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Wesley Chapel's gamble pays off in second overtime

By STEVE LEE

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 21, 2000

ZEPHYRHILLS -- After Wesley Chapel and Berkeley Prep traded touchdowns in the first overtime, Wildcats coach John Castelamare sent Chase Polston out for a game-tying field goal attempt in the second overtime.

That's when Buccaneers coach Frank Sullivan decided to ice Polston by burning back-to-back timeouts, a ploy that had worked in regulation when Polston flubbed what could have been a game-winning 23-yard field goal with nine seconds left.

This time, Sullivan's strategy backfired.

Castelamare met with his players in the huddle and eschewed a Polston kick for Spencer Honeycutt's rollout pass to Kenny Roberts Jr. for a 29-26 win.

"I figured, they're tying to ice Chase," Castelamare said of the meeting with his players on the field. "I said, "Hey, look at me. You ready? We're going for it.'

"I'm thinking, they're thinking all the way we're going to kick."

In the first overtime, Matt Harden carried the ball three times for 10 yards, plunging into the end zone from a yard out. Then Polston missed the extra point wide-left.

Berkeley Prep quarterback Vince Chillura, who completed 10 of 21 for 144 yards, matched that score with a 10-yard pass to Jason Acosta in the right corner of the end zone, the same place where Roberts made his game-winning catch.

Like Polston, Jason Kochalka's kick was wide left, which forced a second overtime.

Overtime was the last thing on the Wildcats' mind as they jumped out to a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

Wesley Chapel capped its opening drive, a nine-play, 65-yard march, with Harden's 4-yard scoring run.

Berkeley Prep was forced to punt on its first possession, but Jason Boyd blocked Kochalka's kick and Roberts returned the ball 16 yards for a score.

Polston made both extra points and added a 34-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to lift the Wildcats to a 17-14 lead.

Kochalka's 43-yard field goal with 3:53 left in regulation tied the game.

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Gary Shelton