Wildcats Football In Control Of District After Beating Newsome!

By Benjamin Carter

Past the halfway point and looking down the stretch, the Wildcats of Paul R. Wharton High find themselves in a dogfight for a District title.

After a hard-fought, impressive 21-20 victory over the Newsome High Wolves (at Newsome) on Oct. 4, the Wildcats moved into a first place tie with Plant High in the State Class 8A, District 6 standings, with an overall record of 4-1, including 2-0 in the District.

Wharton’s offense took control early in the first quarter by starting the game with an 80-yard drive that ended with quarterback Chase Litton rushing 20 yards for a touchdown. Litton displayed his impressive throwing ability throughout the game. Head coach David Mitchell focused on establishing the passing game early and the success in the air allowed star running back Jeffery Keil to record more than 100 yards rushing against Newsome (now 3-3, 1-1), including a 40-yard touchdown jaunt late in the third quarter.

Mitchell is focused on making the playoffs, but doesn’t want to look to far into the future. “I don’t look past the team we’re playing next,” he said. “One game at a time. We’re trying to win a District title.”

In their next game on Oct. 11 (the evening you’re receiving this issue in your mailbox), the Cats will visit the Steinbrenner High Warriors in a non-District matchup. With a record of 1-4 and 0-2 in the State Class 7A, District 7 standings, the Warriors have struggled to maintain a game tempo through most of the season. Through the first four games, their defense has given up an average of nearly 210 yards passing and 160 yards rushing per game. Wharton’s offense should set the tone early and attempt to maintain control throughout.

Meanwhile, Wharton wide receiver Auden Tate is likely to see more targets than he did against Newsome. The key to maintaining control will depend on the number of penalties by the ‘Cats. An excess of penalties against Newsome made it a close game instead of a guaranteed win. Going forward, if penalties continue to be an issue it may decide whether Wharton will be in pursuit of a District title and a possible State playoff march or miss the postseason altogether.

On Oct. 18, the Wildcats will play their next District game at home against the Alonso High Ravens (3-3, 0-2). Although the Ravens are winless in the District, it won’t necessarily be an easy win for the ‘Cats. Alonso has averaged 154 yards passing and 145 yards rushing through the first five games. While those aren’t numbers for the record books, the ‘Cats have had occasional difficulty stopping the run. Look for linebacker Jeremy Jefferson and defensive end Antonio Joseph to play a major role in keeping the Ravens’ talented offense in check.

Wharton’s advantage going into the Alonso game is the Ravens’ own inability to stop the run. Against Newsome’s High’s run-heavy offense, Alonso gave up 456 rushing yards and 5 TDs on the ground. This bodes well for the Wildcats, whose offensive line has shown the ability to create running room against tough defenses. If Keil performs the way he did against Newsome, look for the talented RB to rush for at least 200 yards.

Wharton will host District co-leader and perennial juggernaut the Plant High Panthers (4-1-1, 2-0) on Oct. 25 in the last regular season home game of the year. Plant has posted impressive numbers on both sides of the ball. The Panthers boast an average of more than 200 yards passing through their first five games. Wharton’s defensive backs will have their hands full trying to disrupt Plant quarterback Colby Brown in the pocket.

On the other side of the ball, the Wildcats’ offensive line will have to be ready for the Panthers’ aggressive front seven. In their first four games, Plant tallied 26 sacks for a total loss of 152 yards. Should the offensive line falter, Litton has the ability to scramble out of the pocket and turn the threat of a sack into positive yards. Wharton’s coaches have given Litton the green light to take the run option when opportunity presents itself.

“They (the coaches) say if I feel it, go with it,” Litton said.

Both Plant and Wharton are in the position to take sole possession of the District lead in the coming weeks. If both teams continue their on-field success, it is likely the District title could be decided when these two teams meet towards the end of the season.

Freedom Still In The Hunt…But Barely!

You can count the penalties and the losses, but don’t count out the Patriots. The Freedom High football team stares down adversity every day, struggling to grab victory.

After a hard-fought 22-14 road loss to the Strawberry Crest Chargers in a non-District tilt on Sept. 27 and a tough 53-13 loss to the unbeaten (5-0, 2-0) Sickles High Gryphons, coach Todd Donohoe’s team now owns a record of 1-5, including 0-2 in State Class 7A, District 7, as the Pats struggle to stay in the playoff hunt. With three District games remaining on the schedule, Donohoe’s team has to go on a winning streak to advance.

“I think the offense is definitely starting to move the ball more,” Donohoe said. “They’re keeping the guys’ morale up and [we’re] opening [things] up in terms of throwing the ball more.”

Unfortunately for the Pats, Donohoe’s corrections weren’t enough to beat the Gryphons, who were fresh off of a bye week. The Sickles’ defense allowed only 81 yards in the second half. Sloppy mistakes continue to plague the Pats, including consecutive games of allowing a safety.

Following a bye week on Oct. 11, the Patriots will have their work cut out for them when they visit the Tampa Bay Tech High Titans (5-1, 2-0) in a District tilt on Oct. 18. The Titans’ offense has averaged this season and have outscored their opponents 86-28. If Freedom’s defensive coordinator Lyn Gross’ front seven can disrupt the passing game, then Freedom has a chance to control the ball game. The defense will have to play better than it did against Sickles to beat the Titans.

Whether the Pats can hang on against Tampa Bay Tech, their District match up favors them on Oct. 25 when they visit the Steinbrenner High Warriors (1-4, 0-2). The Warriors’ inconsistent defense should allow the Pats’ offense, led by quarterback DJ Grant, to set the game tempo early on. The Pats can get a District win if the defense can set the tone and the offense can improve, although Donohoe and his staff remain optimistic.

“I’m proud of our kids’ fight and the fact that they keep battling. That’s a good sign in terms of the future of our football program.”