FOOTBALL: Booker High holds off Wiregrass Ranch, 21-10
SARASOTA – The Booker High defense continued its strong play and the Tornadoes’ offense contributed when needed at the end in a 21-10 victory over Wiregrass Ranch High on a glorious Saturday afternoon at Tornado Alley.
Booker (4-4) finished a stretch of three games in nine days going 2-1 (losing 15-7 at DeSoto County and defeating Bayshore High 41-7) and reached the .500 mark for the first time since Sept. 16.
The defense got the Tornadoes on the board with the only scoring in the first half. Senior quarterback Gavin Stanford stepped in front of a pass and returned it 22 yards for a score with 2 minutes, 6 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Winning the coin toss and deferring to the second half, Booker marched 35 yards with the second half kickoff. Will Carter Jr. completed three straight passes, one to Omarion Patterson for 3 yards and two to Josiah Booker for 12 and 36 setting up Ahamd “Tooda” Hunter’s 18-yard touchdown run to make it 14-0 4:46 into the second half.
Playing without a number of starters, including Ohio State commit wide receiver Bryson Rodgers, the Bulls (3-5) broke through on the scoreboard late in the third quarter. Wiregrass Ranch marched 75 yards in five plays, capped by Davion Brown’s 29-yard run.
After Booker turned the ball over on downs, the Bulls got into Tornadoes’ territory and attempted a 53-yard field goal that was short. But a penalty on Booker moved the ball five yards. This time a 48-yard try by Jeremy Caruso hit the crossbar and went over, slicing the Tornadoes lead to 14-10.
After fumbling away a chance on their next possession, the Tornadoes put the game away with a 27-yard touchdown run by Hunter, who finished with 192 yards on 31 carries.
Booker remains in the hunt for a playoff berth with a Class 2S-District 15 game Thursday against Lemon Bay. The Tornadoes are 1-1 in 2A-14 behind the Manta Rays (1-0) and DeSoto (2-0).
“We’re trying to find a way into the dance,” Booker coach Scottie Littles said. “It doesn’t matter how you got there, you got there. At the end of the day that’s what matters.”
Booker takeaways
• In limiting Wiregrass Ranch to 137 yards of total offense (33 rushing), the Tornadoes forced four turnovers. Stanford had two picks. Jayson Evans had an interception and a fumble recovery. Booker also recorded four sacks, two by Zekilynn “Zee” Singleton. “Our defense has kept us in all year, even the games we’ve lost,” Littles said.
• Playing its third game in nine days, Littles thought his team needed a little extra push on the offensive line. So the Tornadoes played senior defensive tackle Brandon Bass at guard. That helped the running game produce 226 yards on 38 carries, a 6 yard average. It also kept the opposition away from Carter Jr., who completed 14-of-24 for 135 yards, five receptions each by Booker (59 yards) and Patterson (21 yards). Carter Jr. was sacked once. “He’s one of the best players in our area,” Littles said. “We decided everything on the line; we need our best players on the field. And Brandon Bass needed to play some guard today. That was the difference in us being able to move some people and getting downhill. We have one of the more powerful running backs (Hunter) in this area.”
• The Tornadoes still have a problem with penalties. They were flagged 14 times for 117 yards, including one that nullified a touchdown. “For sure,” Littles said. “These are habits and things we’ve got to break. We’ve got to continue to work through. The kids are fighting through it and getting better and they care. So that’s half the battle.
Dennis Maffezzoli is the deputy sports editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and chief reporter for Sarasota Herald-Tribune and HTpreps covering Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties. Support local journalism by subscribing.
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Playing its 3rd game in 9 days, Booker High football team went 2-1
