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Highlands Today

Streaks Look To Catch 'Cats

Mark Pinson/Highlands Today

Sebring sophomore Devin Clarke makes a leaping catch in front of the Jensen Beach defense last week.

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By CHRIS HOFFMAN

Highlands Today

Published: October 10, 2008

SEBRING - It was another night of "what-ifs" for the Sebring Blue Steaks last week against Jensen Beach.

What if we hadn't of fumbled a kickoff? What if we hadn't allowed the Falcons to score before halftime? What if we had held their running back in check?

There's not much to say when your defense gives up 211 yards and five touchdowns to a single player, but Sebring head coach Jared Hamlin believes he has a solution to this major problem.

"Individual assignments are where we broke down against Jensen Beach," Hamlin said. "We didn't tackle well at all and they were able to break loose.

"But if there is a silver lining in that loss is that we never gave up. Our offensive line did a great job of protecting the quarterback and if certain plays would've gone our way, the outcome might have been different."
Jensen Beach tailback Gerald Footman ran roughshod over Sebring's defense for 211 yards and five touchdowns to keep the Blue Streaks playing catch-up the entire night.

The Blue Streaks battled furiously against the Falcons during Jensen Beach's homecoming last week, as sophomore quarterback Matt Grubb put his team on his shoulders and completed 19 of 42 passes for 288 yards and four touchdowns only to drop a 55-42 heartbreaker in a non-district game.

"Matt continues to prove to me and his team that he's a leader and can make plays when the pressure is on," Hamlin said. "Again, I praise the offensive line for giving Matt time to make those plays and protect him from a pretty good pass rush by Jensen Beach."
Grubb hooked up with receivers JC Howard and Devin Clarke on back-to-back possessions to cut the Falcons lead to seven with 10 minutes remaining in the game, but the Blue Streak defense couldn't come up with the big stop, as Jensen Beach tailback Gerald Footman broke free for a 62-yard scoring run to seal the win.

Put the comeback aside, what was missing from the Blue Streak attack against the Falcons was a good old fashioned running game, as tailback Daniel Burnett was held to just 14 yards on eight carries and Sebring rushed for a combined 16 yards for the game.

Hamlin was in agreement that the running game was non-existent against Jensen Beach, something he'd like to remedy against Class 4A-District 10 Hardee when they face them tonight at Wildcat Stadium.

"We obviously need to get Daniel more touches on the ball, but we were playing from behind after the first quarter and I felt we needed to go to the air and get back into the ball game," said the Blue Streak skipper. "Against an option offense like Hardee runs, we have to limit their possessions with a good running game."

Hardee, which has a 3-2 record, beat a winless Lakewood Ranch squad 21-7 in a game that saw quarterback Ezayi Youyoute dash for a pair of touchdowns, including a 41-yard option keeper on the final play of the third quarter to preserve the road victory.

The Blue Streak defense line will need to have a solid game in the trenches to be able to swarm to Youyoute and force him to the sidelines to take away the big gains.

"The option offense is like Novocain," Hamlin joked. "If you give it time, it'll always work. That's what they do best. They don't deviate from their game plan. Hardee can lose yards on consecutive plays, but they'll keep coming at you because they know that sooner or later they'll break free for a huge play.

"We as a team need to limit those opportunities and when we get them in a third and long situation that we hold them."

But more dangerous has been the 'Cats defense, which sacked Lakewood Ranch quarterback Zack Self six times and Hardee's run defense gave up a paltry 47 yards for the game.

"Hardee's defense is very aggressive and are always in the right position to make plays," Hamlin said. "But we have to keep them off balance and match their aggressiveness on offense."

NOTE: Hardee leads the all-time series 33-9-1, with last year's game going to Hardee by a score of 31-19.
Blue Streaks vs. Wildcats

at Hardee High School

TONIGHT at 7:30

COST $5

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