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Season to savor

Things were looking bad for Chamberlain after the first two weeks of the season. The Chiefs were 0-2 and seemed to be struggling to find some sort of rhythm heading into their first district game. But first, they had to deal with the trauma of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and endure a span of two tough district games in one week.

Chamberlain responded well and pulled off one of the biggest wins in school history, set records by winning its first playoff game and took Billy Turner to the state final for the first time in his 30-year career as head coach.

AUG. 31: East Bay 14, Chamberlain 9

The season dragged to a screeching halt after one game. Both teams combined for more fumbles (10) than points (nine) in the first half and Chamberlain added to its nausea by allowing the Indians to block two punts in the fourth quarter, which East Bay took advantage of for 14 points and the win.

SEPT. 7: Riverview 38, Chamberlain 35

A classic whoever-gets-the-ball-last-will-win game shifted into Riverview's favor when Chamberlain's Donovan Davis scored with 4 minutes, 11 seconds remaining. That meant the Sharks had 4 minutes to score the winning touchdown, which they did when Avious Steadman bounced in from 1 yard out with 34 seconds left. Turner cut the playbook in half and sophomore quarterback Sidney Bryant answered by leading the Chiefs to 35 points.

SEPT. 17: Chamberlain 38, Gaither 17

This game was moved to Monday after the terrorist attacks put the nation on hold for almost a week. Michael Ross rushed eight times for 120 yards and three touchdowns and the Chiefs finally won. Bryant completed 8 of 10 passes for 145 yards and earned a promotion from Turner.

"My quarterback is no longer a sophomore after today," the coach said. "He played like an experienced junior today."

SEPT. 21: Chamberlain 35, Wharton 3

The Wildcats show up at Chamberlain Stadium with a bit of a swagger, carrying a school-record three-game winning streak. Chamberlain dominated, running up 412 yards on offense and didn't commit a turnover for the third consecutive game. Ross' 97-yard interception return for a touchdown was a key play, but the biggest thing that happened that night was a King win against Hillsborough. The Class 5A, District 6 race was suddenly wide open.

SEPT. 28: Chamberlain 42, Alonso 0

Homecoming against the first-year Ravens and everybody got a chance to get in on the action. Junior linebacker Joe Clermond intercepted a pass and scored from 19 yards out, Ross contributed two scores and Eddie Ivery added a touchdown for fun. The Chiefs rushed for 226 yards while Alonso managed minus-22 on the ground. Chamberlain has scored 155 points in its past five games.

OCT. 5: Chamberlain 48, Leto 7

The beatings continued. The Chiefs scored on a 10-play, 62-yard drive to open the game and then poured it on, scoring on three of their next four possessions. By halftime, the score was 28-0 and Chamberlain had outgained Leto 244-65. Turner called it as good a game his team could have played on both sides of the ball. Little did he know it would get better.

OCT. 12: Chamberlain 49, Sickles 0

The final tuneup before facing King, which would give one team a leg up in the district race. The Chiefs honed their defense. Chamberlain blocked a field goal and forced four turnovers, leading to four touchdowns. Bryant threw for 183 yards, completing 9 of 12 passes, and Ivery scored three times. Davis was in a car crash the morning of the game and sat out with a broken scapula. Doctors told him he would miss six weeks.

OCT. 18: Chamberlain 16, King 12

Davis turns the doctors' six-week prediction into a six-day vacation and helps lead the Chiefs to the top of the district standings. Sean Dixon blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown, and the Chiefs' defense held King's leading rusher, Raymond Neal, to 59 yards on 17 carries. Neal entered the game with 1,165 yards, but fumbled on consecutive possessions in the first quarter. Six in a row and people are starting to believe.

OCT. 26: Chamberlain 26, Hillsborough 23 (four OTs)

The game of the season. Hillsborough could have forced a three-way tie for the district championship, but Chamberlain won it outright. Chamberlain hadn't won this game since 1992 and only did so because of a player nobody had really heard of until the fourth quarter. Tim Frank came off the bench with 19 seconds left in regulation to kick a 36-yard, game-tying field goal despite the fact he hadn't attempted a field goal or extra point all season. The only reason he got the chance was because Chamberlain converted a fourth-down, hook-and-lateral play Turner drew on his hand during a timeout, and Brian Clark made one of the most amazing catches of the season. Frank kicked a 20-yarder in the fourth overtime after Hillsborough missed its second consecutive 27-yard attempt to win the game. Turner did "The Skate" for the first time.

NOV. 2: Chamberlain 31, Plant City 12

Chamberlain dedicated its stadium to John Adcock, the coach of the 1961 team that went 11-0 and finished as state champions. The Chiefs started a little sluggish, only leading 10-0 in the third quarter, but came alive and ran away with the game. Davis rushed 16 times for 100 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown, but the biggest question of the night was: Who are they going to face next week?

PLAYOFF TIME

NOV. 9: Chamberlain 31, Melbourne 9

The answer was Melbourne, and the question changed to: Can Chamberlain win a playoff game for the first time? Entering this game, Chamberlain was 0-8 in playoff games, Turner was 0-9. But the Chiefs rode Davis' 139 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Despite the fact the game was out of hand in the fourth quarter, the crowd went crazy when it was announced Hillsborough had defeated Lakeland and the Terriers would be coming back to Adcock Stadium the next week for the region semifinals.

NOV. 16: Chamberlain 28, Hillsborough 21

More than 8,000 fans crammed into seats, including portable bleachers in the end zones, to witness the Block Heard Round the World. Hillsborough jumped out to a 14-0 lead and seemed intent on using its newly implemented wishbone offense to head to the region final. Chamberlain, however, stormed back late in the fourth quarter aided by Ivery crushing Terrier linebacker Elijah Dukes with a block on a screen play despite being outweighed by 55 pounds. Four plays later, Davis scored from 24 yards out to provide the final margin. Hillsborough had one last chance to tie the game, but defensive end Broderick Bunkley broke through and drilled Hillsborough quarterback Ian MacAlister with punishing hits on two consecutive plays to end the game. Turner Skated again.

Nov. 23: Chamberlain 31, Kissimmee Osceola 18

The Chiefs travel for the first time in the postseason and they end up in Kowboys Stadium, home of the 12-0 Kowboys, a heavyweight making its fifth consecutive region final appearance and only two years removed from a state title. Osceola went ahead 12-0 before Chamberlain's defense tightened up and the offense exploded. While Bunkley, Ollie Hoyte, Jared Baxley, Mike Torres and Al Mack held Kowboys leading rusher Darwin Emmanuel to 3 yards in the second half, Davis rushed for 133 yards and Ivery scored three times.

NOV. 30: Chamberlain 23, Springfield Rutherford 17

Chamberlain has won 12 games in a row and is one victory from tying the county record for wins in a season. This game marks the 199th win in Turner's career and makes the 7-hour drive to Panama City a little more enjoyable. Credit Mack with this win because he broke through the offensive line during Rutherford's potential game-winning drive and flustered quarterback Matt Hardin. Hardin stepped up and threw a wobbler right to Chiefs defensive back Trey Seaholm, who grabbed it and eventually fell to the ground with a little more than a minute remaining. Earlier, Rutherford turned it into a game by reeling off a three-play drive that traveled 68 yards in 30 seconds. The Rams then watched as Devin Collier scored from 23 yards out to cut the deficit to six. On fourth and a chain link, Turner opted to go for it, but the Chiefs couldn't convert, giving the Rams the ball at midfield. One play later, Mack performed his miracle.

CLASS 5A FINAL

DEC. 7: Naples 21, Chamberlain 17

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