Strawberry Crest had every reason to be optimistic going into the Friday, Sept. 2, game. It was a fresh start. Newsome was coming off of a loss. Unlike most schools in Hillsborough County, Crest’s field was in good shape after Hurricane Hermine, and there was no cancellation.
Defensive tackle Connor Smith told me during the week he thought Crest could win in a shutout. Defensive end Noah Hand approached me at kickoff and said, “We’ve got to give you something to write about.”
I definitely got something to write about.
It wasn’t the best game for either side, as the referees didn’t hesitate to throw flags against both teams. A few touchdown plays were called back on mistakes Newsome players shouldn’t have made, and a few Crest drives were killed because of personal fouls and other penalties.
Both Newsome and Crest employed run-heavy offenses, but Newsome preferred to use wing formations to confuse the Chargers. All of Newsome’s (official) touchdowns came on the ground, and Wolves running backs — specifically Patrick Jolly — had little trouble getting past the Crest defensive linemen for positive yardage.
Based on what I saw, I believe many of Crest’s problems had to do with a lack of experience among the players. A lot of guys hesitated in situations when older, more experienced players wouldn’t have, and they made their frustrations obvious after the whistle. Hindsight is 20-20, but these are teachable moments.
Newsome’s defensive linemen put a constant flow of pressure on quarterback Braxton Plunk, who was forced to scramble and hold onto the ball for longer than he should have. Again, these are teachable moments: Plunk is a sophomore, and it was his second game as a varsity quarterback.
Of course, I do have to credit him and wideout Jamar Hart for hooking up on a nice 55-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the fourth quarter. The move got everyone on the Chargers’ side on their feet, even though the Wolves had already scored 35 points and wrapped up the game.
Crest does have a real chance to turn things around Friday, Sept. 9, with a game at Middleton. The Tigers, who have not had a winning season in at least the time I’ve been covering Plant City area sports, are currently 2-0. But those wins came against Leto (19-7) and King (12-6), two other teams not known to hit the .500 mark in a season. The Chargers nearly beat Middleton at home last year, so now is their chance to steal a road game.
After that game, Crest’s road is pretty rocky: it has to play Plant City, Tampa Bay Tech, Lennard, Durant and East Bay, before facing a new-look Bloomingdale team I have no idea what to make of just yet, and then ending the season at home against Gaither.
While I encourage all Chargers fans to support their school through thick and thin, not unlike how I’ve let the Buffalo Bills torment me for my entire life, I particularly encourage fans to make the drive out to Middleton High and catch it in person. In my opinion, it’s in this game Crest has its greatest chance of breaking its losing streak.
Remember, Charger fans: patience is a virtue, and high school football works in mysterious ways.