back playing hard next year," outgoing coach Chad Haschel said.

Mike Williams, former Plant receiver

After two years at Southern California, Williams hired an agent and unsuccessfully challenged the NFL rule requiring players to be three years out of high school before being eligible for the draft. During his yearlong hiatus from football (in 2004), the Trojans won another national title. Williams ultimately was drafted by the Lions in the first round of the '05 draft, but has only 37 catches in two NFL seasons.

Bloomingdale football

The least fortunate football program in Hillsborough County enters its 21st season still in search of its first winning season. If you've got a logical explanation for the Bulls' futility, please let us know.

Hunter Clasen, Jesuit track, 2007

The 2006 Class 2A champion in the 400 meters suffered a strained hip flexor at this past spring's Region 3 meet and was unable to defend his title. That scholarship to Georgia Tech, however, sure shapes up as a nice consolation prize.

Middleton football, 2007

The Tigers caught no breaks from the mysterious forces that compile the county's annual football schedule. Middleton faces Chamberlain, Plant and Hillsborough on consecutive Fridays in September, and closes the regular season against Armwood and Jefferson.

Jesuit baseball, 1995

Twelve years later, ex-Tigers coach John Crumbley still scowls at the mention of the loss to Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas in the Class 5A final. Jesuit was denied a second consecutive state title when reliever Ronnie Merrill was charged with a two-out, eighth-inning balk, allowing the winning run to score from third. "There was a very slight movement," Crumbley said at the time, "but I still don't see how a game could be dictated by that."

Tampa Prep boys basketball

The Terrapins' state tournament exits have gone like clockwork or, better yet, sockwork. Four times since 1997, Tampa Prep has faced Port St. Joe - known for its knee-high, purple- and gold-striped socks - in the state tournament. All four times, the Terps have fallen.

Lovell Jackson, Plant track, 2007

This past spring, the Panthers' star dash man had his state title aspirations, well, dashed. A Class 3A region qualifier, Jackson was disqualified from the meet when it was ruled he arrived late to one of his four events. Don't get Panthers coach Shawn Balow started on this.

Geoff Goetz, former Jesuit pitcher

Goetz has found success after baseball (in the pharmaceuticals industry and as the Tigers' pitching coach), but probably never dreamed he'd have to look for it so soon. The sixth overall pick in the 1997 big-league draft, Goetz hasn't been the same since 2002 shoulder surgery. A lean lefty with a dominant fastball and curve in high school, he never reached the majors and hasn't pitched for a major-league organization since 2004.

Chris Jones, Gaither pitcher, 2007

A day before his scheduled start at Sarasota in the Class 6A playoffs, Jones sustained a torn ligament in his right ankle during a physical education class. Wearing a black protective boot, the 6-foot-2 left-hander, who would be drafted a month later by the Cleveland Indians in the 15th round, watched the Cowboys fall to the eventual state champs, 10-2.

[Last modified July 12, 2007, 21:51:05]