Gryphons need cure for recent first-half woes

Posted Oct 20, 2009 by Adam Adkins

Updated Oct 20, 2009 at 01:27 PM

Sickles nearly pulled off another big second-half comeback last Friday against Durant. But, as well as his team played in the second half of that 20-15 loss to the Cougars – a game in which Durant quarterback Je’Twan Smith threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to David Claypool with 28 seconds remaining – Sickles coach Pat O’Brien was troubled by his team’s performance in the first half.

“We’ve got to figure out what’s happening to us in the first half,” O’Brien said following the loss to the Cougars.

A week before the loss to Durant, Sickles allowed 22 unanswered points in the first half in a district game against Boca Ciega and went into the break facing a big deficit. The Gryphons eventually came back to win in overtime to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Last Friday against the Cougars, the Gryphons shot themselves in the foot at the most inopportune times in the first half. On offense, two drives ended with fumbles and a third drive ended on downs when Sickles failed to convert on fourth-and-1 deep in Cougars territory. The Gryphons defense also surrendered a late touchdown drive in the first half, which led to them trailing at the break.

“We seem to be playing a half of football,” O’Brien said. “We’re putting ourselves in a hole.”

That’s not something the Gryphons can afford in this week’s crucial district matchup against Leto. A Sickles victory Friday would give the Gryphons their second playoff berth in program history. If the Gryphons lose, they could find themselves in a three-way district tiebreaker (if Largo also defeats Boca Ciega) or miss the playoffs altogether (if Boca Ciega defeats Largo).

Some good for Sickles is a new offensive weapon seems to have emerged.

Receiver Chris Nahat had a huge game in the loss to the Cougars, catching 10 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown. It was the fifth consecutive game Nahat, a senior, has reached the end zone. He also has 16 of his 21 receptions on the season in the last three games and four of his six touchdown receptions during that stretch.