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By CAREY FREEMAN
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 22, 2001
CRYSTAL RIVER -- There are times when a victory comes easily and others when it takes a little luck.
And then there are games like this, games where the difference can be boiled down to a couple of plays.
For Crystal River, Friday's 17-14 win against Dixie County was essentially settled on two: a 21-yard field goal and a well-timed holding call.
Will Bleakley's third-quarter field goal provided the difference on the scoreboard, but the real stinger came by virtue of a little yellow flag with less than two minutes to play.
"I know we were the better team tonight," huffed Bears coach Brent Wilkerson. "I'm not saying we are week in and week out, but tonight we were the better team. No doubt in my mind.
"If it wasn't for the officials on every crucial play helping Crystal River stay in the ball game, we win."
That might or might not be true. Given the timing, though, it would be hard to fault Wilkerson for his ill feelings.
Dixie County was driving for what appeared to be the winning score when a holding call -- following an 11-yard completion to the Pirates' 8-yard line -- put the Bears back on the Pirates' 38 facing third and 24.
Dixie County managed just six yards on the next two plays, giving Crystal River the ball on downs with 1:01 to play.
Clayton Trenary (7-of-15 for 46 yards and a touchdown, 38 yards rushing) knelt twice to seal it. Crystal River took the early lead, but the teams traded scores and ended the first half tied at 14. After recovering a fumble at the Bears' 9, Crystal River took a 7-0 lead when Trenary scrambled to his right and found Bleakley in the end zone from 9 yards.
"I was going to knock the pass down so it wouldn't be an interception," Bleakley said. "But when I realized I could catch it, I tried for it and got it."
Dixie County came right back and pulled within one on a 38-yard completion from Justin Teague to Dewayne McCallister with 1:37 to play in the first.
Crystal River answered with 4:02 to play in the half when Ryan McNally broke three tackles en route to a 47-yard score.
The Bears struck right back less than two minutes later.
Chris Corbin (25 attempts, 167 yards) found a hole in the Crystal River defense and sprinted 71 yards for the score.