Tuesday afternoon, Mitchell running back Ricky Trinidad was beyond happy to rejoin is teammates after a visit to his doctor. He’s cleared to play in Friday night’s homecoming game against Land O’ Lakes.

Meanwhile, Land O’ Lakes defensive end Gary Myrick will be on the sidelines serving a one game suspension after being ejected last week against Sunlake.

When these two teams lineup inside Mitchell Stadium, it will be for the Class 3A-District 7 runner-up spot and a coveted place in the 2009 playoffs.

Land O’ Lakes coach Matt Kitchie was clear, regardless of what the Florida High School Athletic Association doled out, Myrick would not play Friday. During the third quarter of what would prove to be a 42-14 Gators victory against Sunlake, Myrick stepped on a Sunlake player who was on the ground.

“It was just a dumb move,” Kitchie said. “There’s no room for that in the game. We need to make sure that we’re good sports. If you get beat, you get beat. You don’t get all upset about it. You win the next play.”

As for the guy Myrick would have been trying to stop, Trinidad admitted he began to feel pain in his back right before halftime of Mitchell’s Oct. 23 victory against Sunlake.

“I was actually in a lot of pain,” admitted Trinidad, Pasco County’s leading rusher. “I wanted to go back in the game, but me trying to run was really difficult. Even to walk.”

Trinidad, a junior, has racked up 1,192 yards and 14 scores on 143 carries. He’s averaging 8.34 yards per carry. Myrick, a senior, has 46 tackles, leads the Gators with 8.5 sacks and has two fumble recoveries, one of which was forced.

Friday night, we’ll see which roster move has the biggest impact.