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© St. Petersburg Times, published October 5, 2001
There are painful losses, and then there are painful losses.
Just ask Hudson, which not only lost a heartbreaker for the second straight game (20-18 to Hernando), but also lost its leading rusher for the next two weeks and maybe beyond.
Junior fullback Kenny Eva, who leads Hudson with 300 yards rushing and four touchdowns, has a bruised shoulder that will keep him out of the lineup tonight against Land O'Lakes.
On a trap play, Eva was nailed by a Hernando linebacker, who was unblocked.
"It was a hard-hitting game all around," said Hudson coach Terry Voyles. "On the play, our tackle didn't block the linebacker and he had a clean shot on Kenny and popped him pretty good."
Because the Cobras play three games in eight days starting tonight, Eva is almost certain to miss four games. Voyles hopes to have him back for the last two games.
Hudson didn't need to lose any offensive players. Though it is 2-2, it has scored 20 points just once (in a 20-19 win over Northgate, Calif.). Its hard-nosed defense, which is allowing 16 points a game, has kept the Cobras in games; that's where, Voyles said, Eva's loss will be felt.
"I don't think it will be as bad on offense as defensively," Voyles said. "Eva was our leading interceptor (as a defensive back), and that's going to hurt us there. We're banged up in our secondary, and here we are playing Land O'Lakes. When you play Land O'Lakes, that's the one place you don't want to be banged up."
Offensively, Dale Lemons (156 yards at wingback) will start in Eva's place. After Eva got hurt last week, Lemons stepped in and had 62 yards rushing.
Ryan Klaskow, who took the second-half kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown against the Leopards, will start at wingback.
TOP QUOTE: Hudson could be 4-0 very easily, having lost by six points in overtime to River Ridge and by two points last week. But considering the Cobra wins were by six points and one point, Voyles says there's another way to look at it:
"Oh yeah, we could be 4-0, that's crossed my mind a couple of times, but truthfully we could be 0-4 too. We've been a little lucky. The good Lord is not stingy with luck; he'll move it around a little bit."
OF NOTE: Remember that 35-game losing streak that helped define the Ridgewood program? Interlachen lost its 35th straight last week.
And remember Dade City's Matt Glavich, who played junior varsity football for Pasco but now starts for Jefferson? He's 45 of 68 passing (66 percent) for 811 yards, 10 touchdowns and no interceptions.
THE FRIDGE, PART II: River Ridge nose tackle Joey Mayo had his first carry last week, running for two yards early in the fourth quarter of the Royal Knights' 35-21 win over Mitchell.
Mayo has lined up in the backfield before, but as as a blocker.
"Joey's been in there as a blocker, but Joey is a pretty good athlete," said coach Mike DeGennaro. "That was just so everyone doesn't assume when he's in there he won't get the carry."
Another Royal Knight also had his first carry this year -- junior Karry Moe, who broke free for a 50-yard run with less than two minutes remaining.
FINAL WORD: I said four years ago that the Rams needed a young, innovative coach to take the then-moribund program in a new direction, and instead the school hired longtime assistant Wayne Parzik, who restored a little dignity to the Rams.
Now that Parzik is contemplating retirement at year's end, the kind of coach that should have been hired to replace Mike Looney is right under Ridgewood athletic director Gary Anders' nose -- offensive coordinator Troy Cornwell.
The former Hudson assistant deserves credit for developing a Rams offense that is fun to watch, and working wonders with quarterback Jon Emminger, who hadn't played the position in three years. He's young, smart and considered to have the kind of flexible offensive mind that makes playing for him fun. He could bring the energy and organization that the Ridgewood program has been lacking.
This one should be easy for Anders.