Titans Lose 17-14 in Grudge Match with Cowboys

The Tampa Bay Tech football team fell to budding rival Gaither 17-14 on Friday night in the Class 7A regional semifinals.

The Cowboys (9-3) fell to the Titans (8-4) by the same score just two weeks ago . This game would go much the same way, only this time it was visiting Gaither that came out on top. It was a typical Cowboy win: ugly.

"We wanted to come out and play a clean game, no turnovers, protect the ball," said Cowboys head coach Jason Stokes. "We pretty much did the opposite of that."

The Cowboys committed four turnovers, throwing two picks and losing two of five fumbles. They gained minus-35 yards on the ground, were sacked seven times and somehow still came away with the win.

"Our defense came to play tonight, like they always do," said Stokes.

The Cowboys defense did hold Tech to less than 200 yards of offense, but luckily for Gaither, senior receiver Carlo Perello also came to play. Perello accounted for 175 of the Cowboys' 215 yards of offense, scored on two huge catch-and-run-plays to lift Gaither above its miscues.

"Their DBs are so fast I knew I had to make one cut and just get upfield." said Perello.

The catch in the fourth quarter was just a simple crossing to route that Perello caught and turned with no problem. However, a Tech defender set his feet, drove his head and had him, but Perello hurdled him, accelerated and even reversed field to stretch out the end of the run and make the end zone. Perello also caught a 75-yard touchdown in the first half to put the Cowboys up 10-0.

There were a couple of crazy, back-to-back turnover situations that were huge in swinging momentum:

• At the start of second quarter, the Titans coughed up a fumble and the Cowboys recovered at the Titans 23-yard line. Next play, senior defensive back Armani Sampson won a battle with a Cowboy receiver and took it right back.

• With three minutes left in the first half, the Cowboys forced another three-and-out, got the ball and fumbled it right back to the Titans. The Titans took over and fumbled on their first play, giving it right back. That's when Perello struck on the first of his two, long touchdown catches.

The Cowboys, already thin at offensive line, lost another one in the third quarter. The Titans defense smelled blood in the water. To make matters worse, the Cowboys had to move sophomore Anthony Prieto in at center.

"I had three sophomores playing on offensive line at one point," said Stokes.

However, the Cowboys got great defensive play overall with particularly stand-out performances from senior defensive lineman Mikail Reece, sophomore linebacker Matt Williams and senior linebacker Nick Sampson. Sophomore defensive back Amani Oruwariye iced the game when he picked off Titans senior quarterback Aaron Midthus with less than a minute to play.

Midthus gutted out knee and ankle injuries to be there for his team.

"I knew when he came off the first time, nothing was going to keep him from getting back into the game," said Titans head coach Jayson Roberts.

To his credit, senior quarterback Derrell Thompson also came into the game for the Titans and threw an absolutely perfect pass to Armani Sampson down the sideline for a 75-yard score. Sampson also scored Tech's only other touchdown when he picked off Gaither sophomore quarterback Alex McGough and took it 17 yards in for the touchdown. He had both Titans interceptions in the game.

"Our defense played great, the way we played all season," said Roberts.

With the teams set to play each other every year for the foreseeable future, it appears a new rivalry has officially been hatched in 7A-District 7.

Both coaches agreed.

"I think so. Two games, same score, 1-1," said Roberts.

"Looks like it's gonna be," said Stokes. "I told (the players), if you let them beat you twice, you'll never hear the end of it."