Advertisement

Tampa Bay Tech posts third straight shutout

Rod Gainey Jr. racks up the yards on offense, and the defense remains a strength in topping Wharton.
 
Tampa Bay Tech running back Rod Gainey Jr. rushes for 193 yards and a touchdown against Wharton on Friday night.
Tampa Bay Tech running back Rod Gainey Jr. rushes for 193 yards and a touchdown against Wharton on Friday night. [ SCOTT PURKS | Special to the Times ]
Published Oct. 15, 2022|Updated Oct. 15, 2022

TAMPA — After completing a 21-yard pass late in the second quarter against Tampa Bay Tech, Wharton, with the game still in reach, had a fresh set of downs on the Titan 7-yard line and an offense that had finally managed to find its stride.

But as it has done time and time again this season, Tampa Bay Tech found a way to keep its opponent out of the end zone.

The Titans stuffed Wharton for negative yardage on two of the next four plays to keep the Wildcats (5-2) off the board. They remained so for the duration, as Tampa Bay Tech posted its third consecutive shutout and fifth this season to win 28-0.

“It’s lovely because when you know you can get a stop at any time, you don’t have to stress on offense. It doesn’t put as much pressure on your offense,” running back Rod Gainey Jr. said. “You don’t have to score every time, but you want to score.”

And score the Titans did, thanks in large part to Gainey.

The 5-foot-11 junior — who transferred back to Tampa Bay Tech, where he spent his freshman season, after spending a year at Bradenton’s IMG Academy — rushed for 193 yards and a touchdown to lead an offense that did its best to match the Titans’ defensive prowess.

Tampa Bay Tech coach Jayson Roberts, arms raised, celebrates a touchdown. [ SCOTT PURKS | Special to the Times ]

Quarterback Xavione Washington scored a short rushing touchdown to put the Titans (8-0) on the board on their first possession of the night. The next one ended with an interception by Wharton, but the Titan defense forced a turnover on downs on the Wildcats’ ensuing drive. When they got the ball back, the Titans didn’t waste any time. Gainey ran for 17 yards on the first play to set up his 35-yard touchdown run on the following one.

“It definitely makes things a lot easier when you know you’ve got a stud in the backfield that can go from 0 to 60 at any time and pop a long one,” coach Jayson Roberts said of Gainey, who now has more than 1,000 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns on the season. “It’s always a threat the other team has to account for.”

After keeping Wharton off the board on its trip to the red zone late in the first half, there was just enough time remaining for another quick Titan score. Washington connected with Jonye Rosebury on a 77-yard pass, setting up a 16-yard scoring pass from Jaden Rosebury to Syncere Styles, and the Titans took a 21-0 lead into halftime.

Stay updated on Tampa Bay’s sports scene

Subscribe to our free Sports Today newsletter

We’ll send you news and analysis on the Bucs, Lightning, Rays and Florida’s college football teams every day.

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options
The Tampa Bay Tech defense swarms Wharton all night, posting its fifth shutout of the season. [ SCOTT PURKS | Special to the Times ]

After the break, Tampa Bay Tech’s defense continued to put on a show, forcing back-to-back punts, then intercepting Wharton quarterback Jackson Jensen twice, the second of which gave the Titans a short field they quickly turned into a 5-yard rushing touchdown from Styles.

Tampa Bay Tech has become known for its stout defense; the Titans haven’t dropped a regular-season game in more than two years.

And while his defense might win games with its physicality, Roberts said, Tech’s success on Fridays starts with a different kind of work on Mondays.

“Guys have been completely locked into our game plans, week in and week out. Paying attention to details. ... We do very little physical stuff on Mondays, it’s all about going over assignments, breaking down the opponent and what we want to take away,” Roberts said. “Our kids thrive doing that.”