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Highlands Today

Avon Park Can't Wait For Next Year

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By Christopher  Hoffman | Highlands Today

Published: November 11, 2007

PALMETTO –– The laughs and jeers on the way to the football field by some spectators didn't go unnoticed by the Avon Park Red Devil football players, who have found new strength in this watershed season.

Thier season may have ended with a 41-0 rout at the hands of the playoff-bound Palmetto Tigers at Harllee Stadium on Friday, but the mood was upbeat and an sense of excitement for what lies ahead for the underclassman that endure all the hardships this year was felt.

"I don't listen to what other people say," AP's Tekovin Miller said. "We don't care what they've said about us or our coaches. We needed to go through this to come back even stronger next season."
Red Devil linebacker Dwayne Council Jr. has grown into a very vocal leader in his first full season on varsity, making a point to acknowledge his coaches and all the fans support and promises that next season will hold some surprises.

"You wait until next year," Red Devil linebacker Dwayne Council Jr. said. "The experience we got playing this season was so valuable for all us underclassman. I thank the coaching staff for giving us a chance this season to grow as players.

"Now we know what it takes to play with teams like this [Palmetto]. I really can't wait for next year."
Playing the game with countless lineup and personel changes, Perkins used this game to give the future of the Red Devils football a chance to see the field and get a taste of the gridiron.
"I'm really looking forward to the future here in Avon Park," the AP skipper said. "This seemed like the longest season of my career, but these kids learned a very valuable lesson this year.

"They learned that when your young, you're going to make mistakes. You just have to grow from those mistakes and I think this team is poised for a growth spurt."
Even with so many new faces in the game, Avon Park was able to move the ball down the field, using an effective running game to tally 74 yards on the ground in the first half. Senior Troy Knight rushed for 32 of those yards, while Terrell Conner broke the longest run of the game for the Red Devils, scampering for 12 yards.

Palmetto on the other hand, used the rocket arm of Bryan Smith, who passed for 211 yards and a touchdown –– including a picture perfect bomb to receiver Vantrez Yarn for a 47-yard pickup that set up Jeremiah McKinney's first of two goal-line touchdowns to put the Tigers up 14-0 with three minutes left in the first.

McKinney would add another one-yard burst for a touchdown and Smith connected with his favorite target –– Donald Campbell –– for a 39-yard touchdown strike to give Palmetto a 28-0 lead at the half.
Campbell would finish with 128 yards receiving for the Tigers.

As large as the deficit would grow, the Avon Park players never quit, playing hard on every play, which forced a fumble which was recovered by junior Vincent Perry on the Tiger's four-yard line, but Palmetto's run defense loaded the line of scrimmage to negate the Red Devils' scoring chance and AP turned it over on downs.

With the '07 season in the twilight, Avon Park can look back and know that some opportunities were lost, some wasted, but their heart as football players could never be questioned.

"We never quit on ourselves or our coaches," Council said. "I want our fans to know that we'll be back and better than ever."

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