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COMPLETE STORY: DeSoto Overpowers Avon Park

Bulldog Defense Limits Devil Offense To 89 Yards

Jesse Osbourne/Highlands Today

Avon Park junior running back Virgil Cooper is overthrown and picked off near the end zone early in the Red Devils’ 41-0 loss to DeSoto Friday night.

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By Christopher  Hoffman | Highlands Today

Published: October 28, 2007

ARCADIA — As he fell to his knees, junior Virgil Cooper personified the 2007 season for the Avon Park football team.

"We just can't get a break," said Cooper after racing 38 yards on a punt return that put the Red Devils close to the end zone against DeSoto on Friday night, only to watch the play be called back due to a penalty.

Like so many plays this season for Avon Park, whenever something good happens, something bad usually follows.

DeSoto, on the other hand, has been the polar opposite of the Red Devils.
A fine-tuned football machine that cranks out big play after big play on both sides of the ball, the Bulldogs scored five rushing touchdowns and held Avon Park to just 89 yards of total offense to down the Red Devils 41-0 in a Class 3A-District 12 match-up at Bulldog Stadium.

"Injuries have really hurt us this season," Cooper said. "That, and a young offensive line has made it tough for us this season, but I'm not standing here making any excuses. We just have to be able to put it all together at once."

Putting it all together has proved difficult for the youthful Red Devils. AP head coach Earnest Perkins and his staff has never wavered from their trust and confidence in this group of young men.

"These kids are learning so many of life's experiences," said Fred Mixon, Sr. "They have a good young nucleus of players. Mark my words; the next two years are going to see a much stronger and more experienced football team.
"I've been around my share of coaches and this coaching staff is doing a great job. They're not giving up on these kids and the kids are not giving up either."

A young football team has to learn to take its lumps and Friday was more than Avon Park's fair share of them.
From the fumbling of the opening kick-off to the four interceptions, the Red Devils were overmatched against a seasoned DeSoto squad, whose combination of size and speed proved decisive.

After the fumble on the opening kick-off, the Bulldogs pitched the ball to tailback Jerrell Thomas, who ran a sweep around the Red Devil defenders for a 25-yard touchdown that made it 7-0 just 47 seconds into the game.

Avon Park looked good on their first possession, as Teddy Allen burst through the Bulldog defensive front for an 11-yard gain on their first play from scrimmage. Junior quarterback Albert Moses connected with freshman and junior varsity call-up Leroy Bonds for an 11-yard gain. A facemask penalty by the Bulldogs and the Red Devils were sitting pretty at the 30-yard line.

Two plays later, Moses' pass was tipped and DeSoto's Darrell Summersett came up with the ball for the first interception of the game. That play stopped what would turn out to be the most impressive drive for Avon Park on the night.

Two series' later, Bulldog quarterback Shay Shine hit receiver Naser Elabed wide open in the end zone for their second touchdown of the game and a 14-0 lead.

The Bulldog defense harassed Moses and the Red Devil offense relentlessly. Protection by the offensive line broke down on numerous occasions, leaving Moses to be blindsided twice in the game, resulting in a pair of fumbles.

DeSoto would score three more times before the half, first on a 10-yard run by tailback Brandon Hillard, then on a quarterback sneak by Shine from the goal line and Thomas' five yard scamper to give the Bulldogs a commanding 34-0 lead at intermission.

The Bulldogs used nine different runners and totaled 234 yards on the ground and five touchdowns to keep DeSoto undefeated with a 3-0 district record.
Avon Park dropped to 1-2 in the district and 1-8 overall.

A bright spot for the Red Devils was the emergence of Bonds, who caught two passes for 23 yards, and demonstrated his size and good hands.
"Future Star" is what Perkins called the freshman receiver, who scored seven touchdowns for the junior varsity team this season.

"I just wanted to come out and catch a couple of passes and make my team proud of me," said the 6-foot-1, 175-pound receiver. "I worked really hard to get to the varsity level and I was really surprised when I got the call this week to come play at varsity."

As the team walked off the field after another loss, the thoughts of next week's game against arch-rival Sebring was on the lips of many.
"If we beat Sebring," Mixon said, "that would put a halo on the season for us."

A halo and a possible playoff berth hang in the balance if the Red Devils can pull off the upset next week against the Blue Streaks, who are tied with Avon Park at 1-1 in district play.

A win over Sebring and a Hardee loss would put Avon Park into a tie with the Wildcats at 2-2 and force a tiebreaker scenario where anything can happen.
"It isn't over for us," said AP defensive coach Dwayne Council after the game.

Avon Park High School Football Photo Gallery

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