Is Leto primed for a storybook turnaround?

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 5, 2001

Leto won! The long dry spell that began in 1999 ended last week when the Falcons upset Wharton 20-13.

That must be a relief in Town 'N Country, where the two high school programs (Leto and first-year Alonso) had combined to go 0-8 the first four weeks.

The Falcons were favored to break their losing streak (which ended at 15 games) Oct. 12 against Alonso, but it is 10 times better to make the break against a competitive program than a gimme over a team with no senior class.

A win tonight would set up Leto for a three-game winning streak for a storybook turnaround, but tonight's district opponent makes that unlikely. Chamberlain is one of the area's hottest teams right now, and even a revved-up home crowd won't be enough to stop the Chiefs' offensive onslaught.

In other games, Sickles heads down Ehrlich Road to take on neighboring Gaither, whose offense likely will be anything but neighborly; Wharton travels to King; and Alonso takes on -- oh boy -- Hillsborough.

No, that last one is not a misprint. Yes, medical personnel are standing by.

All games begin at 7:30. Here's the breakdown:

CHAMBERLAIN CHIEFS (3-2 overall, 3-0 in Class 5A, District 6) at LETO FALCONS (1-4, 1-2)

LAST YEAR: Chamberlain won 36-0.

LAST WEEK: Chamberlain defeated Alonso 42-0; Leto beat Wharton 20-13.

THE LOWDOWN: Do the Chiefs know when to start winning or what? After opening the season with two non-district losses, Chamberlain has won three straight -- all district games -- to lead the county's toughest district. Congratulations to steadily improving Leto for snapping its losing streak, but the Falcons will have to wait for next week (vs. Alonso) to repeat the feat. Granted, the Chiefs are taking advantage of a schedule with an awfully soft middle. It started with Wharton and Alonso, continues tonight at Leto and wraps up next week against Sickles. Then the Chiefs face the big district games against King and Hillsborough. Meanwhile, Chamberlain is really cooking now, and the Falcons are on the menu.

THE EDGE: Leto's offense will make some noise, but Chamberlain remains on top.

SICKLES GRYPHONS (1-4) at GAITHER COWBOYS (3-2)

LAST YEAR: Gaither routed the Gryphons 47-13 in the 2000 season opener.

LAST WEEK: Gaither fell 49-35 to Hillsborough; Sickles lost 35-14 to Tampa Bay Tech.

THE LOWDOWN: Let's see: Last Friday, Tech scored 35 on the Gryphons, while Gaither scored 35 against a Hillsborough team that came in having allowed just 11 points per game. So what will happen when Gaither unloads its multifaceted, high-production offense on Sickles? Look for Gaither's side of the scoreboard to run out of room in this non-district game. The Gryphons have had trouble slowing down big-play backs and receivers, and Gaither seems to have something like 12 of those guys.

THE EDGE: Gaither opens the second half of the season with a dominating win.

WHARTON WILDCATS (3-2 overall, 1-2 in 5A-6) at KING LIONS (3-2, 2-0)

LAST YEAR: King won 21-6.

LAST WEEK: Wharton lost 20-13 to Leto; King fell to Plant 7-0.

THE LOWDOWN: Wharton really could have used a win last week, because this is where the Wildcats' schedule starts seriously heating up. Though several miscues left the Lions scoreless last week, they did upset state-ranked Hillsborough two weeks ago and have an excellent RB in Raymond Neal. After opening the year 3-0, the Wildcats likely will not be favored again this season, with the possible exception of 1-4 Armwood in Week 8. Problem is, even Armwood is much better than its record indicates: The Hawks lost their last three games by a total of five points.

THE EDGE: Lions will be crowned King of this cat fight.

ALONSO RAVENS (0-5 overall, 0-1 in Class 5A, District 6) at HILLSBOROUGH TERRIERS (4-1, 1-1)

LAST WEEK: Alonso lost 42-0 to Chamberlain; Hillsborough defeated Gaither 49-35.

THE LOWDOWN: This just isn't right. Looking at this matchup clarifies the reason first-year teams should not have to play a varsity schedule. Hillsborough remains one of the best teams in the state and has scored 196 points against good programs. Just as a reminder, Alonso has no senior class and has been outscored 211-7 in five games. There's nothing to be gained from playing this one, unless some Terrier wants to break into the record books with a 10-TD performance. Best-case scenario: Hillsborough puts up a few TDs to ensure the district victory and just lets the clock run down. Let's just hope no one gets hurt.

THE EDGE: The word "edge" does not apply. Hillsborough names its score.

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