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| (Joshua C. Cruey, Orlando Sentinel/October 14, 2011) Leesburg's Trevone Perry runs the return for a touchdown breaking a 0-0 tie during third quarter action of a high school football game against South Sumter in Bushnell, Fla. on Friday October 14, 2011. |
Jackets Upset 5th ranked Bushnell South Sumter at Raider Field 13-7.
By Gerald Lacey
Staff Writer
Carver Heights Quarterback Club
October 15, 2011
BUSHNELL - Leesburg High School second year coach Randy Trivers took his Fightin' Jackets into Sumter County onto Raider Field Friday night, looking for the program's first big signature win in his tenure. This was a epic defensive struggle between two of the nations best high school football programs. Junior Austin Walker came up with a big interception with just a over a minute left in the game to upset Inman Sherman's South Sumter Raiders in Bushnell, Florida 13-7.
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| Leesburg Head Football Coach Randy Trivers |
"I'm so proud of this football team right now." Leesburg coach Randy Trivers told his players after the game. "This is a great win for our program. That's a heckuva football team we just played. (South Sumter Coach Inman) Sherman is a first-class man and has done a tremendous job with South Sumter and being able to come in here and win is a fantastic moment for us."
"We're trying to take our program to a different level and to do that you have play and beat teams like South Sumter."
The win was the first over a state ranked team in the Randy Trivers coaching era at Leesburg. South Sumter came into the game ranked 5th in the Class 4A State Football poll, 16th in the Orlando Sentinel Super 16 High School Poll. Trivers had his Jackets up and ready for the big game atmosphere at sold out Raider Field. It was the Jackets first trip to Bushnell since 1994 when former San Diego Chargers Safety Clint Hart was the quarterback for the Raiders.
"This has been a more of a routine week, I have been so concerned about our opponent," said Trivers. "Most of my time has been going into looking at video tape and preparing with our coaches and our players." "So I haven't really gotten into the public buzz too much, but I think its clear and evidenced that our players know that we are facing an excellent opponent and our focus has been good this week." They practiced well and I am certain that people in the community are looking forward to a very excellent football game between two good football teams." So I think we will have a good group of fans out there at the game to help support us."
Raider Field is arguably one of the best high football venues in the state of Florida if not the country. There was pink ribbons painted on the field and bows around the stadium in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness. The Jackets were playing on the road for the fourth time in five weeks.
The Raiders received the opening kickoff and went three and out. On fourth and 3 the Jackets punt team partially blocked a Christopher Mobley punt and South Sumter down it's own 43 yard line. The punt traveled only 18 yards giving Leesburg excellent field position on its first possession of the game.
Leesburg junior running back Anthony Miller (32 carries, 228 yards, 4 Td's, 7.7 yards per carry was out of the lineup with a undisclosed injury). Replacing him was senior safety Trevone Perry (Sr., 6-0, 190), (grandson of 1977 Class 3A Leesburg Boys Basketball State Champion Mathis Walker) who had a big performance on offense, defense and special teams.
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| (JOSHUA C. CRUEY, ORLANDO SENTINEL/October 14, 2011) Leesburg's Juilliard Roberts spins to evade South Sumter's Brandon Anderson during second quarter action of a high school football game against South Sumter in Bushnell, Fla. on Friday October 14, 2011. |
"Unfortunately we are going to be missing one our top backs and top players in Anthony Miller who is going to be out in this game," said Trivers moments before the game on the Randy Trivers show (Daily Commercial Friday Night Lights, WLBE790, www.my790am.com). "He has done a real good job for us carrying the football and doing some things for us offensively with blocking and some different things" "We are going to miss him."
The Jackets started their first possession from the South Sumter 43 yard line after a short gain on second down by Perry and a Leesburg penalty, the Yellow Jackets found themselves with a third and long situation. Junior Quarterback Undra Mitchem, Jr. ( 6-1, 200) hit senior wide receiver Juilliard Roberts, Jr. (6-1, 175) with a 9 yard pass setting up fourth and 3 from the Raiders 36 yard line. Trivers decided to go for it and once again Mitchem found a open receiver Lee Bennett for 7 yards completion keeping the drive alive. After a couple of short gains on the ground Leesburg found itself with another third and long and Mitchem found senior RB/WR/KR Jalen Dozier (Sr., 5-5, 150) for a 8 yard gain setting up a fourth and inches. Perry took a handoff and went off tackle and was stacked up short of the first down, igniting the large Raider crowd.
