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Week 8: Game day grab bag

 
In the always tough 7A-9 district,  Jalen Forte and Durant know they can't really afford another loss. (EVE EDELHEIT   |   Times)

In the always tough 7A-9 district, Jalen Forte and Durant know they can't really afford another loss. (EVE EDELHEIT | Times)
Published Oct. 15, 2015

Fear the fuzz

Over the summer, River Ridge players tried to think of something that would draw them closer together, get them thinking more as a team.

"We wanted the goofiest thing possible," defensive back Alex Kostogiannes said. "So we all decided on mustaches."

Why mustaches?

"Why not?" Kostogiannes said. "Who else has mustaches?"

In August, the players started adding their facial accessory. The deal was that the mustaches would stay until River Ridge lost a game in the regular season. The coaches came onboard after the Royal Knights beat rival Mitchell 10-7 in the season opener.

"I've always had some kind of facial hair, usually a beard," River Ridge coach Ryan Benjamin said. "The players got us to go with the mustaches, too. So off came the beard. Now this thing has just become a hairy mess. It's in my mouth all the time. But the players are having fun with it."

The lip fuzz is starting to fill out thanks to the Royal Knights' opening the season on a six-game win streak.

Now, it's hip to have hair, at least on the upper lip.

"We love it," running back/linebacker Anthony Spinelli said. "We lick it. We rub it. It's kind of become our good luck charm."

"It's a 'stache life," defensive lineman Patrick Cook said. "That's our hash tag."

But not everyone is thrilled with this hirsute look.

"My parents were ecstatic," said Kostogiannes, sarcastically. "Actually they didn't like it all."

"The ladies aren't feeling it either," added tight end/linebacker Brandon Lempfert.

"To be honest, no one really cares for it expect the football players," defensive back/receiver Jake Berg said.

Mustaches require constant upkeep so the players and coaches tighten up the rest of their facial hair on Thursdays.

But Friday, the streak — and the mustaches — could be in serious jeopardy in a game against Zephyrhills for first place in Class 5A, District 8.

If River Ridge wins, it has a good chance of going through the regular season undefeated. And the 'staches will stay so long as the Royal Knights keep winning in the playoffs.

"I might be able to grow this out long enough to start twirling it if we keep winning," Kostogiannes said.

Five teams facing must-win situations

Wharton: The Wildcats started their season strong, winning five straight before dropping their first game of the season to Plant on Oct. 2. But that streak could be for naught if Wharton can't pull out a win against Sickles. We assumed the two playoff spots in Class 7A-8 would go to some combination of Plant, Sickles and Wharton, and so far, that's playing out. Now that the Panthers have won their matchups with Sickles and Wharton, though, it's up to Wharton to pull an upset against Sickles this week to have a shot at making the postseason. Otherwise, it's likely the Gryphons will be the ones heading to the playoffs for their third straight berth.

Durant: The Cougars are another one-loss team that could lose all reasonable hope of the playoffs with a second loss this week. Class 7A-9 is one of the toughest districts around, and the craziness with which it's played out so far proves just that. Three teams, including Durant, are sitting in second place (behind 4-0 Plant City) with one district loss. A second, though, especially to the Raiders, would make it very tough for the Cougars to claw their way back in — especially since either Lennard or Tampa Bay Tech is guaranteed a district victory this week. Durant-Plant City is always a fun matchup, but with so much at stake this go around, it promises to be even more exciting than usual.

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Indian Rocks Christian: The Golden Eagles were a minute away from not being on this list. But a last-minute fumble in regulation and a two-point conversion in overtime against Admiral Farragut made the game against Northside Christian do-or-die. It is only a three-team district and Admiral Farragut already has a win. A second loss by the Golden Eagles shuts them out of the postseason one year after making the Class 2A state final.

Pinellas Park: After losing 31-30 in overtime to Countryside two week ago, the Patriots are 0-1 in Class 7A, District 10 and might have to win out to make the playoffs a fifth straight season. That is what makes tonight's game against St. Petersburg critical. Pinellas Park has had success against the Green Devils, winning the last two in the series. And the Patriots' backfield should be at full strength with the return of running back Dale Foster from a shoulder injury.

Pasco: The Pirates must win against Sunlake tonight or they will be 0-2 in Class 6A-6 and eliminated from playoff contention. The Seahawks are 2-0 in the district and 6-0 overall, so this will obviously be a tough task for 3-3 Pasco. The Pirates have already lost to Mitchell, which is also 2-0 in the district. With the next three games against district opponents, the Pirates can't afford to lose any, let alone tonight. Oh, and they've lost three straight.

This week's matchups, by the numbers

3 Total points the last two games between Durant and Plant City have been decided by. Plant City leads the series 6-4 during the past decade.

153 Yards Braxton Johnson needs to break the Anclote single-season rushing record. Anclote has a chance to stay alive in the district standings with a win against Wesley Chapel.

275 Johnson's average rushing yards per game during the past four weeks

195.1 Average rushing yards the Wildcats are giving up per game

4 Tampa Bay Tech quarterbacks who have at least one completion so far

120.1 Passing yards per game for the Titans

60.5 Average passing yards Lennard, TBT's next opponent, has allowed. Only one Longhorns opponent (Durant) has passed for more than 100 yards against them.

5 Years since Sunlake won its first seven games of the season. It has chance to do so against Pasco, a team Sunlake has beaten two straight times. But Pasco owns the all-time series 4-2, outscoring the Seahawks 168-52.

7.6 Average points allowed by unbeaten Jesuit. The Tigers haven't had an undefeated regular season since 2010, when they gave up an average of just 10.3 points per game. The team to squash Jesuit's unbeaten streak five years ago? Friday's opponent, Robinson.

6 Meetings in a row Lakewood has won against rival Gibbs. That streak will be tested in a game that essentially establishes pecking order among playoff teams in Class 5A, District 9.