Wild night
There was no shortage of exciting games Friday night. Here is a sampling of some of the craziness:
• Hudson beat Anclote 40-39 in a game that had an ending Hollywood producers would love. Down by six with 40 seconds left to play, the Cobras got the ball back. The drive started with a delay-of-game penalty, so Hudson would have to go 64 yards to win. Sure enough, as the scoreboard horn sounded, Cyler Doran hit Justin Griffin for a 30-yard touchdown pass. Fans hugged, players cried on the sideline, fade to black … (Okay, maybe not that dramatic.)
• Sickles kicked a 29-yard field goal in the final seconds to force overtime against Wiregrass Ranch. Then, after scoring and kicking the extra point to make it 30-23, Wiregrass Ranch put together a touchdown drive of its own. But Bulls coach Mark Kantor decided to go for two, failed, losing the game by a point.
• Freedom's Noah Tenney kicked a 39-yard field goal in the second quarter against Spoto, which turned out to be the only score of the game. Spoto appeared to drive into field-goal range on its final possession, but a holding penalty pushed the Spartans back. It was that kind of night.
• Cambridge Christian rolled over Kissimmee Avant Garde Academy 65-0. Not a great game, but it almost didn't happen. Avant Garde's bus broke down on the way to Tampa, so Cambridge Christian sent its own bus to Lakeland to pick them up. The game started at 8:45, and it was technically over shortly afterward.
Team of the week: Springstead
Last season, Springstead started 1-5 before winning its last three games. The momentum from that late run carried over to this year with the Eagles winning two of their first three games, the latest a 33-7 rout over previously undefeated Mitchell in the Class 6A, District 6 opener. Springstead coach Mike Garofano said the difference this season is the offense is more careful with the football and there is a more team-oriented attitude. In last year's game against Mitchell, the Eagles fumbled three times, one of which was returned for a score. "We had the talent to win last year," Garofano said. "We just didn't have the right mind-set. That's changed."
Coach of the week: Patrick Murphy, Sickles
Murphy, in his first year as the Gryphons' coach, made one of the bravest (or craziest) calls of the season thus far. With the game tied at 7 in the third quarter and Sickles facing a fourth and 13 from its own 3-yard line, Murphy called a fake punt. The shovel pass worked for a 97-yard touchdown and Sickles eventually won its second game 30-29 over Wiregrass Ranch.
Player of the week: Tamel McCall, Riverview
The rushing attack at Riverview is done by committee. Six players carried the ball in the first two games. McCall, a junior, had just nine carries entering Friday's game against Lennard. He made the most of his limited touches, rushing for 141 yards on five carries in a 28-10 win. Two of those runs went for touchdowns on big plays — 58 and 80 yards. That's not all. McCall also had a 30-yard completion and recorded six tackles — three solo — and had a fumble recovery on defense. Sharks coach Mike Thornton said McCall is the "bullet of the backfield" and could get more carries on the perimeter to take advantage of his speed.
Stay updated on Tampa Bay’s sports scene
Subscribe to our free Sports Today newsletter
You’re all signed up!
Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.
Explore all your optionsUnprecedented start
At 4-0, Middleton is off to its best start in school history and has already equaled its win total from the previous three seasons combined.
But the biggest head scratcher Friday night had to do with the final score.
The Tigers won 4-0.
Yes, Middleton won with two safeties. Your eyes aren't deceiving you.
Scores that resemble baseball games are nothing new to the Tigers. They are averaging just under 12 points per game and have not scored more than 19 in any matchup.
The win streak is due in large part to a defense that has allowed just 23 points combined in the first four games.
By the numbers
0 First downs allowed by Hillsborough against King
2 Safeties each scored by Fivay, Pinellas Park and Middleton
3 Two-point conversion runs scored by Tampa Bay Tech's Trent Wyatt against Bloomingdale
292 Yards passing by Largo's Isaiah Bellamy
MIA
• Tampa Catholic quarterback Austin Sessums left in the first half of Friday's 46-8 loss to Fort Pierce Central. Sessums has been dealing with dehydration issues and has only played in the first half the past two weeks, according to his father, Ryan. "We are going to follow a strict hydration plan this week to ensure he's 100 percent good to go for CCC," his dad said.
• Armwood receiver Warren Thompson was ejected from the Hawks' 33-0 win over Chamberlain. Coach Sean Callahan confirmed that Thompson will have to sit out this week's rivalry game against Plant. Thompson had five receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown Friday.