Spring HS Football: LePain, More Gain

Moments after their 22-19 victory,  Hurricanes first-year coach and perpetual motion machine Matt LePain was down at the far end of the post-game handshake ritual with opponent Boca Ciega Pirates, directing his guys towards the far end zone, congregating them for a rare ritual: giving his first post-game victory speech, in his first game, and on his home field.

As they all took a kneel, I’m not sure if he was thinking out loud or driving home the biggest point of the evening, but the next four words seemed to sum it up: "Feels, good, doesn’t it," LePain exclaimed.

But that good feeling didn’t at all come easy, though the game started out that way.

The Hurricanes’ kick-off returner Patrick Moriarty helped set up camp near mid field and two big plays later – Ryan Myers' run of 44 yards and Billy Pavlock’s six-yard quarterback scramble for a touchdown occurred in less than first three minutes. Logan Ruby cleared the extra point and then moments later cleared the end zone on the kickoff.

A special teams’ play gone very bad scored six for the Pirates, leaving PHUH up one early in the second. Two Hurricanes defensive goal line stances showed promise but not victory. One TD extra point converted, the other not. Palm Harbor University High was down 19-7.

And then the ‘Canes found their inner swagger and the offense soon followed. Pavlock scampered for 20. Myers upped that with 28 yards on the next play. A couple of downs later Pavlock went in untouched, this time for a 10-yard touchdown run.

But none of those got the boomingest of loud cheers from the crowded stadium; that occurred on the two-point conversion and went to two-way terror Quentin Cummings. Seeing his quarterback scramble, Cummings danced along the touch line heading that way. The trajectory from Pavlock throwing back against his body and the crowd of defenders allowed only one possible conclusion: dive to his left and grab the pass with one hand just before hitting the ground. And then roll.

So that’s what he did, and it was Sportscenter Top 10 worthy. Hurricanes on the working end of a 19-15 score at the end of the third. And it stayed that way deep into the fourth quarter.

During final possessions, some plays, like Hurricanes’ receivers Evan Gunn’s masterful 27-yard catch and run and Kenny Bianch’s 14-yard reception are the ones that need to occur for the big finish. Fourth and ten is never good, but when there’s single-digit minutes on the clock and your down four, it’s time to make something happen; that’s when Pavlock hit a wide-open sprinting Shane Dixon for a 25-yard touchdown reception.

"Billy (Pavlock) is one heck of a leader and showed great poise in that comeback," LePain said.

‘Canes up 22-19 and the defense takes over, highlighted by Sam Raucci smothering the quarterback for a sack on fourth and rest of the game.

Pavlock combined for more than 220 yards in the air and on the ground and Myers averaged 8 yards every time he turned his shoulders up field, finishing with 129 yards on 16 rushes.