Preps

Football: High-stakes matchups

A look at tonights football matchups.

By DAVID MURPHY AND IZZY GOULD
Published November 16, 2007

After a 20-17 loss to Land O'Lakes in Week 10 guaranteed Ridgewood a road game against Class 4A powerhouse Daytona Beach Seabreeze, Rams linebacker Ben Perry shrugged off the disappointment and told his teammates they simply had to beat the Sandcrabs one week earlier than initially planned.

If Ridgewood can make that happen, it might get a chance to avenge its loss to the Gators, who host Rockledge, in the second round of the state playoffs.

The postseason hasn't been kind to the North Suncoast during the past two years. Hudson, which has the area's only two wins in that span, will need a miracle to beat Harmony without injured starting quarterback Zack Wynn (1,698 yards, 20 touchdowns, four INTs). Pasco faces a Eustis team that advanced to the region finals last season. And Nature Coast will have to upend a powerful Citra North Marion team at home.

"We have our hands full," Ridgewood coach Chris Taylor said. "But at the same time, we're not going to back down."

Ridgewood (9-1, 4A-8 runnerup) at Daytona Beach Seabreeze (10-0, 4A-7 winner)

When/where: 7:30 p.m.; Municipal Stadium, New Smyrna Beach

Plot: One of the more intriguing matchups in Class 4A pits a Rams power running game led by 6-foot-1, 230-pound Byronell Arline against a high-powered Sandcrabs spread offense led by potential Division I quarterback Troy Dannehower.

Star track: Seabreeze - QB Troy Dannehower (71-of-118, 1,143 yards, 11 TDs, 5 INTs; 83 car., 463 yards, seven TDs), RB Leroy Houston (143 car., 921 yards, 13 TDs; 14 rec., 226 yards, 2 TDs), WR Kevin Blanchard (19 rec., 319 yards, 3 TDs)

Ridgewood - RB Byronell Arline 226 car., 2,188 yards, 35 TDs), QB T.J. Haab (54-of-80, 1,003 yards, eight TDs, one INT), TE Willie Nichols (14 rec., 366 yards, 0 TDs), LB Ben Perry (166 tackles, six sacks), LB Arron Jackson (13 sacks)

Ridgewood can win by: Controlling the clock. The Sandcrabs haven't faced a power running game like the Rams' all season. Long, sustained drives can keep Seabreeze's offense off the field and out of rhythm.

- Blitzing the quarterback. Give Dannehower (6 feet 2, 215 pounds) time and he'll pick the Rams secondary apart. Last season, Central kept him off balance with blitzes, something Ridgewood has done to quarterbacks all season.

X factors: Ridgewood WR Addidas Tolliver (nine catches, three for TDs) is the Rams' top big-play threat, and Seabreeze CB Jerome Swinton, a West Virginia commitment, is small (5 feet 9, 165 pounds) but physical. Seabreeze's linebacking corps is one of the best on the Space Coast.

Prediction: Sandcrabs 28, Ridgewood 24

Hudson (7-3, 3A-8 runnerup) at Harmony (8-2, 3A-7 winner)

When/where: 7:30 p.m.; Arthur J. Gallagher Sports Complex, St. Cloud

Plot: With starting quarterback Zack Wynn on the shelf with a torn ACL, Hudson will have to overcome long odds to win its first playoff game since 2005.

Star track: Harmony - WR O'Neil Chambers (24 rec., 585 yards, 6 TDs), QB Jared Beekman (12-of-28, 382, 4 TDs, 0 INTs), RB Keke Paul (49 car., 455 yards, 5 TDs), RB Semaj Washington (82 car., 490 yards, 8 TDs)

Hudson - RB Sean Scott (188 car., 1,637 yards, 21 TDs), QB/RB Dylan Luke (37 car., 356 yards, 5 TDs; 0 passing yards), QB Scott Kujak (3-of-8, 25 yards, 3 INTs), WR Tony Germano (41 rec., 773 yards, 8 TDs)

Hudson can win by: Riding Scott. The senior running back has benefited from Wynn's success. Now, he'll have to do it by himself.

- Limiting big plays. Paul is averaging close to 10 yards per carry. Chambers is a bona fide D-1 recruit who has size (6 feet 3, 185 pounds) and speed (returns kicks and punts).

X factors: Chambers. Hudson doesn't have anyone who can match up with him individually. Dylan Luke is one of several Cobras who will take snaps. He's a converted running back who hasn't thrown a pass all season. The Cobras need to find a way to get receiver Tony Germano open downfield.

