Just when I thought my presence might be a good luck charm for area football teams, that luck ran out Friday, Sept. 11.
I’m joking, of course, but the Sept. 11 matchup at Strawberry Crest was a close one. After the Chargers spent most of the game in the lead, it went awry in the fourth quarter.
It wasn’t the most action-packed game of the season, but it certainly did have its moments.
The Chargers, for the most part, looked better than I’ve seen in a while. The defense did a solid job of containing Middleton’s athletic offense, which featured some big targets and a QB who wasn’t afraid to use his legs to make a play if he had to.
You can see things starting to click for Crest’s stop unit, which looks like it’ll be the team’s X-factor this season. The defense’s play could very well determine just how far the Chargers go this season. It only allowed one touchdown that night. Middleton’s first strike came on a fumble recovery at their own 44, which was promptly taken to the house in spite of the Crest offense’s efforts to stop it.
Yes, the offensive touchdown Crest did allow didn’t come at a favorable time (6:46 in the fourth quarter), but there was plenty of time for the offense to make something happen.
Crest’s offense, from what I saw that night, does show flashes of potential. Quarterback Tate Whatley made some good throws against the Tigers’ defense, most notably a 30-yard touchdown pass to tight end Austin Eldridge in the second quarter.
Much like Jameis Winston, however, it looks like Whatley still has much to learn as he continues to adapt his game from one level to the next. Throws that worked before the varsity level won’t work now, which is true of any level in the game, and I think Whatley’s talented enough to excel after some development.
Bryce Blackmon was named the team’s bell cow before the season, and the Chargers stuck with that plan on Friday. Blackmon, who transferred from Armwood before last season, broke off a few big runs throughout the game — most notably in the third quarter — and did manage to punch in a touchdown with just under a minute and one half left in the third. Crest had a 13-7 lead at that point and, all things considered, appeared to be in control.
But something clicked in the Tigers’ minds — and playbook — in the fourth quarter. The Middleton offense woke up for the first time all game.
We got three quarters of “same old Middleton” to start, followed by one quarter of “new Middleton.” That’s got to sting, if you’re a Crest supporter, and I’m sure the Chargers have been working on correcting those mistakes in practice all week.
Crest will need all the help it can get this week, as it’s set to face a Plant City High defense that makes Middleton’s athletic unit look like the Buccaneers’.
The Chargers have allowed opponents to score 92 points in the past three games, and will now have to deal with offensive stars like Markese Hargrove and T.J. Chase.
I predicted, in the 2015 Football Guide, that this would be a building year for the Chargers. The first three games certainly suggest this is the case. The times ahead look especially tough now, as we’ve reached the start of the gauntlet of one of Tampa Bay’s toughest districts, but Crest fans will just have to trust the process going forward.
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.