Hillsborough County:

Plant, ranked No. 35 in the Century Club National Top 100 preseason poll, moved up five spots to No. 30 when the first regular-season rankings were released Thursday.

The 4-0 Panthers are the highest-ranked Florida team in the poll and the only team from the Bay Area to receive a ranking.

For the complete list, go to prepvolleyball.com

---

Plant City senior Aaron Gerbasi has made a verbal commitment to the
University of Tampa to play baseball starting in 2008-09, said his head coach,
Mike Sodders, on Thursday.

Gerbasi, 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, went only 2-4 last season, but struck out 76
and walked 16 in 49 innings of work, finishing with an earned run average of 0.28.
Gerbasi was an honorable mention all-district selection.

A verbal commitment is non-binding. Gerbasi can sign with the Spartans —
the two-time defending Division II national champions — as early as November.

---

Armwood High offensive/defensive lineman Matt Patchan has been cleared to play football Friday night against Wharton by the FHSAA.

Patchan was whistled for two personal foul penalties against Plant during last Friday night’s game, which is an automatic ejection from the game and a suspension from the next game.

Armwood coach Sean Callahan said he had appealed the decision because of inconsistencies in the game official’s report to the FHSAA. Callahan said Armwood principal Marc Hutek was informed Thursday by FHSAA senior director for athletic operations and officials Denarvise Thornton that the ruling had been overturned and Patchan was eligible to play.

However, there is still a chance Patchan could serve the suspension – either this week or in a future week. Callahan said the officials have the opportunity to amend game reports filed with the state at any time. If the officials choose to do so, the state would then re-evaluate the case, Callahan said.

That’s why Callahan and Hutek are pushing the FHSAA for some closure on the matter.

Should this matter stay unresolved, it could hurt Armwood’s team in a future week with Patchan possibly being forced to miss a game at a later date. But, if the state says the ruling will stand as is, that would mean Patchan would not have to serve a six-week suspension if he gets two personal fouls in another game later this year, which is the penalty for a second occurrence. Because this ruling was overturned, Patchan would only have to serve the initial one-game suspension if he were to be flagged for two personal fouls in another game this season.

---

I’m not sure of the specifics: what high schools were involved or where the game was played, but check out this YouTube video. I doubt any of us will ever see a kick like this again at any level.

---

Jefferson will likely be without starting linebacker Gorby Loreus for the second-consecutive week.

Loreus did not play in the Dragons 43-20 loss to Hillsborough last week because of a hamstring strain. He said he’ll begin rehabilitation on Thursday and with Jefferson off next week, he expects to return for the Sept. 21 game against Gaither.

---

Jefferson starting quarterback Zack Grossi will play Friday night against Robinson.

Grossi, who sustained a shoulder strain last week against Hillsborough, received the OK from his doctor this afternoon.

He got the signed consent form after completing his second straight day of rehab.

“I’m going to frame this,” Grossi said.

---

The high school football calendar for WDAE, 620 AM has been tentatively set. The slate of 10 games will kickoff Friday with Clearwater Central catholic at Tampa Catholic.
The schedule also includes two stops in Pasco County, the first coming Oct. 5 when Gaither travels to class 5A-District 5 foe Mitchell. The second is Nov. 2 when Ridgewood, a team with numerous expectations pinned on its back, travels to county power Land O’ Lakes.
The station will air the games of three Hillsborough County teams when it sets up at Robinson (Sept. 21), Jefferson (Oct. 12) and East Bay (Oct. 26).

Here is the full WDAE, 620 AM schedule:
Sept. 7: Clearwater Central Catholic @ Tampa Catholic
Sept. 14: Tarpon Springs at East Lake
Sept. 21: Jesuit at Robinson
Sept. 28: Gibbs @ Clearwater
Oct. 5: Gaither @ Mitchell
Oct. 12: Chamberlain @ Jefferson
Oct. 19: Boca Ciega @ Bradenton Southeast
Oct. 26: Newsome @ East Bay
Nov. 2: Ridgewood @ Land ‘O’ Lakes
Nov. 9: Northeast @ Largo

---

Hillsborough High assistant track coaches Andy Wood and Hassan Wajd have taken over the boys’ and girls’ cross country program for the Terriers. Wood will head up the boys’ squad while Wajd will coach the girls’ team. They replace Joe Dixon, who coaches boys’ track at Middleton but was coaching cross country off campus at Hillsborough.

With just two seniors on his squad of 22 runners, Wood said he is hoping to build for the future and improve on Hillsborough’s 10th-place finish at last year’s district meet. At that same competition, Hillsborough was represented by just one girl, Audrey Lai. She returns for her sophomore season and joins a roster of seven other girls. Wood said his top two runners are sophomores Kyle McKay and Michael Bettin.

