Preps

Hillsborough: News and notes

By JOE SMITH and KEITH NIEBUHR, Times Staff Writers
Published October 20, 2007

Let Freedom ring

Freedom senior tailback Kiari Gillespie said the boos his football team received in Thursday's pre-game prep rally were far from isolated.

"We were 0-6, and everyone from the teachers to the students kept telling us, 'You guys stink,' " Gillespie said. "We've all been through a lot, but we kept fighting."

The Patriots likely turned some boo-birds into believers Thursday night, with their equally dramatic, and improbable, 49-48 upset of Middleton in triple overtime. The win set off what athletic director Elijah Thomas called an "unbelievable celebration" and a "huge morale boost for the kids."

The Patriots (1-6), which had scored 19 points in six previous games, had been hindered by off-the-field adversity. There was the melee with Tampa Bay Tech in early September, sparking several player suspensions. First-year coach Marquel Blackwell, who is being investigated by the school district for a verbal confrontation with another male teacher, said he credits the kids for not giving up, and for "buying in."

Said Gillespie: "We're going to turn this around."

UF not out of the picture

Jefferson senior defensive lineman Max Holloway, above, may get to fulfill his Gator dreams after all.

Holloway, a Boston College commit, recently has received serious interest from Florida coaches, who came to watch him last week against Chamberlain. According to Holloway, UF co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison told him, "If it's my call, you'll be here."

Holloway plans to visit Gainesville Nov. 3 when the Gators host Vanderbilt.

"If Florida offers, that's where I'm going to go," Holloway said. "Florida has always been my dream school."

Men in black

The spiffy black football jerseys Jefferson wore in Thursday's 40-0 win over Blake were more than just a fashion statement. The jerseys were ordered in part as tribute to linebacker C.J. Mills, who was shot and killed in his driveway in April.

On the left shoulder, the jersey had a Dragons patch with C.J. stitched in.

The original plan was to have the jerseys for the Dragons' game against Armwood on Sept. 28. But Jefferson proudly wore them in Thursday's win, clinching a playoff spot for the ninth straight season.

"The (uniforms) were nasty," Jefferson quarterback Zack Grossi said. "They were the best-looking uniforms I've ever seen. Everyone was pumped."

Sickles divers set school records

Sickles sophomore Alex Valder won the district diving title Thursday at the Palm Harbor YMCA with a school-record, 11-dive total of 381. Valder's teammate, sophomore Bri Davis, took third with the "meet of her life," diving coach Jay Goldstein said.

Alonso's Brittany Mathers took second. On Friday at Copeland Pool, Middleton senior Claire Page won the district title, with Plant sophomore Alex Hagan taking second. Plant's Ali Ankudowich took third.e_SClBWant more football?

For more in-depth game stories, visit highschool.tampabay.com. Be sure to check out the new high school pages complete with rosters, schedules, district standings and team statistics.

This ball's for you

Plant grad Stephen Reaves, now a senior at Southern Miss, made the most of his first start at quarterback last week. He passed for 206 yards and a touchdown and ran for another in a 28-7 win over SMU, earning a game ball. Reaves' father, John, was a star at Robinson and Florida; older brother David is the QB coach at South Carolina.

Check it out

Berkeley Prep senior Steven Cutler, a long-time Bucs rower, will compete today in the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston. For his story, check today's Times on page 2C.e_SClBPhoto galleries

Check out photos from top games around the bay area at highschool.tampabay.com. And if you'd like to see one hanging on your wall or gracing your locker, they're available to purchase.

Contact us

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@sptimes.com or (813) 310-9024. Keith Niebuhr can be reached at kniebuhr@sptimes.com or at (813) 226-0202.

[Last modified October 19, 2007, 21:18:35]