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Hernando Today

Yeah, Baby! Perfection Attained!

Photo by JOE DiCRISTOFALO

Parrott Head Coach Dwayne Mobley poses with the championship trophy.

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By TONY CASTRO SPORTS EDITOR

Hernando Today

Published: November 5, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - For those fans in attendance Wednesday night at Hernando High's Tom Fisher Memorial Stadium, they watched the equivalent of witnessing Halley's Comet.
You know the sight, the rare occurrence that can be seen maybe once in a lifetime — or every 88 years.
The Parrott Leopards completed their middle school football campaign for the ages behind their signature defense, solving gutsy Powell for the second time this fall, 26-0.
With the victory, Parrott collected its 19th straight win and its 12th straight shutout.
More importantly, the Purple and Gold pocketed its sixth consecutive county championship and seventh in eight years.
The curtains also came down on a campaign where the Leopards out-scored their opponents, 302-0.
Despite the scoreboard, Powell's fourth-year Head Coach Ron Blackwell praised his team's effort.
"Our objective all season was to get to this game," said Blackwell, who slipped to 0-8 lifetime against the Purple and Gold. "We got here, everyone else was watching from the stands. Give credit to the other team (Parrott), they were the better team tonight. They earned this win.
"I couldn't be any prouder of you guys," addressed Blackwell to his huddled players after the game. "There's absolutely no reason to cry. Hold your heads up. We played those guys the best anyone has and held them to six points in the first half. There's nothing to be ashamed of, we all will walk out here as winners tonight."
The Panthers' defensive lineman Edward Riter had an outstanding effort for the visiting Panthers with nine tackles.
"They're (Parrott) really good," admitted Riter with tears in his eyes. "We gave them their hardest game all year. I've played for Powell for three years and we could never beat those guys. I have to give them credit, they're a great team."
How about the Panthers?
"After we lost the first game, we fought back all year," replied the 14-year-old Riter. "We became a family along the way. I thought we came together."

Difference?

The Panthers (4-3) played a terrific first half, trailing only 6-0 at the intermission. The Leopards opened the scoring traveling 80 yards in four plays.
Eighth-grade tailback Quentin Adams, who rushed seven times for 84 yards, set up the initial score with a 45-yard run.
Two plays later, Parrott's eighth-grade quarterback Tyrail Hawkins connected on the first of his two touchdown passes on the night from 31 yards to Mondrell Brown.
Brown's second touchdown of the score seemed to fire up the Leopards. Powell, however, muzzled the first of four two-point conversion attempts in the game, 6-0.
To open the second half, Parrott traversed 71 yards in seven plays with Tyrail Hawkins connecting with O'Mar Hawkins from 29 yards out.
Hawkins' county-best 11th touchdown pass of the season made it 12-0 with 5:28 left in the third.
Special teams came through on the next series as Powell's punter, Jordan Leathers, booted a 26-yard punt that was returned 39 yards by O'Mar Hawkins to the Parrott 7-yard line.
Two plays later, seventh-grade fullback Jeremiah Jackson (7 carries, a game-high 107 yards) capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run. Jackson's 10th TD of the season with 3:18 left in the third upped the ante, 18-0.
Five plays later, special teams came through again.
Leathers chased down a high snap in his own end zone before Parrott's Kevin Hagood tackled him for a safety with 28 ticks left in the third, 20-0.
Parrott closed the scoring journeying 63 yards in six plays.
Jackson chipped in a 38-yard burst and Tyrail Hawkins (3-of-6 passing, 73 yards) set up the score with a 13-yard slant to O'Mar Hawkins.
Adams closed the books with his eighth touchdown of the season from five yards out, 26-0.
Parrott offensive lineman Kyle LoParco beamed afterward.
"Coach told us to cut block the blitzers at the line of scrimmage," said the 13-year-old LoParco. "Me, Andrew (Timmons) and Jake, we had our work cut out tonight. Powell was coming everywhere."
And the win?
"This is the biggest win in school history," he added. "Nobody can say they were never scored upon, except us."
In turn, Tyrail Hawkins lauded his offensive line.
"Their corners were playing tough," pointed out the 14-year-old Hawkins. "But we're not able to throw without the offensive line. Give those guys all the credit."
And the championship?
"This is huge," smiled Hawkins. "Every extra run in practice was worth it. Give Powell credit too, those guys played real hard."

Defense rules

But after Powell generated 53 yards of offense in the first half, the Panthers finished at minus-40 yards in the second half.
All told, Parrott's tenacious defense forced two sacks and limited Powell to 29 rushing attempts for minus-2 yards. Only backup quarterback's Tyler Mahla's 15-yard pass in the fourth quarter lifted the visitors from negative yardage.
Parrott's defensive effort was led by Darren Hambrick, who collected eight solo tackles and assisted on several more.
"I know I wanted the shutout," expressed the 14-year-old Hambrick. "It's the first time in my three years we kept all of our opponents off the scoreboard. This was fun."
And the offense?
"Tyrail threw great passes when we needed them," he said. "And the whole team gave 110 percent."
Parrott Head Coach Dwayne Mobley basked in the win.
"First of all, Powell always plays us hard. It was no different tonight. They played us tough in the first half.
"But give credit to our defensive coaches," said Mobley. "They had our guys ready all week. Defense wins championships. And I can't say too much, the entire team played hard for 32 minutes."
Mobley was asked if this was the greatest-ever team in Parrott history?
"Right now, offensively and defensively, it's my greatest team," smiled Mobley.
In the background, you could still hear the acknowledgment from his players, "Yeah Baby!"

Parrott 26, Powell 0
Qtr. Scoring 1 2 3 4
Powell 0 0 0 0 -- 0
Parrott 0 6 14 6 –- 26

Individual Scoring:
PAR – M. Brown 31 pass from Tyrail Hawkins (O'Mar Hawkins run fails)
PAR – O'Mar Hawkins 29 from T. Hawkins (Jackson run fails)
PAR – Jackson 3 run (Jackson run fails)
PAR – Hagood tackled punter J. Leathers in end zone for a safety
PAR – Adams 5 run (Adams run fails)

POW PAR
First Downs 5 7
Atts./Rushing Yds. 29-(-2) 25-204
Comp./Pass Atts./Int. 1-1-0 3-6-0
Passing Yds. 15 73
Total Offense 30-13 31-277
Fumbles/Lost 1-0 0-0
Return Yards 3-40 3-60
Punts/Avg. 4-32.0 1-9.0
Penalties 1-0 5-25

Sports Editor Tony Castro can be reached at (352) 544-5278 at acastro@hernandotoday.com.

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