Sebring cruises to Classic win

Maybe all that preseason hype was justified, after all.

Quarterback Matt Grubb completed 8 of 9 passes for 118 yards and five total touchdowns, Daniel Burnett rushed for 186 yards on 18 carries and Sebring romped past Gateway Charter 49-0 on Friday night in the Fall Classic exhibition at Firemen's Field.

"I am confident in this team," Sebring coach Jared Hamlin said, "but it's still a process, and we can't look ahead."

It's hard not to after such a rousing start to the 2009 season - even if the lopsided victory won't count in the team's official record.

That won't prevent some area teams from taking notice, though.

"We know our abilities and we expect to blow everybody out," said Grubb, the junior quarterback who led four first-quarter touchdown drives in the first nine minutes of the game in a near-flawless first-half effort.

None of those scoring drives needed more than five plays as the Blue Streaks built a 28-0 lead against punchless Gateway Charter, which little resembled the team that won five games and averaged 27 points per game last season.

Indeed, the Griffins managed just one first down in the first half, and quarterback Marc Williams was limited to 37 yards on 4 of 19 passing with an interception. Their longest play from scrimmage: a 21-yard run by Dre Thomas just before halftime.

"I was surprised, I didn't think we'd come out firing like that and I thought we'd be a little flat," Burnett said. "But we came out pumping."

The Blue Streaks weren't perfect. But they were undoubtedly more efficient.

They committed four penalties inside the 30-yard line and curtailed two potential scoring drives with turnovers (both fumbles). Grubb's lone blemish - a fumble in the second quarter - was negated by a Clarence Counts interception, the third of Sebring's four first-half turnovers on defense. Junior linebacker Zac Morris recovered two fumbles and Tevin Toney added another.

"I am confident, but you don't want to confuse confidence with cockiness," said Hamlin, whose team went 3-7 last season. "We'll take confidence from this win, but we've got to stay humble and keep working."

As expected, Grubb found his favorite target, junior Devin Clarke, early and often in the preseason opener.

Clarke, one of the most dynamic players in the Heartland, hauled in a 9-yard touchdown pass on the fifth play of the game, breaking off a route and squeezing inside the left pylon for the game's first touchdown.

After Gateway Charter went three-and-out, Grubb again found Clarke on the very next play from scrimmage, this time a 42-yard score that gave the Blue Streaks a 14-0 lead with just 6 minutes elapsed.

Grubb added a 2-yard touchdown run, and less than a minute later, he found Clarke on a wide-receiver screen. The speedy junior dashed across the middle of the field, shed a few would-be tacklers and leapt into the end zone for a 23-yard score, putting the Blue Streaks ahead, 28-0.

The tandem was so successful Grubb admitted afterward that he began consciously checking other receivers, hoping to get them involved, too.

"We're real excited," said Clarke, who finished with four catches for 81 yards and three touchdowns. "I've got to give credit to the offensive line, though. They let Matt and me do our thing."

Gateway Charter moved into Sebring territory only twice in the first half - no thanks to its anemic offense. The Griffins crept inside the 50 after recovering a muffed punt, and again when a strong kickoff return put them on the Sebring 35-yard line. No matter: They proceeded to turn the ball over on downs on both possessions.

Hamlin was particularly impressed with the emergence of Burnett, the senior tailback, who ripped off a 34-yard run on the first play from scrimmage and didn't look back. He had 100 yards on the ground by the second quarter, finishing with 186 and two touchdowns.

"I'm so proud of the team," said Burnett, who scored on runs of 6 and 1 yards. "Last year everyone was saying that we're so young, but now there are no excuses. We expect to win."

Sebring will open the regular season next Friday at Lake Placid, which lost to Hardee 41-0 on Friday night.