PINELLAS PARK – They needed ten yards on fourth down to extend their postseason chances, and got nine–and another two feet and six inches. Pinellas Park learned the cruel lesson that this game can be one of inches at the worst possible time. In the end it was the East Lake Eagles celebrating their second quarter triumph and a trip to Plant City as the 7A-10 runners-up to Countryside after stopping the Patriots at midfield with under a minute left in the second quarter to secure a 7-3 margin of victory.
1st Quarter: East Lake 15, St. Petersburg 8
The Eagles got to the second quarter session by virtue of a “shootout” win against St. Petersburg, and making a huge stop backed up to their own goal line, forcing a fumble with under two minutes to play. The action got started with quickly on the second play from scrimmage with East Lake’s Bobby Goldinak finding Jake Hansen–who had slipped out into open space and then outraced the Green Devils’ defenders for a 67-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead just :56 seconds into the game. St. Pete went backwards their first two plays, but Darius Miller took control of things taking the Jon Washington pass and scooting 83 yards for the touchdown. The Green Devils went for two and were successful taking an 8-7 lead with 9:16 remaining.
Following Hansen’s kickoff return to the St. Pete 46, the Eagles went on a 9-play drive lasting nearly four minutes, ending with a Michael Del Duca touchdown run from five yards away. After a successful two-point conversion, the Eagles were ahead 15-8.
The Green Devils were facing 3rd-and-20 with just under four minutes backed up in their own territory, when it was Miller again to the rescue, this time for 75 yards on the catch and run–setting up a first-and-goal situation for St. Pete. Facing a third-and-goal to go, the ‘Devils fumbled and the Eagles pounced on the ball with 1:40 to play. Following a 3rd-and-2 conversion from East Lake’s Xavier Jackson, the Eagles were in victory formation and moving on the hosts, Pinellas Park.
2nd Quarter: East Lake 7, Pinellas Park 3
In a much more offensively subdued–yet action packed quarter, the Patriots went on a 12-play drive to begin the frame that took four-and-a-half minutes off the clock, but were only able to manage a Zack Traynor 24-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead. The Eagles were setup by Tupac Blanch’s return to midfield on the kickoff, and manufactured a 10-play drive that ended in Xavier Jackson’s 4-yd run. On that drive, the Eagles were in a 2nd-and-20, and managed to break a 30-yard run by Jackson to move the sticks.
On the ensuing possession for the Patriots, QB Nicholas Hernandez was hit and fumbled on the second play of the drive and the ball was recovered by East Lake’s Jacob Holdsworth at the Pinellas Park 27-yard line. The Pats Defense stood firm and forced the Eagles to give the ball back on downs, setting up the final series of events that were to end with the Eagles stopping P-Park’s Makel Calhoun literally inches from the first down marker after Calhoun had made a fantastic individual effort to reach out and make the play.
East Lake (5-4) will now face Plant City (8-1) in the first round of the Class 7A Region-III playoffs.