Sports
Wharton Wildcats Wow at USF Sling and Shoot.
The Wildcats played very well but simply ran out of gas by the end of day two.
They had a rocky start, dropping their first three pool games to , Jesuit and Spoto. They rallied and won their next four against Chamberlain, Admiral Farragut, Sebring and Plant 2. They lost a close one to East Lake 25-20 to wrap up pool play on Sunday afternoon with a record of 4-4.
Something clicked after that East Lake game. Perhaps the Wildcats tapped their reserve fuel tank because they were energized and lively for their elimination game against Westwood. They triumphed 27-13 largely thanks to the undaunted cheer-leading from senior Malcomb Banks.
By the time they faced Pasco, there was no gas left in any tank and they fell to the Pirates, one game shy of the quarterfinals.
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On paper it could look like a near disaster, losing out in the second round of eliminations and junior corner Vernon Hargreaves spraining his ankle. However, any time the Wildcats play, there are highlights galore. Nyere “grandma” Thompson earned a new nickname at the tournament as well as Hargreaves. From now on it’s Nyere “Hi-Lite” Thompson and Vernon “Creed” Hargreaves. Seriously, put a thick mustache on Hargreaves and he could jump in the ring with Sylvester Stallone.
Even more, the experience itself creates bonds within the young Wildcat team.
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“These things go far in forging a team’s culture,” said offensive coordinator Craig Rainey.
“It brings us together as a team,” said Hargreaves.
Simply competing against this many teams of this caliber will make any team better. The most recent USF Sling and Shoot was more than twice as big as the last one.
“This was our fourth major tournament and this one was a lot more competitive,” said Rainey. “The competition has gone up 1,000 percent.”
“This time it was definitely a lot tougher,” said sophomore quarterback Chase Litton.
It did help offense, defense, even linemen hone their skills.
“It helped with routes, being more crisp with running routes,” said Hargreaves. “Now we’re ready to put the pads on.”
Senior Forrest Lefler and junior Chris Myers competed in the big man challenge.
“My favorite was the one-on-ones, where you have to get by your guy,” said Myers. “It helped a lot with my hands and my speed.”