KICKOFF: Friday, 7:30 p.m. at Dunedin Memorial Stadium (1651 Pinehurst Rd, Dunedin, FL 34698)
TICKETS NOTES: Palm Harbor University’s football team is away at Dunedin HS on Friday at 7:30 p.m. (1651 Pinehurst Rd, Dunedin, FL 34698). The only way to gain entry Friday is by purchasing tickets through this portal: https://gofan.co/event/2121809?schoolId=FL5836
THE STORY
So often, we just figure that when two high school football programs face off — hatred is the key word in play. Truthfully? It usually is.
Palm Harbor University is just a few miles away from Dunedin HS. The Falcons have much more of a legacy than PHU, dating back many more decades. In recent years, PHU’s football program has won a bunch of these matchups, with the Falcons last prevailing in 2014.
But the all-time series is tied (10-10-0) coming into Friday night. Maybe there’s a reason for that.
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So PHU found out recently it is on a week-by-week hold when it comes to hosting athletic events at Hurricanes Stadium. There are potential sinkhole issues since Helene and Milton came through. Experts are making sure the facility is safe, but until it is cleared? There will be no sports at PHU’s home field. It may impact PHU’s final district football game next Thursday against rival East Lake, which was supposed to be in PH, and it could also impact winter sports like soccer.
For the Hurricanes’ football program, that has meant that if no more football is to be played at PHU, it will have only hosted one football game in all of 2024. Can you imagine being a senior like four-year starters Will Seibert, Zach Horner, Hayden Turley, or Brady Messick — and you bust your ass for four seasons and this is how your senior season turns out?
Anyone else have something to dodge for these guys?
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So when the coaches at PHU tried to figure out what to do about recognizing their seniors for “senior night”, which was supposed to be this week at home vs Dunedin, the school reached out to DHS.
The response from Dunedin? Bring your seniors to us, and we’ll make it happen, and we will make it as special as we can in a pinch. In fact, the Falcons will even allow PHU’s football team to wear its long-awaited new home jerseys for the affair.
The truth is? You don’t see this every day, especially when it comes to nearby rivals. A good relationship between the two staffs didn’t hurt. Sure they want to beat each other, but the word hatred has nothing to do with it.
“The message is, that even if we are at different schools? In tough situations? You help each other,” Dunedin coach Mitch Disney told PalmHarborSports.com. “We are all Pinellas County. We all love football. Plus, I know Palm Harbor would do the same for us in the same situation. I have a lot of respect for their coaching staff and players.”
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Disney — who is a veteran Pinellas County football coach — took over the Falcons’ program in 2017, one mired in a recent 24-game losing streak at that time. As a contrast, this year his program is one touchdown away from a .500 record entering November. Disney and his staff have kept an upbeat tone from day one.
PHU coach Mike Mullaney said he has a ton of respect for the nearby rival school.
“We’re very appreciative of Dunedin allowing us to recognize our seniors,” Mullaney told PalmHarborSports.com. “Besides allowing us to to recognize our seniors they’re also allowing us to wear our alternate uniform that we haven’t been able to wear all season.
“Our hope is that we can do something at home during our spring game to recognize (Dunedin) in front of our own fans.”
The senior night festivities will start early, PHU folks. It would be wise to be down at Dunedin HS by 6:30 pm to see all of it.
THE MATCHUP
So, as mentioned above — the sportsmanship is abundant in this one. And that will last until the game clock ticks from 12:00 remaining in the first quarter, all the way until it hits 11:59 left.
Then they’ll hit each other.
Dunedin is sick of losing to Palm Harbor in football. Again, the Falcons’ football program is one touchdown away from coming into this game 4-4, which is a monumental improvement from past years where 1-9 and sometimes even 0-10 was more the norm.
“We still have a long way to go to be where we feel this program will be and should be, but we feel the momentum is turning bit by bit in our favor,” Disney said. “We have a group of tough kids who are also great human beings and we have a coaching staff that is extremely hardworking and builds relationships with players.
“We have a great locker room. Our kids love football and each other and it shows.”
