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Football midweek report

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 26, 2001

Quote of the Week

"This is like climbing Mt. Everest with an elephant on your back."

-- JOHN FONTES; First-year Alonso coach, on the challenge he faces building a program with no seniors and many players with no experience.

Game of the Week

East Bay (4-0, 1-0) at Riverview (4-0, 1-0)

AT STAKE A leg up in the Class 5A, District 5 race before either team plays Lakeland, which hasn't lost a regular-season game in six seasons.

OFFENSE: Avious Steadman is within 1,000 yards of Lydell Ross' county rushing record. With Steadman sidelined against Armwood, Richard Woodbury and Paulus Jonathans combined for 157 yards.

EDGE: Riverview

DEFENSE: East Bay has the county's fourth-ranked defense, Riverview its sixth. But nobody forces turnovers like the Indians, who have intercepted 11 passes in two games and 14 in their past four. EDGE: East Bay

SPECIAL TEAMS: East Bay's opportunism carries over to special teams, where the Indians have blocked three punts, including two against Chamberlain.

EDGE: East Bay

INTANGIBLES: When two teams appear this closely matched, home field can be a great advantage. EDGE: Riverview

The Top 20

Top nicknames in Florida:

1. Fort Lauderdale Flying L's: Duck, here comes a flying L!

2. Daytona Beach Seabreeze Fighting Sandcrabs: Fight, fight, fight ya mighty Sandcrabs!

3. Melbourne Central Catholic Hustler Bees: These bees are the busiest.

4. Tarpon Springs Spongers: Starting QB -- Mr. Clean.

5. Miami Beach Hi-Tides: Tough against ring around the collar.

6. Key West Fighting Conchs: When they lose they're conched out.

7. Cocoa Beach The Beach: Clever.

8. Kissimmee Osceola Kowboys: Kan u spel thet?

9. Miami Senior Stingarees: Beware of poisonous tail, shuffle your feet.

10. Lakeland Dreadnaughts: Ding! Ding! Anchors Aweigh!

11. Orlando Colonial Grenadiers: Don't forget, pull the pin ...

12. Miami Coral Reef Barracudas: Ooooh, Barracuda!

13. Melbourne Eau Gallie Commodores: Once, twice, three times Eau Gallie.

14. Winter Haven All Saints' Saints: That's Saints, in case you missed it.

15. Hilliard Flashes: Not Flashers, "FLASHES!"

16. Apopka Blue Darters: A darter is a bird. Now you know.

17. Hialeah Thoroughbreds: No wagering on campus.

18. Fort Lauderdale Stranahan Mighty Dragons: As opposed to Measly Dragons?

19. South Plantation Paladins: Peers of Charlemagne's court.

20. Sickles Gryphons: Head of an eagle, body of a lion ... curious.

Five to Watch

Raymond Neal, King: Rushed for 165 yards on 22 carries and knocked down Ian MacAlister's final desperation pass in the Lions' 19-14 upset of Hillsborough, the fourth-ranked team in Class 5A.

Michael Ross, Chamberlain: Rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown on five carries and returned an interception 97 yards for a touchdown in a 35-3 victory against previously unbeaten Wharton.

C.J. Owens, East Bay: Returned an interception for a touchdown and blocked a punt in a 50-14 win against Bloomingdale. He has blocked three punts this season, including two in an opening win against Chamberlain.

Ean Randolph, Durant: One week after rushing for 142 yards and two scores against Bloomingdale, Randolph accounted for 183 yards and a touchdown in a 34-33 win against Brandon.

Shane Robinson, Jesuit: Struck early and often, catching a 24-yard touchdown and returning an interception 32 yards for another score in the first quarter of a 35-0 victory against Sickles.

Player of the Week

Week 4

Kwane Doster, Robinson -- Doster burst into the county rushing lead with a school-record 353 yards and seven touchdowns in a 56-0 win against Alonso. His 761 yards this season are 10 more than King's Raymond Neal.

Previous Weeks

Week 1: Chris Wilson, Wharton

Week 2: Romae Rucker, Tampa Bay Tech

Week 3: Aaron Fryer, Jesuit

Chasing Lydell

Seniors Avious Steadman of Riverview and Kwane Doster of Robinson are closing in on Gaither graduate Lydell Ross' county rushing record of 5,120 career yards. Here is how the two stack up (Note: Games left do not include potential playoff games):

AVIOUS STEADMAN

2001 YARDS: 56

YARDS TO GO: 962

GAMES LEFT: 6

LAST FRIDAY: DNP vs. Armwood

THIS WEEK: East Bay

KWANE DOSTER

CURRENT TOTAL: 4,089

2001 YARDS: 771

YARDS TO GO: 1,031

GAMES LEFT: 6

LAST FRIDAY: 353 vs. Alonso

THIS WEEK: at Jesuit

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