Prediction: Harmony 35, Hudson 16

Nature Coast (7-3, 3A-6 runnerup) at Citra North Marion (9-1, 3A-5 winner)

When/where: 7:30 p.m.; Stan Toole Memorial Stadium

Plot: Nature Coast goes for its first postseason win after reaching the state tournament for the second time in as many seasons.

Star track: North Marion - RB Albert Gary (1,175 rushing yards; 528 receiving yards, 25 total TDs), QB Chuckie Looney (1,400 yards, 14 TDs), WR Darius Morgan (19 rec., 474 yards, 4 TDs), DE Demarrio Sims (11 sacks), LB LaRoyal Beard (97 tackles)

Nature Coast - RB Tevin Drake (165 car., 1,416 yards, 20 TDs; 4 rec., 83 yards), QB Stephen Pelaez (35-of-79, 562 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs; 103 car., 827 yards, 5 TDs), RB Antwan Story (83 car., 510 yards, 3 TDs), LB Alfredo Lindo (118 tackles, 2 fumble recoveries), DL Jarod Mason (62 tackles, 9.5 sacks), DB Mike Fields (10 INTs)

Nature Coast can win by: Run, run and running some more. Nature Coast has combined for 2,831 rushing yards, with almost half of those coming by way of Drake. But Pelaez, Story and Eric Williams are viable ground options.

- Stopping the run. North Marion is led by shifty running back Gary (5 feet 10, 180 pounds), a big-time D-1 recruit (witness his roughly 240 yards of offense, three touchdowns and two-point conversion against Dunnellon in the 3A-5 title game).

X factor: North Marion has a county-record eight straight postseason berths that started in 2000 and five consecutive district titles, making first-round home playoff games a standard.

Prediction: North Marion 42, Nature Coast 24

Eustis (8-2, 3A-7 runnerup) at Pasco (6-4, winner 3A-8)

When/where: 7:30 p.m.; W.F. Edwards Stadium (Dade City)

Plot: Under the wings of first-year coach Tom McHugh, Pasco returns to the state tournament for the first time since 2004.

Star track: Eustis - QB Courtney Keith (57-of-129, 914 yards, 8 TDs, 3 INTs), RB Darius Evans (151 car., 1,070 yards, 9 TDs), WR Akeem Dunham (14 rec., 291 yards, 3 TDs)

Pasco - RB Jamall Haynes (146 car., 875 yards, 8 TDs), WR Demetrious Larry (27 rec., 498 yards, 6 TDs), QB D.J. Clower (52-of-106, 876 yards, 6 TDs, 5 INTs), QB/RB Josh Johnson (812 all-purpose, 7 TDs)

Pasco can win by: Getting the ball to Johnson. The Pirates' playmaker can do dazzling things when he has the football. He appeared poised to carry Pasco on his back against Zephyrhills before an injury forced him from the game.

- Tackling Evans. Eustis' 1,000-yard back is the go-to guy, but he's slippery and dangerous if he breaks free.

X factor: Anything can happen in Dade City. Think back to Week 1 when Pasco upended Land O'Lakes. In retrospect, a pretty solid victory considering the Gators have rattled off nine straight wins.

Prediction: Pasco 17, Eustis

Rockledge (7-3, 4A-7 runnerup) at Land O'Lakes (9-1, 4A-8 winner)

When/where: 7:30 p.m.; Gator Stadium

Plot: Land O'Lakes makes its 11th consecutive postseason appearance looking for its first state tournament victory since 2004, when the Gators reached the region final.

Star track: Land O'Lakes - QB Ely Payne (57-of-118, 884 yards, 5 TDs, 3 INTs), QB Stevie Weatherford (49-of-91, 648 yards, 7 TDs, 3 INTs), RB Ben Hipps (77 car., 449 yards, 6 TDs), WR Jerome Harrison (40 rec., 700 yards, 6 TDs), K Alex Spock (6 field goals, 26 extra points)

Rockledge - QB Doug Goins (19 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown against Titusville), K Kory Kowalski (made four field goals of 19, 28, 20 and 20 yards)

Land O'Lakes can win by: Following Payne's lead. The senior has been a valiant leader from the plays he makes as a quarterback, receiver and defensive back to the way he kept his composure with the emergence of Weatherford.

- Play the freshman. Coach John Benedetto said his greatest regret of the season was not playing Weatherford against Pasco. The Gators lost. He has played Weatherford in every game since. They haven't lost.

X factor: The kicking game. Spock has 40-plus range, while Rockledge's Kowalski proved he can rip with ease from inside the 40.

Prediction: Land O'Lakes 24, Rockledge 13

[Last modified November 15, 2007, 21:46:08]