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Letter to the editor

Sickles makes the playoffs, at last

By ROD GIPSON, Times Correspondent
Published November 9, 2007

CARROLLWOOD - After 11 years of waiting, and a lot of losing, it has finally happened. Sickles is going to the playoffs.

In a season of firsts, Sickles has surpassed expectations. And the Gryphons did it in grand style Friday, using a 27-yard Corey Page field goal in overtime to defeat district rival Alonso 18-15 to snag its postseason berth.

"It's big," said an almost speechless Sickles coach Pat O'Brien of what going to the playoffs means to the program. "It's really, really big."

Before this year, the Gryphons had never won more than five games in a season and that happened just once.

Just last year, O'Brien's troops were 0-10. The turnaround this year included a 7-3 regular season and wins against rival Wharton and district victories against King and Alonso.

Another familiar foe will be waiting for the Gryphons when the playoffs start as Sickles will travel to play neighborhood rival Gaither on Nov. 16.

Chamberlain closed its regular season with the Class 5A, District 6 championship after a 42-3 win against King on Nov. 2. Meanwhile, Gaither topped Wharton 16-14 to win the Class 5A-5 title.

With some other playoff matchups still to be determined and most North of Tampa squads off tonight, Freedom and Jefferson will close their regular seasons tonight.

Both kickoffs are scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

PLANT CITY (5-4) at FREEDOM (1-8)

Last year: Did not play.

The skinny: Plant City will use this matchup as preparation for its playoff game. Freedom, meanwhile, a season after its first playoff berth, has struggled on both sides of the ball with just one win this season.

The edge: The Patriots defense has given up 33 points a game. The Raiders like to run the ball and will do so over and over and over.

Last year: Defeated Middleton 19-10.

The skinny: Middleton has played Plant, Chamberlain, Hillsborough and Armwood this season - has any team in the county played a tougher schedule than Middleton? Jefferson can ask the same question, having played those same four tough teams as well. By the way, Middleton went 1-3 against those teams while Jefferson was 0-4 in those games.

The edge: A win for playoff-bound Jefferson would leave both teams 5-5. That would be a plus for the Dragons - not the Tigers.

[Last modified November 8, 2007, 07:22:38]