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Leto coaches reduce the number of players going both ways and the team responds with a win for the first time in 15 games.
By FRANK PASTOR
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 3, 2001
TAMPA -- Gilbert Perez and Ricky Davis were spent.
Physically and psychologically, the Leto seniors were showing the effects of starting four games on both sides of the ball.
Coach Andy Martin noticed, as did his assistants. So, the week before Leto played Wharton, they made a radical decision.
They relieved Perez and Davis of their offensive responsibilities and put freshmen in their places.
The players' focus became sharper, their legs fresher. Now, their outlook is brighter, too.
Perez and Davis, both defensive linemen, played their best games of the season Friday as Leto defeated Wharton 20-13. The victory snapped a 15-game losing streak, longest in the county, and gave Leto its first win since the Falcons defeated Lake Region in the 1999 Class 4A playoffs.
"You could tell they were so excited about just playing one way and being fresh for four quarters, and they really played well for all four quarters," Martin said. "They said it, and their actions showed it, too."
As many as 12 of Leto's 29 players, including seven starters, played on both sides of the ball as Leto stumbled to an 0-4 start.
Last week, Martin's staff moved three freshmen -- fullback Jarvis McAllister and offensive linemen Ivan Nixon and Phil Varela -- into the starting lineup.
The changes left Leto with just four two-way players -- quarterback/safety Joey Bailey, running back/defensive back Jayson Jasula, wide receiver/defensive back Kevin Lin and offensive/defensive lineman Joe Hastings.
Not only did Leto's overworked players benefit from the reduced workload, the Falcons got significant contributions from their new starters.
McAllister rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown. Nixon and Varela helped clear the way for 220 rushing yards, Leto's highest total since 1999.
McAllister's 3-yard touchdown run gave the Falcons a first-quarter lead, and the defense took over from there.
Defensive linemen Perez and Davis set the tone and pressured Wharton quarterback Ross Corcoran, who had fewer than 100 passing yards for the first time this season.
Senior Marcus Marchman made a team-high 11 tackles in his first start at linebacker. Kenny Robinson, another senior linebacker, added nine tackles.
Defensive back Steven Howard made the play of the game in the third quarter. After Leto turned the ball over in Wharton territory, Howard forced a fumble, giving the Falcons the ball back.
The turnover led to Bailey's 14-yard touchdown pass to Jasula, which gave Leto a seven-point lead with eight minutes to play.
Leto's win followed two near misses.
The Falcons had a chance to tie King in the fourth quarter of a 21-14 loss Sept. 17 and held East Bay scoreless in the second half of a 14-0 defeat Sept. 7.
"These are two real good teams we played a good half against," Martin said. "Physically, we got tired in both of those games. That's why we had to reduce the number of two-way players."
Ironically, Leto's losing streak followed one of the most successful eras in school history. The Falcons won a district championship in 1998 and claimed their first playoff victory the following season.
However, 16 players from what Martin described as "the best group Leto has ever had" graduated after the '99 season.
Martin said this year's team is a combination of those who experienced success in '99 and those who only know the futility of 2000.
Friday's win was important to both groups, but for different reasons.
"The seniors, this puts them back to where they can be seen as winners again," Martin said.
"For the new kids, they understand now that they had a good week of practice and listened to their coaches and this is what happens."
Leto's 20-13 win against Wharton snapped a 15-game losing streak that spanned parts of three seasons. A rundown:
Auburndale* 28-0
Jefferson 56-0
Plant 35-15
Robinson 21-0
Wharton 28-0
Blake 14-13
T.B. Tech 12-7
Chamberlain 36-0
Sickles 42-3
King 27-7
Hillsborough 42-0
Durant 41-15
East Bay 14-0
King 21-14
Gaither 49-7
* -- playoff game