One team had to win ...
A first-ever victory was at stake as Pasco's two newest high schools clashed.
By MICHAEL KRUSE, Times Staff Writer
Published November 4, 2007
LAND O'LAKES - The boys who play football for Sunlake High School walked off the field after warmups Friday night and clickety-clacked with their cleats across the asphalt parking lot and into a classroom at the back of their school. They sat down and took their helmets off and were sweaty-headed and quiet at the desks.
Their coach walked into the room.
"All right, men," Bill Browning said. "We've been through a heck of a lot. You've held your heads high. You've played some very tough opponents for a first-year school. You've handled that adversity.
"There's no doubt in my mind that you guys can do it," he said. "Now it's all about will."
Waiting outside for the Sunlake Seahawks were the Bulls from Wiregrass Ranch High.
Sunlake had no wins and eight losses. Wiregrass had no wins and eight losses. Somebody had to win.
It's been a long football fall for Pasco County's two newest schools.
Wiregrass was built last year to ease crowding at Wesley Chapel High. Sunlake was built this year to ease crowding at Land O'Lakes High. Neither school has seniors this year.
The football program at Wiregrass got to play a junior varsity season last year. The Bulls went 2-6.
Sunlake didn't even get that. Straight to varsity for the Seahawks.
They practiced without pads in the spring.
They worked out this summer at the Anytime Fitness gym in Lutz because their weight room wasn't ready yet.
They practiced in August at Pine View Middle School because their field wasn't ready yet.
They scored in only three of their first eight games. They lost 50-0 against River Ridge, 48-0 against Zephyrhills, 26-0 against Land O'Lakes, 42-0 against Pasco, 73-0 against Hudson.
'No excuses'
Now: the first game of November, the second-to-last game of the season, the best chance to win. In the dark classroom, Browning told his boys he had something for them to watch, and the boys turned to the video screen on the wall.
"You watch this real close," the coach said.
He pushed play on the remote.
On the screen was a story from Oprah about a boy from Georgia who was born without arms or legs but who grew up to wrestle and play football. The kid was on the screen, on a muddy field, with his stumps wrapped in tape, scurrying back to the huddle, and Browning hit pause.
"Look at that!" he yelled.
His boys looked at that.
"Look at him!"
His boys did.
"That," Browning said, "is a will to succeed."
"No excuses," the coach said.
Browning and his boys stood up and stood close, and said the Lord's prayer.
Then the Seahawks clickety-clacked back across the asphalt parking lot toward the crowd, the beating drums and the high, bright lights. They ran onto the grass and broke through the big aqua paper banner the cheerleaders had made.
And on the first play of the game, running back Mike Shaver busted the gut of the Wiregrass line and raced 28 yards up the middle. He surged for seven more yards on the second play. Three plays later, though, they had to punt.
"We're taking this game!" Robbie Ward yelled on the Sunlake sideline.
But it was 6-0 Wiregrass at the end of the first quarter.
And 14-6 at halftime.
And 34-14 at the end of the third quarter.
And 40-20 at the end of the game.
Wiregrass was a jubilant 1-8. Sunlake was 0-9.
With loss, lessons
The boys walked over to the end zone. They all got down on one knee in the grass. Browning talked, and the boys listened.
"It'll come," he said.
"We're only starting," he said.
Setback, he said. Back to work, he said. Be disappointed but don't be discouraged, he said. Get kicked down, get back up, he said. Winners never quit, quitters never win, he said. Yes sir, they said.
There are lessons in losing. There are.
But just once the Sunlake boys wanted to feel something new.
All of them had their helmets off now. Except sophomore Joe Connolly. He had his pulled low to try to hide the tears coming down his face.
Michael Kruse can be reached at mkruse@sptimes.com or 813 909-4617.