Boca Ciega Loses Spring Football Game But Coach Not Despondent

Whether it was learning a new system or learning new coaches or having too few players available, it doesn't change the outcome for Boca Ciega High School's football spring game in which the Pirates lost to Palm Harbor 22-19.

It was a game in which Boca Ciega led most of the contest; until with just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Palm Harbor converted a key fourth-and-nine play to extend a drive which later resulted in the winning score.

It many ways it was a flashback to last season when the Pirates lost so many games by a handful of points to playoff teams.

Still, Boca Ciega coach Antez Brinson saw a lot of positives come from the game.

"As I said before, if we were perfect now, then I'd be worried," Brinson joked.

Like most coaches, Brinson uses a spring game not so much as a won-loss record but as an evaluation test. Many players are playing varsity football for the first time, playing a new position for the first time.

"Considering all the obstacles we had to deal with, guys sitting out with injuries and transfers, we did OK," Brinson said.

The Pirates were hampered just two days before the spring game when defensive back blew out a knee with an ACL injury and his status for playing at all this season is currently uncertain.

"I was pleased with the effort of the kids," Brinson said. "They played hard and they played with class. We actually dressed 22 kids. We had eight for nine playing three ways: on offense and defense and special teams. So I was pleased with the effort. "

It's easy to understand how the players were dejected after losing a game in the final minutes but Brinson didn't want to see any sad faces he said.

"I told the guys after the game there was no reason to hang your heads and feel bad," Brinson said. "Yeah, we made a couple of mistakes but we can work on those. It gives us something to build on and look at film through the course of the summer.

"It's a teaching moment for us. We can learn from the mistakes in the spring. It reiterates what we have tried to hammer home: Little things are the difference between winning and losing."