Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
By JAMAL THALJI
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 22, 2001
DADE CITY -- Drew Weatherford-powered Land O'Lakes whipped lackluster and previously undefeated Pasco 27-12 on Friday night, earning a decisive non-district road victory at W.F. Edwards Stadium.
"It was a big, big victory for us," Gators coach John Benedetto said. "I don't think we really played that well mentally (early). But we settled down and played much better in the third and fourth. And it's a good thing we had a lead."
Jumping right back into the Sunshine Athletic Conference race are the surging Gators (3-1, 2-1 in the SAC) while the stunned Pirates' season is in peril.
The most frightening sight of the night for Pasco (3-1, 2-1) was not Weatherford, Land O'Lakes' skilled and fearless quarterback who completed 13 of 21 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns and hit four different receivers.
It was not a Gators ground game that gained 151 yards and a touchdown. Nor was it a Land O'Lakes defense that picked off two passes, held Pasco's rushers to just 62 yards and forced the opposition into 10 negative yardage plays.
No, the Pirates' most frightening sight of the night was watching quarterback Ben Alford sandwiched between two Gators late in the game. The Pasco sideline fell silent as Alford slowly made his way back to the sideline with a dislocated right shoulder.
He is out indefinitely.
"Right now, my concern is with my quarterback," Pirates coach Ricky Thomas said.
"I'm not worried about the damn conference."
Land O'Lakes scored on Weatherford's 21-yard pass to Michael Garica; Chris Perez's dazzling 19-yard run; Adam Denicourt's tackle of Anton Standifer deep in the end zone and Logan Payne's 27-yard field goal and 5-yard catch.