Hillsborough’s Earl Garcia will look to become the second member of the 200-win club in Hillsborough County when the Terriers host the Gryphons.
He will look to join Billy Turner, who will be opposing him in the Sickles’ coaching box, as the only two coaches in Hillsborough County with 200 wins. Turner has 254 wins. The Gryphons are coached by his son Brian.
Hillsborough (5-1, 3-0) is coming off a 48-20 win over defending State Champion Jefferson Dragons where it dominated on the ground and through the air.
Sickles (4-1, 1-1) is coming of a 35-0 loss at the hands of an undefeated Armwood team.
The Matchup: Both teams have a dominant running game. Sickles averages over 215 yards per game. Hillsborough averages over 185 yards per game. I don’t see either team getting to their average yards on the ground. Both teams have strong defensive fronts. A big factor I see putting Hillsborough firmly ahead offensively is Evan Jennings. He leads the team with 14 catches for a team best 225 years and 4 touchdowns. His combination of size, speed and body control have yet to be met by a defensive back.
We saw the Terriers come out swinging and opened up the passing game early last week. They scored three times before establishing a running game and controlling the clock. It will be very important for the Gryphons front four to get pressure on Jeremy Agrinzonis to not allow the big connection with Jennings, who is averaging better than 16 yards per catch and Anthony Brown who is second on the team with seven catches for 190 yards, an average of 27 yards per catch.
Playoff Implications: The 6A-8 matchup will put the winner in control of its own destiny to make the playoffs. For the Terriers, they have only missed the playoffs twice since Earl Garcia arrived in 1993. Brian Turner took his 6-5 Gryphons to the playoffs in his first season at the helm earning the Runner-Up in the District last year. Sickles has made the postseason 3-of-the-last-4 season between Turner and Patrick O’Brien.
What to Watch for: I do not think Sickles will be able to count on 200 yards on the ground. Ladondra Crittenden and Yhaquille Grant have been phenomenal – And I’m sure they will be great again, but the Hillsborough defense looks to be up to the task with a dominant defensive line. So the question is: will Sickles be able to throw the ball? Nate Mills has answered that question thus far. He is completing around 50 percent of his passes and has thrown for over 500 yards. Mills’ favorite target Bilal Salat can be slowed, but not stopped. The 6-3 junior has nearly 300 yards receiving already this year.
The Hillsborough defensive line will look to get in Mills’ face so he cannot sit back in the pocket and find Salat (averaging 18 yards per catch) down the field. Expect Coach Turner to get the ball in Salat’s hands early in the game on short passing route hoping he can break one (his long is a 74-yard-TD catch).
This will be a fun game to watch with lots of emotion. It is Hillsborough’s Homecoming game. Coach Garcia is looking for his 200th win. Both teams are looking to control their own destiny in the District. This isn’t a game you want to miss.