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Highlands Today

Streaks Eye 'Crisp' Performance

Brian Gjurgevich/Highlands Today

Sebring's Matt Grubb (right) and Daniel Burnett listen for instruction during a break in the action last week at Tenoroc.

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By BRIAN GJURGEVICH

Highlands Today

Published: September 5, 2008

SEBRING - Looking solely at the numbers, it's easy to see why Sebring football fans were elated over last week's preseason thumping of Tenoroc on the road on the Titans' home field.

A 36-point win, four touchdowns by first-year quarterback Matt Grubb and more than 100 yards from feature back Daniel Burnett certainly added up to victory, but a few negatives along the way left Blue Streak coach Jared Hamlin somewhat unsatisfied.

"We've worked hard on our mental game this week at practice," said Hamlin on the eve of tonight's regular season opener against Martin County, which is set for 7:30 p.m. at Firemen's Field. "We scored points, and I was proud of that, but we didn't execute as well as I'd like on either side of the ball.

"I'm more concerned with penalties than anything else, and a majority were mental."

Hamlin said false starts, offsides and multiple dropped passes left the Streaks hungry for a more crisp performance tonight against the Tigers.

"We're not trying to do anything new, we're trying to get better at what we're doing," Hamlin said. "We've got to be sound in the way we line up, and play properly."

Sophomore signal-caller Grubb certainly made a splash in his varsity debut: Despite two interceptions, Grubb was poised and accurate in his 13-for-24, 206-yard debut, two traits he'll need tonight against a Tiger defense that features dangerous senior safety Gillie St. Hill.

Hamlin said St. Hill was the best athlete on the field in last year's game and that St. Hill was also a threat as a receiver.

"He'll be back there playing centerfield," Hamlin said. "But he'll come up and hit a running play in the mouth."

Offensive linemen Kevon Daughma and Dewey Sebring stood out up front against the Titans, opening holes for the punishing Burnett to exploit. Senior Tom Quigg, a first-year player, also held his own and showed some good things against the Titans, something Hamlin, a former lineman himself, said will need to continue this week.

"We preach finishing their blocks all week and every week," Hamlin said. "Every play, that's the biggest thing.

"We talk about coming off the line like a tsunami and finishing it."

Hamlin said senior Javarus Sanders had a standout game against the Titans, making three catches for 40 yards and showing plenty of strength and savvy on blocking assignments.

"Everything Sanders did was at full-speed," Hamlin said. "He gets to where he's supposed to be."

After holding the Titans to 31 yards on the ground, Hamlin said he's encouraged by his run defense so far.

"We're going to do what we do," Hamlin said. "They run a lot of leave plays, so we're going to have to be physical and fill those lead holes. The linebackers are going to have to step in hard and the D-line needs to squeeze those holes down."

With the Firemen's Field lights getting ready to shine on a home game - and the home sideline's new blue and white seats - for the first time this season, Hamlin expects his young team to be a bit nervous against a team the Streaks have met on just one previous occasion: last year's 35-0 loss.

"Each week is like the first week in our season," Hamlin said. "From week to week, the scores might change, but we're focusing on whether we get better.

"We don't want to be satisfied, because that means we're not getting better."

Blue Streaks vs. Tigers

at Firemen's Field

TONIGHT at 7:30

COST $5

Brian Gjurgevich can be reached at 863-386-5841 or bgjurgevich@highlandstoday.com.

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