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Thursday, February 9, 2012

This Week's Mirages, October 2, 1969



Mike Fowler
Daily Commercial
Sports Editor
October 2, 1969

Of all the surprises of the 1969 Area Prep football season, perhaps the honor of the biggest surprise of all goes to Leesburg Yellow Jackets Gene Elton, who kicked his first two competition field goals in last Friday's game with DeLand one to tie the score at 3-3 in the last two seconds of the first half, one early in the third quarter to give the Jackets their margin of victory-though they later scored two touchdowns for padding.

"Forty-nine yards," said Elton the next day, when he read about his heroics in the Commercial. "Did I really kick one that far?"

The ball was on the DeLand 24 yard-line. Elton kicked from perhaps 15 yards behind that line-or, say, the DeLand 39. The goalposts are ten yards behind the goalline. Total: 49 yards.

Not bad at all for a first try-especially a first try under such pressure.







Elton, incidentally, has had trouble kicking conversions-he has a habit of watching the charging linemen, taking his eye off the ball at the last minute. He missed his first three competition tries that way, in the Jamboree at Eustis, made a couple in the Orange and Black intrasquad game, made his first that counted against St. Augustine. Then, with the linemen really charging he came through with that 49-yard field goal against DeLand.

Even with the traitorous coin which picked Clermont over Umatilla, and the surprising tie Tavares hung on Mount Dora, last week's prognostication record was 5-1-1, identical to the first week's bringing the season record to 10-2-2, which we will have framed to be hung in an honored spot in our storage room, right over the lawnmower.

This week is a dazzler, a week to blind any would-be seer, with at least four games appearing, mirage-like, baffling to one who would gaze into the future. (Picture clouds of eerie fog in the sports office.)

Wildwood gaining momentum toward a berth in the state Class B playoffs, travels to Tavares to meet Florida High, another team preparing strong credentials for the playoffs. Eustis (still another Class B powerhouse) goes to Winter Garden to meet Lakeview, a Class A team. Gutsy and surprising Umatilla goes to Bushnell to meet South Sumter, which got rolling in a big way last week. And the two disappointments of the season, Mount Dora and Clermont,
square off in Mount Dora looking for their first victories.

Those are the tough ones.





Not so tough--maybe--is Leesburg and Osceola. The Yellow Jackets have all pistons pumping--running, passing, defense, kicking, and momentum (Five cylinders but good ones)-and though Osceola is no pushover (the Cowboys beat Lakeview last week 30-6) all that should be too much, especially when you add in friendly home territory for the Yellow jackets. Over-confidence could stop the Jackets, but we don't think the Cowboys can. Leesburg, with Mike Napier breaking loose for a big passing game, will win, 28-7.

Groveland plays St. Cloud in St. Cloud. The Bulldogs tied Mount Dora, but got rough treatment at the hand of Eustis last week. With only 17 boys on the team, St. Cloud lost two with broken bones, and the creaky single wing offense is bending under their strain. Groveland discovered against Lake Weir that it's as good as it is big. The Greenies should win, 35-14.

And now the toughies.

Wildwood vs. Florida High is the big game of the week. The Wildcats have made it look easy against two tough teams, Williston and Crystal River. Florida High has beaten two not-so-tough teams, 30-0 and 35-0. Will the tougher competition help Wildwood? We think so Dub Palmer's team has a rock like defense to back up Wayne Allen, Dale Nichols, Elijah Jackson, Bruce Johnson. Not just Area patriotism say Wildwood will win a knucklegnawer, 21-14.

Likewise will Eustis top Lakeview, but not so easily as the Panthers have romped against Tavares and St. Cloud. Lakeview lost to Osceola last week and will be trying to get back into the winning column. But Eustis is all talent, deep, and sports the best record on offense and one of the best defense in the Area. Both will receive some tarnish as the Panthers win, 30-14.






Umatilla vs. South Sumter is spirit and talent vs. Size, talent and momentum. Much of South Sumter's 41 points last week came on big plays and some of those trace to defensive errors by Citrus. Umatilla doesn't figure to make those mistakes--and the Bulldogs are used to scoring, to-40 against Sanford B, 18 against Clermont. We picked against Umatilla last week and were wrong. Make them upset winners, 14-13.

Now Mount Dora and Clermont. Both were highly regarded before the season opened, neither has lived up to expectations. Mount Dora has been tied twice, Clermont has lost twice. Pick a winner? Here comes another coin, it's in the air, and it says heads-Clermont to win its first, 12-6.

And now the most dazzling mirage of all, dancing in the future like some hazy Seminole Indian, appearing and disappearing on the horizon, looking...yes, victorious.

The Gators haven't shown any defense. The Seminoles have. Reaves; Alvarez and Co., are great, but sophomores. Capplelman is great and he's not a sophomore.

FSU over Florida, 40-30.



Resources

Mike Fowler
Sports Editor Daily Commercial
www.dailycommercial.com
October 2, 1969
 
Leesburg Public Library
100 East Main Street
Leesburg, Florida 34748
VISIT ONE OF OUR BLOGS BELOW: 

Article provided by:
Gerald Lacey
Staff Writer
Carver Heights Quarterback Club
1986 Varsity Jackets Football Lettermen #82
Class of 1988 Leesburg High School
leesburgyellowjacketsfootball@yahoo.com
www.leesburgyellowjacketsfootball.com
















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