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| (JOSHUA C. CRUEY, ORLANDO SENTINEL/October 14, 2011) The Leesburg marching band performs at halftime of a high school football game against South Sumter in Bushnell, Fla. on Friday, October 14, 2011. |
"They are exceptional in many ways, I think when you look at a good football team it always starts with good defense," said Trivers. "They are a very athletic and they're interior defensive line they will hit you. They run to the football and they are very aggressive".
South Sumter's offense took over on its 21 yard line with 6:35 left in the first quarter. It was evident early that this was going to be a classic grind it out defensive struggle in this game. On first and 10. Clay Simmons picked up 16 yards on a carry up to the 37 yard line. A couple of plays later the drive stalled. On fourth and inches South Sumter tried a fake punt and was stopped short of a first down. Leesburg again had good field position to start a drive with 4:40 left in the first quarter.
The Raiders defense stiffened up on the next drive and picked off a Mitchem pass intended for Dozier. Jessmer seemed to just wrestle the ball away from Dozier. Leesburg failed to capitalize on good field position for the second time in the opening quarter.
"In South Sumter you see a pressure, pressure team defensively and they come from all angles," said Trivers on the South Sumter defense. "They're defense is so smothering."
South Sumter's offense couldn't move the football and had to punt Christopher Mobley placed the punt down to the Jackets 4 yard line Leesburg worst field position of the night. The Raiders defense held once again and forced a Leesburg punt. Sophomore Austin Walker's punt was partially blocked and the Raiders had their best field position of the contest on the Jackets 26 yard line with 41 seconds left in the first quarter. The Raiders moved down to the Jackets 16 yard line. On first and 10 from the Jackets 16 yard line Leesburg's defense caused a Raider fumble and junior OLB Jordan Tucker (6-3, 200) pounced on the football for the Jackets. Tucker has had a takeaway in the last three games for Leesburg.
"I thought we played good against the run and the pass and did a really nice job of taking them out of some things that they do," said Trivers. I thought our guys really executed well."
Leesburg mounted one more scoring drive before the half. The offense moved down to the Raiders 24 yard line, but once again the Raider defense came up big and the drive stalled. The score at halftime was Leesburg 0 South Sumter 0.
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| (JOSHUA C. CRUEY, ORLANDO SENTINEL/October 14, 2011) South Sumter's Garrett McMullen runs the ball for yardage during second quarter action of a high school football game against Leesburg in Bushnell, Fla. on Friday, October 14, 2011. |
"This may be the best team we've seem all year," said Trivers moments before the game. "We lost to a outstanding East Ridge team, I am not sure that this South Sumter team is just as good or better than them. They look good on tape they look tough"
Both teams went into halftime and made adjustments.
"Coach Sherman's teams they two platoon and they have been traditionally known to wear some teams down," said Trivers. "We don't play too many guys both ways either we are hope that we can stick with them. Coach Sherman does a great job with how they use their personnel, certainly they have the ability to wear you down".
Leesburg came out the locker room for the second half inspired. South Sumter kicked off to start the half and Perry took in the kick on the four yard line and went 96 yards for a touchdown for the first score of the ball game.
"That was a key play," Leesburg coach Randy Trivers said of Perry's return. "The funny thing, I was watching the blocking and the way the play set up and I thought, 'If he catches the ball, he gone. That was a big play."
The kickoff return was the first for a touchdown for the Jackets kickoff team this season. It was Perry's first touchdown of the 2011 season and suddenly the crowd was alive on the visitors side of the stadium. Perry finished the game with 128 all purpose yards, a touchdown and a half of dozen tackles on defense from his safety position. The P.A.T. was blocked and Leesburg was up 6-0 with 11:47 left in the third quarter.
"(Perry's) score was huge," Trivers said. "It gave us a lead and got us going. We needed a spark and Tre's run gave us one."
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| (JOSHUA C. CRUEY, ORLANDO SENTINEL/October 14, 2011) Leesburg Cheerleaders perform during second quarter action of a high school football game against South Sumter in Bushnell, Fla. on Friday, October 14, 2011. |
South Sumter tried to answer moving the ball all the way down to the Jackets twenty yard line. Sophomore Jeremy Jones came up big on defense for Leesburg first with a quarterback sack, and it forced a third and long from the 30 yard line. Jones broke up a Simmons pass on the next play. On fourth down Simmons overthrew his receiver and South Sumter turned the ball over on downs.
