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By JAMAL THALJI
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 16, 2001
BROOKSVILLE -- The Pirates came. The Pirates saw. The Pirates ... survived.
With its vaunted rushing attack grounded for three quarters, Pasco outplayed Hernando 15-6 at Tom Fisher Stadium in a Class 3A, District 7 contest decided by field position, turnovers and pure grit.
Both offenses didn't get on track until the fourth quarter, and by that time the Leopards' (1-2, 0-1 in 3A-7) stout defensive front finally started to give way to the Pirates' (3-0, 1-0 in 3A-7) ground game, and Pasco added two late touchdown runs to secure this hard-won 52nd edition of the Brooksville-Dade City rivalry.
Hernando still holds a 33-17-2 advantage in the series, which dates back to 1925, but Pasco has won eight of the last 10 meetings.
"It's a good win for us," Pirates coach Ricky Thomas said as the final seconds ticked off. "It was hard-fought by both teams."
Gabriel Montelongo's 22-yard field goal gave Pasco a 3-0 halftime advantage, and the Pirates survived being pinned back deep in their own territory late in the second quarter. Pasco's Devon Hicks made a touchdown-saving tackle, pulling Hernando's Trevor Coleman out of bounds on the hook-and-ladder play five yards short of the end zone as time expired.
The Pirates' Garion Pope broke free on a 12-yard touchdown run with 11:07 left in the fourth to make it 9-0. But Charley Combs answered for the Leopards, scoring on a 46-yard jaunt to make it 9-6 with 9:50 left. Hicks plunged in for a 1-yard score with 6:42 left to make it 15-6. Neither team converted an extra point.