Leesburg Proves A Point Vs. Lake Weir, September 10, 1988

Hubert O. Dabney Stadium, Home Of The Jackets

September 10, 1988|By Joe Williams of The Sentinel Staff

LEESBURG — In a game that new Leesburg coach Richard Kennedy felt his team had to win in order to make believers out of the student body and the community, the Yellow Jackets did just that, defeating Lake Weir, 21-8, Friday night before 4,000 fans at Memorial Stadium.

It was only the third time in the past eight years that it Leesburg has won its season opener. It is also the first time in eight years that a Lake Weir-Leesburg game has been decided by more than seven points.

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Leesburg scored all of its touchdowns on big plays. A 44-yard run by halfback Undra Mitchem in the first quarter, a 51-yard run by fullback Lee Hanks in the second quarter and a 70-yard pass from quarterback Greg Engle to tight end Greg Engle on the fourth play of the second half.

''We did have some big plays, and they won the game for us,'' said Kennedy, who is trying to turn around a program that has had only one winning season in the past 12 years. ''I'm a little disappointed that we weren't more consistent on offense, and we had one bad series on defense where I think we got too conservative.''

Lake Weir scored with 1:09 remaining in the third quarter when tackle Troy Exum recovered Kelvin Coleman's fumble in the end zone after Coleman was stopped just short of the goal line.

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Although Leesburg's backs consistently gave up the short passes, they prevented Lake Weir's run-and-shoot attack from connecting on any big plays. They also intercepted three passes -- cornerback Willie Dickens had two and safety Tommy Willis had the other.

But, with Leesburg's secondary playing soft, Lake Weir quarterback Paul Johnson rolled up some impressive numbers, completing 12 of 24 passes for 111 yards. The longest play was for 20 yards, and wingback John Monroe, who had seven receptions for 74 yards, broke three tackles on that play.

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Mitchem, who went over the 100-yard mark before losing 3 yards on his final carry, ended the game with 98 yards on 14 carries.

''I felt like we could beat Lake Weir,'' Kennedy said. ''I thought we had a better football team. I think this proves that there is nothing wrong with Leesburg, and there is nothing wrong with Leesburg's football players.

''If this win doesn't do a lot for them Leesburg's players, there is something wrong with them. I know it does a lot for me. I just want everybody to believe in us. I want the school to believe in us. I want the faculty to believe in us. And I want the community to believe in us.''

Resources 

By Joe Williams

of The Sentinel Staff

Orlando Sentinel

www.orlandosentinel.com 

September 10, 1988

Article provided by:

Gerald Lacey

Staff Writer

Carver Heights Quarterback Club

1986 Varsity Jackets Football Lettermen

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.

Florida-bound Taylor Has Fsu Background

 

February 02, 1989|By Joe Williams of The Sentinel Staff

LEESBURG — The story of Ryan Taylor's decision to sign a football grant with the University of Florida could be entitled: A Seminole son goes to Gainesville; or perhaps, depending on the success of his collegiate career, it might be called: The Seminole who got away.

You see, Ryan Taylor, the 6-foot-5, 260-pound offensive lineman from Leesburg High School who announced Tuesday that he had committed to sign with the Gators, grew up in a Seminole household. Garnet and gold are the predominate colors in the Taylor house. Mom, Frances, and dad, Larry, grew up in Seminole country, Panama City, and both graduated from FSU. His parents are FSU boosters. Ryan's car was adorned with an FSU license tag and Seminole bumper stickers.

No doubt, when little Ryan was growing up, his parents envisioned him attending Florida State.

But what apparently happened is that the Florida coaches saw something in Ryan that the FSU coaches didn't. They wanted him, they went after him, and they got him.

The result is that Ryan is scheduled to sign with Florida next Wednesday at 1 p.m. in the office of Leesburg High School principal Ellis Wiley.

''There were a couple of times that I thought, should I really go to Florida?'' Ryan said. ''I grew up hating Florida, I mean, really hating Florida. But that has all changed.''

When Florida first started contacting Ryan, it became somewhat of a joke around the Taylor house. But Florida's persistence won over the Taylors.

''Florida was the first school he received anything from,'' said Larry Taylor, a Leesburg attorney. ''You know, he got one of those questionnaires asking for biographical information. Around our house, it was one of those things that you just kind of held out away from you like you do when something smells bad.

''It started out as a joke. We just couldn't perceive Ryan going to Florida.''

But a little thing like a Mother's Day card, sent from UF to Frances, made the Taylors start to look a little more seriously at the Gators. Florida had made the earliest and deepest inroads.

Schools like Wake Forest, the University of Miami, Auburn, Georgia Tech, FSU and the University of Central Florida tried to catch up, but couldn't. Ryan leaned towards Florida early in the recruiting process and nothing he saw about the program, or anything his parents saw, changed his initial beliefs.

 

''They made Ryan feel like he was wanted,'' Larry said. ''With a kid that is kind of a big deal. All the guys that we met at Gainesville, we've been very impressed with. To me, Florida had one of the best organized recruiting situations.

''People have said Florida has one of the best recruiting programs around and I think they do.''

Larry and Frances may not be ready to turn in their Seminole Booster cards yet, in fact, Larry said he will re-enlist as a booster this year. But, don't be surprised if more and more orange and blue fixtures begin to show up in the Taylor house in the not too distant future.

Some changes already have taken place. Ryan has taken the FSU tag and stickers off his car and put a Gator bumper sticker on in their place. A friend of his father gave Larry a stuffed Gator mascot that is now displayed in the home.

''When I go to the Florida games, I will wear orange and blue because I feel an allegiance towards them,'' Larry said. ''My attitude is that if you treat my son well, then I'm going to like you. Florida has treated Ryan well.

''I'm not saying it isn't going to be easy rooting for Florida. I started at FSU in 1958 so I've been a Florida State fan for 30 years, but I also have a lot of good friends who went to Florida. It's just changing from an indian mascot to an alligator.

''Basically, though, I think I am a Gator and there is a little garnet and gold in there.''

''One thing that we tried to be very, very careful about is not to influence him because it is going to be five years of his life,'' Larry said. ''Of course, we would have loved it if he could have gone to Florida State and played for Bobby Bowden, but that didn't happen.''

Ryan was kind of a late-comer on the scene. After not playing football as a freshman and only playing junior varsity as a sophomore, he had a lot of lost time to make up for. Larry Taylor credits Leesburg Coach Richard Kennedy for helping build Ryan into a major college prospect.

''I don't know if the people of Leesburg know how lucky they are to have Coach Kennedy,'' Larry said.

RESOURCES

February 02, 1989
Joe Williams of The Sentinel Staff
Orlando Sentinel

Article provided by:
Gerald Lacey
Staff Writer
Carver Heights Quarterback Club
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.