"It was a very good performance by our defense we were able to do a good job number one keeping them from getting into the end zone," said Trivers on the defensive stand.
On the next series for Leesburg on second down Mitchem was picked off by DE Darien Williston (Jr., 6-3, 223), Mitchem's second interception on the night his sixth of the season. The turnover gave South Sumter and its fans new life. With 8:51 left in the third quarter the Raiders had good field position with the ball resting on the Jacket 11 yard line. A couple of plays later Garrett McMullen bulled his way into the end zone from three yards out. South Sumter was finally on the scoreboard. The P.A.T. was blocked the score was now tied up at 6.
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"Well I think most important is getting the win, but I think whenever defensive players in the game of football they always love to be able to get that what they call the goose egg," said Trivers. "To have that shutout is always a badge of honor, but as a head coach you look to be able to do that every game. Realistically its a "W" in reality whether they scored 0,10 or 20 as long as we scored more in the end and we get the "W" and it goes into the win column that is the most important thing ."
Leesburg answered back and went on a eight play drive and on the final play of the drive Mitchem hit D'Mauri Jones with a 15 yard touchdown pass on the first play of the fourth quarter. Mitchem completed 15-of-25 passes for 130 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Sophomore Placekicker James Eldridge P.A.T. was good and the Jackets had a 13-7 lead.
South Sumter didn't give up with 5 minutes and 31 seconds left in the game its special teams block Walker's punt giving the Raiders the football at the Leesburg 30 yard line. The "Black Jackets" defense turned it's intensity level up a notch and allowed the Raiders offense only 2 yards. The Raiders turned the ball over on downs.
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| (JOSHUA C. CRUEY, ORLANDO SENTINEL/October 14, 2011) Leesburg's D'Mauri Jones runs the ball for yardage during first quarter action of a high school football game against South Sumter in Bushnell, Fla. on Friday, October 14, 2011. |
South Sumter had one more chance to tie the game up with with less two minutes to play, but Leesburg's stellar defense once again rose to occasion. Austin Walker picked off Clay Simmons pass with 1 minute and 18 seconds left in the game to seal the non district win for the Jackets. The South Sumter faithful started heading towards the Raider Field exits and Leesburg ran out the remaining time on the clock to improve it's record to 6-1 (1-1).
"We needed to come out and play a good defensive ball game and get back to some of the things that we were doing to get us going early in the year with some good tough defense," said Trivers "So we were excited about that defensive performance."
Three assistant coaches were injured in an accident driving to the game. According to Lake County Schools spokesman Chris Patton the coaches were driving separate from the team because they were bringing equipment to the game that didn't fit on the school bus. Patton said two of the coaches were taken to Leesburg Regional Medical Center and a third was airlifted to a trauma center.
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| (JOSHUA C. CRUEY, ORLANDO SENTINEL/October 14, 2011) South Sumter's Keanu Neal runs the ball for yardage during first quarter action of a high school football game against Leesburg in Bushnell, Fla. on Friday, October 14, 2011. |
"It's a great win for our program," Trivers said. "You think what is on the minds of our coaches and players with a life threatening car accident."
The Jackets will travel to Orlando to meet Class 7A District 4 opponent Maynard Evans High School on Friday. The Trojans are on top of the district with a 2-0 record and 6-0 overall. They are the 9th ranked team in the Super 16 High School Poll. A victory will put Leesburg in a three way tie with Evans and Clermont East Ridge. A loss would eliminate the Jackets from the 2011 FHSAA Playoffs. Game time is 7:30 at newly renovated Double E Stadium.
South Sumter will travel to Mount Dora for a Class 4A-District showdown.
Leesburg 13, South Sumter 6
THIRD — L: Perry 90 kickoff return (kick failed); SS: Bannister 3 run (kick failed). FOURTH —.L: Jones 15 pass from Mitchem (Eldridge kick).
Resources
Photos by:
JOSHUA C. CRUEY
ORLANDO SENTINEL
October 14, 2011 Article Written by:
Gerald Lacey
Staff Writer
Carver Heights Quarterback Club
Class of 1988 Leesburg High School
www.leesburgyellowjacketsfootball.com
Gerald is a professional Internet marketer and social media marketing expert. His online business ventures and websites generate multiple streams of income annually. His consulting clients include best selling authors and international speakers.
Gerald is the CEO/President of Lacey LLC and OmariWholesale, Inc. He runs his entire business from his home where he is able to spend quality time with his family and friends. He is passionate about helping individuals to build and monetize their personal brand online.
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