“We’re going to build the program from the ground up,” said Wood, who teaches at the school. “I think it helps to be a coach who is on the campus. If you’re not here, it’s difficult to get the kids out and stay on the team. We’ve got a lot of potential here and I’m looking forward to making Hillsborough one of the county’s better teams. There’s no reason why we can’t do that.”

The Terriers will open the season Sept. 11 at the West Hillsborough Invitational at Al Lopez Park.

---

Gaither senior right-handed pitcher Eric Doty has verbally committed to Florida Gulf Coast University, his father, Rick, announced via email.

Doty was also being recruited by the likes of Florida Atlantic, Lousiana-Lafayette and Coastal Carolina. Florida Gulf Coast will play its first season in Division I this year as a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Doty went 2-3 with a 2.73 ERA as a junior for the Cowboys, striking out 48 in 41 innings pitched. One of his best performances came on the first day of the Saladino Tournament, when he tossed a complete-game two-hitter with 10 strikeouts against Brandon.

This summer, Doty played for the Arizona Diamondbacks team in the Area Code Baseball Games.

---

Plant’s Mychal Givens and Clearwater Central Catholic’s Ryan Weber helped the USA Junior National Baseball Team win a bronze medal Sunday at the COPABE ‘AAA’ Pan American Championships in Ixtapa, Mexico.

Team USA defeated Canada 6-2 in Sunday’s third-place game, with Givens an RBI in the win. Cuba won the 11-team tournament, defeating Mexico 7-0 in Sunday’s gold medal game.

With its finish in the tournament, Team USA’s 18-under team, which went 4-2 in the tournament, qualified for the 2008 International Baseball Federation ‘AAA’ World Championships. Cuba, Mexico and Canada also qualified.

Weber was on the mound for Team USA in the semifinals against Cuba and took a shutout into the ninth before running into trouble. Team USA ended up losing the game 3-2, with Weber taking the loss after allowing three earned runs on eight hits. He finished with six strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings pitched. Weber also was named the top right-handed pitcher of the tournament.

Both Givens and Weber last summer helped the USA Youth National Team (16-under) win a gold medal at the COPABE ‘AA’ Pan American Championships in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. Weber is a senior at CCC, while Givens is a junior at Plant.

---

Jefferson won’t know untill Thursday whether starting quarterback Zack Grossi will be available for Friday night’s game against Robinson.

Grossi injured his throwing shoulder (right) late in the third quarter of the Dragons 43-20 loss to Hillsborough. Grossi said it’s just a strain, but he will be limited at practice this week and won’t throw until Thursday.

“I’ll have ice on it for awhile,” Grossi said, “but hopefully I’ll be ready for Friday.”

Should Grossi be unable to play against Robinson, backup quarterback Doug Williams Jr. would get the start. Williams relieved Grossi for the remainder of the Hillsborough game.

---

Plant may be without starting running back Lovell Jackson this week against Gaither.

Jackson suffered a high ankle sprain near the end of the second quarter in the Panthers 26-7 loss to Armwood. Plant coach Robert Weiner said Jackson will have X-rays to determine the full extent of the injury, including a broken bone or ligament damage, but he thinks it’s merely a sprain.

“Our hope is it becomes a day-to-day thing or just a one-week deal,” Weiner said. “He’s obviously a key component of what we do.”

In his absence, sophomore running back/wide receiver DeAndre Queen will get some looks, along with junior fullback/linebacker Chris Hesson and senior running back/linebacker Patrick Carter.

Weiner and his team gathered at the school on Saturday to evaluate the Armwood film and begin preparation for the Cowboys. Plant hosts Gaither Friday night at Dad’s Stadium.

“Part of the evaluation is an emotional procedure,” Weiner said of looking back at the loss. “We let the loss linger Friday night, but come Saturday morning, we began evaluating intellectually, not emotionally.”

---

Armwood starting left tackle Matt Patchan will not play in the Hawks game against Wharton Friday night because of his ejection in the Hawks victory over Plant.

Patchan had to leave the game in the fourth quarter after his second personal foul penalty. Armwood officials confirmed that FHSAA rules state a player must sit one game following an ejection.

Patchan, who played on both lines against Plant, was penalized for roughing Panthers quarterback Aaron Murray and also in the third quarter for a hit from behind. That penalty negated a 24-yard run by Armwood quarterback Rob Jones.

---

It took several months, but Armwood has exacted revenge from last year’s playoff loss to Plant. The Hawks pulled away from the Panthers after trailing at the half, 7-6, to post an impressive 26-7 home win.

Stay with TBO.com for much more from the game, including stats, reaction and video.

---

Starting Armwood left tackle Matt Patchan walked gingerly off the field near the end of the third quarter on a play where Armwood went ahead 12-7. Armwood training are attending to Patchan on the sidelines.

---

Advertisement

Write a letter to the editor | Subscribe and get two weeks free | Place an Ad Online