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Hernando Today

For All the Marbles

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By MARTY MILLER

Hernando Today correspondent

Published: November 7, 2008

The best way to describe what's at stake for Springstead Head Coach Bill Vonda and his 6-2 Eagles football team is simply put.

With Springstead, Land O' Lakes and Tarpon Springs all tied atop the Class 4A, District 8 race with 3-1 records, the game tonight in Pinellas County between Springstead and Tarpon Springs will decide if the Eagles can win their first district title since 1996.

"We didn't get into this to lose," Vonada said about the game this week. "These are the kind of games you work hard for. These are the kind of games you remember."

The easy way to explain things and why this game is so important to both teams is this. A win gives the Eagles the district title while a Tarpon Springs win puts it into the playoffs and eliminates Springstead.

Last week, Springstead kept its first-place tie by beating Ridgewood, 28-14, while Tarpon Springs blew out Central, 44-7.

In that win, Spongers quarterback Danny Reyes showed why he is so important a person for the Eagles to stop. Reyes completed 23-of-30 passes for 322 yards and five touchdowns while running for another score himself.

Slowing that passing attack has proved a little tricky for Vonada and his staff.

"We haven't seen the type of passing attack they have," said Vonada. "They have a QB and receivers that will really be a challenge for our defensive backs."

Vonada also said that preparing for a team like Tarpon Springs offers other challenges.

"You really can't duplicate another team's offense unless you run it exactly the same," he noted. "But this year we have a little better chance of doing it because of the speed we have."

In many ways, the two teams are identical. The Spongers average 27.1 points a game while giving up 13.8, while Springstead scores on the average 28.3 points a game on offense while giving up just 11.2 points a game.

Both teams have QBs who are having outstanding seasons.

Reyes has completed 59 percent of his passes for 1,714 yards and 15 touchdowns. On the other side, James Mahla has hit on 59 percent of his throws for 1,132 yards, one interception and 10 touchdowns.

Vonada also admits the atmosphere for the game tonight will be different than any his team has been in at any other time this year.

"It's Tarpon Springs in Tarpon Springs, and they are a very talented team on both sides of the ball and are well coached," remarked the 11th-year mentor. "They are a heck of a team and they're going to be a heck of a challenge for us."

But for all the work and worry he has put in this week, Vonada also says with a smile that these are the kind of weeks and games a coach really looks forward to.

"You have a lot of distractions that take away from your time," he added. "But hey, that's why you play the game; it's why you keep score.

"Especially at the high school level, you don't get into coaching football for any other reason than to work with young men and do all the other things," he said. "Games like this are what really puts it over the top."

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