PHU is dealing with one of its most emotional losses of the past decade — if not the entire 27-year history of the program. With three minutes left in its game at Steinbrenner last Friday, the Hurricanes were up 10 points and were about to wrap up an unprecedented second straight district title — and a trip to the playoffs.
But a lot changed, as Steinbrenner rallied and won the game with seven seconds remaining.
“The mood is what you would expect after last Friday,” Mullaney said. “The coaches and players work 11 months during the year for the opportunity to win a district title and when you get that close and understand that we hurt ourselves more than they did, it does take some time.
“There is no getting over that, but you have to move on and get ready for the next one or you are going to run into trouble.”
Though chances are slim for one of its region’s at-large playoff berths, mathematically the Hurricanes are still alive to nab a spot. They must win their last two games against Dunedin and East Lake (next Thursday), and they’ll need help from teams as far away as Palm Beach County.
With it being senior night at Dunedin, and with four-year starters like Will Seibert, Brady Messick, Zach Horner, and Hayden Turley all being mentioned frequently this year among others, it has to be pointed out that RB Jaxon Wilson — in only his first full season as a starter — has an outside chance at a 1,000-yard rushing season (724 yards with two games left). If he continues what he’s been doing in recent weeks, there’s at least an outside chance of it.
The last 1,000-yard rusher at PHU was in 2021 (Luke Yoder, now FCS Lehigh University’s top rushing threat). Yoder and Mitchell Wood (2020) are the only two who have hit that mark at PHU since 2011, and there have only been eight players who’ve done it since the school first played varsity football in 1997.
“Jaxon has played well for us most of the season and had a terrific game last Friday,” Mullaney said of Wilson’s career-high 180-yard rushing effort — his third straight 100-yard game. “Jaxon is just a tough kid that hits the hole and will surprise you with how strong he runs the ball. He is a perfect fit for the offense we run.”
Wilson and his hole-punching offensive line kept the ‘Canes in the scoring fest last week. Mullaney said he thinks his O-line sometimes catches opponents off guard because they may not be the biggest guys, but they take pride in surprising teams. They will be key Friday at Dunedin.
THE SPECS:
Palm Harbor (3-5) at Dunedin (3-5)
KICKOFF: Friday, 7:30 p.m. at Dunedin Memorial Stadium
MAXPREPS ALL-CLASS STATE RANKING (OF 600): PHU – 207; Dunedin – 446
COACHES: PHU- Mike Mullaney; Dunedin. – Mitch Disney
SERIES: The series is tied coming into this week, in 20 all-time matchups, 10-10-0 all-time. Dunedin last defeated Palm Harbor University in 2014.
| PALM HARBOR (8 GMS) | DUNEDIN (8 GMS) | |
| PTS PER GAME | 20.3 PG | 17.1 PG |
| PTS GIVEN UP | 19.8 PG | 27.0 PG |
| RUSHING OFFENSE | 184.9 YPG | 101.0 YPG |
| PASSING OFFENSE | 67.0 YPG | 130.1 YPG |
| TOP RUSHER | JAXON WILSON – 724 yds, 3 TDs | MIKE RODRIGUEZ (INJ’d) 443 yds, 3 TDs |
| TOP QB | WILL SEIBERT – 459 pass yards, 6 TDs/3 INTs 287 rush yards, 3 TDs | NOAH WALSTAD – 1081 pass yards, 8TDs/10 INTs |
| TOP RECEIVER | JAKE RENNERT – 243 yds, 15 rec., 3 TDs OWEN KOLLAR – 142 yds, 7 rec, 3 TDs | ISAAC OSTER – 540 yds, 34 rec, 5 TDs |
| TOP TACKLES | RYAN FUELLING – 57 tackles, 6 TFL KARTER ALLEN – 31 tackles, 12 TFL | GARRY WOESSNER – 88 tackles, 6 TFLs |
| TOP TFLS | KARTER ALLEN – 12 TFLs ZACH HORNER – 9 TFLs | MICHAEL MATOS – 12 TFLS |
PALM HARBOR TEAM DEFENSE (8 games) — 121.3 rush yards per game given up, 105.0 Pass YPG
