BMAC OPINION PIECE: Palm Harbor University isn’t a national powerhouse in football. It’s not a Florida powerhouse. And nobody would even confuse it with a Tampa Bay area powerhouse.
Yet.
Nobody disputes the national and state description — but could PHU enter the discussion as a TB power sometime in the next few years? Or maybe even earlier, if the program continues to ascend over the next few years. Is this a goal?
This isn’t easy, but there are signs you all want it. How about if everybody sticks around for awhile to see if you can achieve it?
Friday night, PHU travels to Countryside HS — right up the road. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. in Clearwater.
SEASON PREVIEW: I was WRONG – Palm Harbor Football 2022 — worth a look
Last year, PHU rushed for 360 yards in its convincing win over Countryside — the fourth-best team rushing mark in PHU’s 25-year school history. Only four times have the Hurricanes kicked off the season 4-1 or better, and it’s been seven years since that happened. There are other potential milestones that could come with this game, also — if the young ‘Canes get a victory.
Last week in the win at Tarpon, junior Gunner Fodor was able to concentrate more on defense because RB teammate and classmate Mykehl Boebert and sophomore QB Will Seibert carried the load on offense behind a relatively new offensive line that improves each week. If that continues, that’s quite a recipe for success.
On defense, the team has given up 53 points in four games (14 PPG), but is heading into a tougher schedule stretch. Fodor (38 tackles) was expected to be key in 2022 after two seasons as a major contributor, but freshman Alex Malyszko has been a nice addition to varsity, posting 27 stops and 2 sacks already. Drayton German has also been active (19 tackles), and Logan Givens has already collected 2.5 sacks but overall it’s been stops-by-committee affair.
Last year, the ‘Canes posted only their third all-time win in 15 tries against the Cougars.
Could it be four and two-in-a-row against their next-door neighbor when they wake up Saturday morning?
It’s up to the ‘Canes.
THE GAME PREVIEW
THE RECORDS: Countryside is 2-2, PHU is 3-1 and on a three-game win streak.
COMMON OPPONENTS:
None (yet)
COUNTRYSIDE’S TOP PLAYERS:
Sr. Terrence Jackson (158 all-purpose yards per game, 7 TDs in four games); Sr. Elijah Mills (34 tackles, 2 TFL); Sr. Canaan Whiting (3 sacks, 4 TFLs, 12 tackles).
ALL-TIME SERIES:
First played in 1999, last played in 2021
PHU has 3 all-time wins, C-side has 12 wins — Countryside leads 12-3-0 all-time (but PHU won last year 27-10)
