Tigers disappoint Gators 34-20
Though both Dunbar (4-1) and Island Coast (2-5) entered the game no longer district rivals, the game between the two schools was still of massive importance for their respective seasons.?That importance showed on the field and on the scoreboard Friday night when Dunbar recovered from a 14-point first-half deficit to defeat Island Coast 34-20.
The biggest story line was the turnovers. While the Tigers (4-1) were the most frequent offender of the turnover battle, it was the Gators (2-5), who paid the biggest price.
Down by seven points, Gators quarterback Kory Curtis had an interception returned for a touchdown to ice the game. Curtis, who was pressured and hit all night long, at times looked frustrated with himself and the rest of the Gators offense.
The Tigers defense managed to keep the Gators pressured for most of the game. The end result, a lackluster showing by the Gators and a win for the Tigers.
Throughout the game, the Tigers offense relied completely on its running attack. Led by Abraham Alce, the Tigers quickly wore down the Gators front seven.
The Tigers took advantage of a second half opening 70-yard TD return to gain momentum and energize their sideline. With the momentum clearly on their side, the Tigers took advantage.
The Tigers scored 20 unanswered points to end the game to get the win. The result sent the Gators home with another loss, many unanswered questions and many broken spirits.
Asked about giving up the 14-point lead, Gators coach John Schwochow talked about his team’s youth and the maturity level they need to reach in order to have success.
“We ran out of gas, there’s a lot of young kids out there,” he said. “We have to get to the maturity level where we don’t run of gas, we don’t have those breakdowns late in the game.”
Schwochow also talked about his team’s game plan and how the lack of rushing success has hurt the team.
“We want to be a balanced team,” said Schwochow. “We can’t just run the ball and we can’t just pass the ball. We have to have balance to succeed against our opponents.”
Island Coast needs to find that balance this week. The Gators head to rival Cape Coral next Friday for a district game that the Gators likely need to keep alive their hopes of a playoff berth.