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Change of scenery pays off for Harold Cook, Calvary Christian

Since the quarterback has played for the Warriors, he has thrown for more than 4,000 yards and has the team in postseason position.
 
Calvary Christian quarterback Harold Cook has certainly made an impact on the program, with his character and skills.
Calvary Christian quarterback Harold Cook has certainly made an impact on the program, with his character and skills. [ DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times ]
Published Oct. 31, 2019

CLEARWATER — Between the 2017 and 2018 seasons, Calvary Christian not only lost head football coach Todd Yoder, but it also lost starting quarterback Alex Laccabue and his 17 passing touchdowns to graduation. Reggie Crume left Alonso High to fill the coaching vacancy, but who was going to be the starting quarterback?

Enter Harold Cook.

Cook was a sophomore reserve quarterback at Alonso in Tampa when Crume was there in 2017. He transferred to Calvary Christian in March 2018 and earned the starting quarterback spot. He has been slinging passes all over the field ever since.

In 19 games as Warriors quarterback, which includes two playoff games, Cook has thrown for 4,138 yards and 48 touchdowns. Calvary Christian has one regular-season game left, against Cape Coral Oasis on Friday, and likely at least one more playoff game.

“I would’ve never thought I’d be in the position I am today,” Cook said. “I’m really glad I made the decision to come here, both academically and athletically, for my future.”

Cook was not unfamiliar with the area when he transferred. He played summer 7-on-7 ball with Ultimate Stomping Ground, which is based in Clearwater.

One of his teammates was Richie Ilarraza, who was a year younger than Cook and was thinking about transferring from Clearwater Central Catholic. After that summer, Ilarraza made the switch. He has been catching passes from Cook ever since.

A lot of passes.

Calvary Christian receiver Richie Ilarraza can catch anything flung his way. And as one of Harold Cook's favorite targets, he gets a lot of chances. [ DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Tampa Bay Times ]

As a sophomore he had 63 receptions for 912 yards and 10 touchdowns. Through nine games this season, he has 47 catches for 827 yards and eight touchdowns.

The duo figures they have thrown and caught more than 10,000 balls with each other including games, practices and offseason workouts.

“The connection was like that,’’ Cook said. “We would train together all the time. We’re running routes together, watching film together, on the phone together. We’re always together.

“He knows how to read the openings. After he knows the coverage we’ll talk. After the play, during the play, even on the sidelines. He finds the openings between the defenders. That’s what makes him a really good wide receiver.”

It’s gotten to the point where they know what each other is thinking. It takes just a quick look at the line of scrimmage to know which play to run.

“He’s smart, very smart,” Ilarraza said. “And then when you have an arm like he does, I don’t think many defenses can stop that.”

This season, Cook picked up where he left off. He has thrown for 1,753 yards and 21 touchdowns in a 7-2 season. The Warriors have had to deal with some injuries and low numbers on the varsity roster. Crume said he has about 25 players available on Friday nights.

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But one constant has been Cook. Crume knew all about him, and he had no doubt he would fit in at Calvary Christian.

“He’s a high-character guy,” Crume said. “I’d put his character up against anybody. And his work ethic is second to none. He was voted captain in the spring. He’d only been here a month and his peers voted him captain. That speaks to his character.”

The Warriors will not be the top seed in Class 3A, Region 3 due to an early-season loss to Berkeley Prep. They did come up with a big win last week against Ocala Trinity Catholic, 35-28. Cook threw for 229 yards and three touchdowns.

That win improved their playoff positioning. The Warriors are now the fourth-ranked team in the region and ranked 10th in the class. The top six in Class 3A advance to the postseason.

Cape Coral Oasis is 5-4, but three of those losses came due to forfeit for using an ineligible player. The only loss on the field was to Berkeley Prep. A win for Calvary Christian against them Friday night will secure a playoff spot, although they don’t know where they will play.

“One thing you can control is winning,” Crume said.

And with Cook and Ilarraza, there is always a chance.

Contact Rodney Page at rpage@tampabay.com. Follow @RodneyHomeTeam