By Jeff OdomLaker/Lutz News correspondent

Rain wasn’t the only thingpouring on Wiregrass Ranch’shomecoming parade —Steinbrenner junior halfbackKendall Pearcey’s touchdown totalwas too.

Pearcey’s six total touchdownsset a program record for a gameand also led the Warriors (5-3) to a56-0 road victory over the Bulls (0-8) on Oct.28.The 56 points is alsothe most ever for the third-yearprogram, breaking the previousmark of 53 set against Riverviewearlier this season.

The night started out well forWiregrass Ranch, as the runningcombination of quarterback JakeDay and freshman fullback EliGalvin gave the Bulls good fieldposition. But Day’s key mistakecame on an attempted shovel passto Galvin. Steinbrenner senior de-fensive back Andrew Feldhaus brokethrough the line and intercepted the ball,taking it 57 yards for a touchdown.

Even with a steady rain falling,Steinbrenner avoided mistakes and con-trolled the pace of the game from there.Pearcey received the brunt of the carries be-cause of season-ending injuries to runningbacks Shaheem Barthel (dislocated elbow)

and Jake Carroll (torn ACL), but the lossesdidn’t slow things down for the Warriorsagainst the Bulls.

After Steinbrenner’s Kyle Bade intercept-ed a pass late in the first quarter, Pearceywould lead the charge downfield.Followinga pair of two 11-yard gains,Pearcey found agap and went 12 yards untouched for hisfirst touchdown of the night.

In the second quarter,Feldhaus recordedhis second interception return for a touch-down in the game off of a bad pass fromWiregrass Ranch senior Jamal Nunéz.

“Those were my first two interceptionreturns of my career, it felt good,” saidFeldhaus.

Bade picked off another pass late in thefirst half to set up Pearcey’s second touch-down,stretching the Warrior lead to 27-0 athalftime.

Wiregrass Ranch finally completed itsfirst pass of the game in the second half,butwould falter into another three and out.

Steinbrenner showed no mercy,as seniorZack Jones’ pair of 15-yard gains set upPearcey’s third end zone appearance on theensuing drive.

Pearcey would go on to return punts of61 and 63 yards to the house and added onemore rushing touchdown to give him six onthe night.

“Coach said I was going to get the balltonight and I just did what I had to do,” saidPearcey, who finished with 115 of

Steinbrenner’s 162 rushing yards in the contest.Wiregrass Ranch coach Jeremy Shobe

gave credit to the Warriors’ size and abilityon defense.

“We got worn down in the second half alittle bit,”Shobe said.“Momentum and thingslike that made it tough to come back from.… They got a good team over there andthey’re doing a good job.We’re young andjust trying to stay positive.”

Steinbrenner will travel to Chamberlain(1-7) on Friday, Nov. 4 in its final districtgame of the season,while the Bulls will lookto get into the win column for the first timethis year when they travel to Freedom (1-8).Both games start at 7:30 p.m.

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2011 HIGH SCHOOLFOOTBALL STANDINGS

Class 7A-District 7Gaither* 6-2 (4-0)Tampa Bay Tech* 5-3 (4-0)Steinbrenner 5-3 (2-2)Chamberlain 1-7 (1-3)Freedom 1-8 (1-3)Wiregrass Ranch 0-8 (0-4)

Class 6A-District 6Hernando* 7-2 (6-0)Sunlake* 7-1 (5-1)Land O’ Lakes 5-3 (4-2)River Ridge 5-3 (3-3)Nature Coast 4-5 (3-3)Mitchell 5-4 (2-4)Springstead 2-6 (1-5)Central 0-9 (0-6)

Class 5A-District 6Pasco 9-0 (6-0)Fivay 6-2 (5-1)Zephyrhills 5-3 (5-1)Anclote 3-5 (3-3)Wesley Chapel 4-4 (2-4)Gulf 2-6 (2-4)Ridgewood 1-8 (1-5)Hudson 0-8 (0-6)

*Clinched playoff berth

Warrior junior halfback Kendall Pearcey breaks free for one of his six touchdowns against the Bulls.The Warriors won the district match 56-0, setting a program record for points scored in a game.

Pearcey leads Steinbrenner over Wiregrass Ranch 56-0

Steinbrenner’sKendall Pearceyshares a laughwith his coachFloyd Grahamafter the junior’scareer settingnight againstWiregrassRanch on Oct. 28. (Photosby GlennGefers ofwww.photos-by3g.com)

The FC Tampa Lutz Rangers U11 boys and girls soccer teams each took first place at theLargo Halloween Soccer Tournament Oct. 14-17. (Photos by Allison Cuffaro)

The FC Tampa Lutz Rangers U11 boys andgirls teams each claimed first place at the 20thannual Largo Halloween Soccer Tournamenton Oct. 14-17.

The girls went 4-0 at the event, outscoringtheir opponents 13-0.They defeated such areateams as Central Pasco United SoccerAssociation (CPUSA) and Tampa Bay UnitedSouth en route to the final game.The Rangersdefeated Tarpon FC 1-0 to win the tourna-ment crown.

The girls squad includes Maya Adwell,Angelica Cuffaro, Madeline Lindley, HaileyLuedde, Sara McDonnell, Madison McElhone,Ava Pizzuto, Nicole Scamporino, Landry

Singleton, Gabi Sotomayor, Kendall Stevens,Julia Tamashiro, coach Denise McElhone andcoach Kim Pizzuto.

The boys also won their finals in shutoutfashion, defeating West Florida Premier 1-0 toclaim the title. The squad includes CarterCampbell, Nicholas Caulley, DominickConiglio, John Haddad, Hayden Carlson,AdamHassan, Noah Moothedan, Nathan Oparka,Andrew Paradise, Ian Pointer, Jose Gutierrez,Caelan Ruiz, Jacob Vervisch and coach SeanConiglio.

The Rangers practice at the Oscar CoolerSports Complex on W. Lutz Lake Fern Road inLutz.

813-909-2800 / CnewsPubs.com C O M M U N I T Y N E W S P U B L I C A T I O N SNovember 2, 201116

Rangers shine at Largo Halloween Tournament

Jess Johnson commits to NorfolkBishop McLaughlin senior volleyball player

Jess Johnson has committed to Norfolk StateUniversity in Virginia, according to her motherBrenda Johnson. Norfolk is a Division I pro-gram in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference(MEAC).

Johnson, an outside hitter, is leading theHurricanes with 5.1 kills and 1.4 aces per setthis season. She cannot officially sign her letterof intent until later this month.

Hall, Nichols make all-tourney The Land O’ Lakes Christian boys soccer

team recently played in the Eagles ClassicInvitational Soccer Tournament at PensacolaChristian College. Junior Andrew Nichols andfreshman Zeke Hall, both forwards, werenamed to the all-tournament team. Coachesand tournament organizers picked the all-stars, which included 11 players.The Eaglesplaced third at the event, outscoring their op-ponents 11-1.