DUNEDIN -- East Lake clinched the 5A-8 district runnerup spot and a playoff berth with its second shutout of the season, a 22-0 win over Dunedin on Friday.
In the first quarter, senior running back Jamaal Wilburn ran nine times for 82 yards and two scores before leaving the game with an ankle injury. He returned briefly in the second half, carrying just two more times for 15 yards. Five other rushers combined for 113 yards on 28 carries.
“He’s a special player,” East Lake coach Bob Hudson said. “When you have a special player not in the game obviously it’s a big impact. Fortunately we have some other guys who can make some plays.”
After a safety gave the Eagles a 15-0 lead, senior quarterback Sam Shaffer connected with senior Drew Harwood for a 15-yard touchdown. Senior Tyler Higbee also hauled in eight passes for a game-high 94 yards.
Defensively, the Eagles allowed just one rushing yard, recording six tackles-for-loss and two sacks while forcing four turnovers.
“It’s all the kids,” defensive coach Darius Holtzclaw said. “I put them in the right spots, but they’re doing a really great job of playing how they need to be playing.”
On an otherwise efficient night offensively, the Eagles turned the ball over five times on a lost fumble, a muffed punt, two interceptions and a failed fourth-down conversion. They also committed 12 penalties for 115 yards.
“We gotta eliminate the mistakes,” Holtzclaw said. “We gotta get around the mental mistakes. That’s key.”
In securing a playoff berth, the Eagles (6-3, 3-1) eliminate the Falcons (1-8, 1-3) from playoff contention.
Paul Mueller, Times correspondent
News
My it's quiet here. Guess the Dung Dungers don't have much to gloat about this morning.
One yard. One lousy yard. That's all you could muster Dung Dung. Wow. How the mighty have fallen.
Would you like us to take up a collection for repainting the season record on the back of the sign on the practice field? One can of white to cover up last year's record and one can of black for the 1 and the 9 should do.
Where was your superstar D-1 qb? Did he even play?
Sounds like East Lake gave you five turnover gifts and a whole field length-plus in penalty yards--and you could only manage to gain ONE yard.
Bummer.
Blurb from the Palm Harbor vs. East Lake game...
East Lake seized control by punishing the Hurricanes with two long, sustained drives in the second quarter. Trailing 7-6, East Lake embarked on an 11-play, 64-yard drive that culminated in a Wilburn 6-yard romp up the middle for the Eagles' first lead at 13-7 with 7:21 left in the first half. After stopping PHU near midfield, East Lake got the ball at its own 33 with about five minutes left. The Eagles continued wearing down PHU on the ground. And although kicker Cameron Mitchell missed a 32-yard field goal at the end of the first half, the Eagles had set the tone.
PHU (2-4, 0-1), which has lost three straight, had the ball for just seven plays and less than two minutes in the second quarter.
"Anytime you can keep your offense on the field and hopefully wear the defense down, that's what we try to do," East Lake coach Bob Hudson said. "We're not a real fancy, flashy team. We just try to keep churning out yards and moving the chains."
In the second half, East Lake's defense held PHU to two straight three-and-outs in the third quarter, and the Eagles' Leo Gilghrest picked off Ja'Tyuan Landing to thwart the Hurricanes' third drive. Final score: 27 - 7....Just Sayin