TARPON SPRINGS — Long before Tarpon Springs reached the third round of the Class 4A playoffs, won its first postseason game in more than a decade, claimed a district championship and won at mighty Largo, Spongers coach George Kotis knew this team was different.
Perhaps, he thought, even special.
He came to this conclusion after watching the Spongers play perennial state-power Lakeland in a meaningless spring game.
A game, by the way, they lost by three touchdowns.
“It was 3-3 in the first half before I made a stupid call,” Kotis said.
For Armwood, Countryside, Largo or Plant, this wouldn’t have meant very much. But for a Tarpon Springs program desperate to get over the proverbial hump since reaching the Class 4A final way back in 1986, a moral victory was almost as good as the real thing.
“I knew we could be very good,” Kotis said.
Turns out, he was right.
The Spongers, now 10-2 and the talk of this close-knit community entering Friday’s state quarterfinal at Orlando Edgewater, have exceeded the expectations of most. Not Kotis, mind you, who has publicly predicted big things since August, something many coaches shy away from doing.
“If you look at the last three years, I didn’t say much about anything except our grades and what types of kids we had,” Kotis said. “But now, we were at a point where I wanted to get attention, get people to look at us, to get the kids the attention they deserved.”
This Spongers team is in uncharted waters.
Since its championship game appearance 23 years ago, Tarpon Springs had made the playoffs 13 times entering this season. Only twice did it reach the second round, and on both of those occasions that’s as far as it got.
“There were a lot of one and dones,” Kotis said.
He would know.
The program’s head coach since 2006, he has been with the Spongers since 1987, spending much of that time as offensive line coach.
“He lives and breathes Tarpon football,” Spongers defensive coordinator Bruce Buck said.
In hindsight, people should have seen this run coming.
Teams that rush the ball well and play excellent defense typically do the best during the postseason. The Spongers have two 1,000-yard rushers (Adrian Golden and Darius Daniels) and have held half their opponents to 13 or fewer points.
Like other successful teams, they also have that one superstar.
Golden, who arrived via transfer from Gulf in June after setting Pasco County’s single-season rushing yardage record (2,514) as a junior, hasn’t disappointed. This season, he has rushed for more than 1,400 yards, and in last week’s 35-28 win over Gainesville, rushed for 225 yards and two scores, while also returning two kickoffs for more than 50 yards each.
Oh, and he scored on a 99-yard run the locals will talk about for decades.
“He’s special,” Buck said.
That said, Buck is quick to credit Kotis for the Spongers’ surge. So, too, do many of the players. It’s easy to see why. For all his yelling and screaming (and he does plenty), Kotis truly is a player’s coach.
After beating Gainesville, Kotis was steamed because the Spongers once led by 28 points. Huddling with his team after the game, he had harsh words. But they weren’t directed at the players.
“I screwed up,” Kotis shouted, “But I will never do that again.”
“He always does that,” Spongers linebacker Kostas Vavlas said. “He talks from the heart.”
Kotis’ heart, and gut, tell him Tarpon’s run isn’t one and done.
The Spongers, he insisted, are here to stay.
“I think we’re going to be even better next year,” Kotis said. “And I truly believe we’re going to be around in December every year.”
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coach kotis, im glad you are making an effort this year to get the seniors some recognition, unlike the senior class of '09 which contain 5 county allstars and an endless list of first, and second team all-county players. But hey, they didnt deserve the attention that these boys are getting, hope you are actually considering doing some recruitment for the seniors this year, good luck boys
Ex-sponger ... Won't take sides here, but i'm told 11 of last year's 26 seniors ended up playing in college.
I never understood how some programs can communicate much better with recruiters and get there players into schools and some just can't get the recruiters to the school. If I was a coach it would be my priority to make sure a kid gets into some type of school even if it is JUCO. The coaches have to get better at this. This class seems to be very bright. I sure hope the coaches get these young men into college.
Kotis said: “If you look at the last three years, I didn’t say much about anything except our grades and what types of kids we had. But now, we were at a point where I wanted to get attention, get people to look at us, to get the kids the attention they deserved.”
So that's why you went and got (recruited) Bubba--a kid who should by all rights be ineligible? Come on Kotis, you sold your soul for another shot at glory.
You've done it before with the Dunedin kid a couple years ago and were caught. You're playing with fire this year.
What's going to happen when the truth about Bubba's Pasco academic record sees the light of day? Forfeits? Lost championships?
Nothing like sacrificing character and accountability for championships, eh Georgie.
I almost never respond or post anything on here but when a good coach and more importantly a good man such as Coach Kotis is being disparaged it is necessary.
Ex-Sponger: You are obviously a disgruntled former player or parent. The fact of the matter is coach kotis works tirelessly for all of his players including former players. I have personally witnessed players from over 4 years ago that he has compiled film for and worked to find a school for them. The fact is 11 players from the 09 team were offered to go to a college to play ball. Some players CHOSE not to accept the offers for a number of reasons and some were injured and a currently recovering but will play. If you were not one of the 11 it is YOUR fault not his. If you would have dedicated half of the time that he dedicates to getting better, bigger, and stronger then you would have a D1 player.
Tellin it like it is: You should get your facts straight before you go running your mouth. The fact of the matter is Bubba is a Tarpon kid and always has been. He played his youth ball in Tarpon (on the same team that won the super bowl with Darius Daniels, Wyatt Wikle, and coached by Paul Wikle) and would have been playing in Tarpon as a freshman had it not been for some family issues. Instead he ended up bouncing from Largo, Ridgewood, and Gulf before coming BACK HOME to Tarpon. During this time he also was bounced around to several different family members.
Regarding his grades those are sent over from Gulf and then sent to the state. His grades we checked and verified that he has over a 2.0 GPA. If there is something amiss with his grades then it would have been while at Gulf and THEY would have to answer for that not Tarpon or Coach Kotis.
Lastly, if Coach Kotis was the type of man you have accused him of being then why during the 07-08 and 08-09 season has he suspended his best tailback, LaDarius Only, for more then 4 games each of those seasons? If all he cared about was winning Only would have never been suspended and Tarpon would have won some of the games they lost those seasons. At the end of the day Coach Kotis runs a great program that emphasizes being great men first, good students second, and good ball players third. The TRUTH is Adrian "Bubba" Golden asked to come to Tarpon neither Tarpon nor Coach Kotis asked him to come to play. The TRUTH is several Gulf players were looking to transfer out including Leon Orr. Maybe the question that should be asked is why were so many players looking to leave Gulf?
Hey tellin it like it is...your a banana for real...Do u have any evidence of such accusations. You hide behind your screename put your name on screen. Kotis is a good coach and a gentleman in every aspect of his life. Stop trying to distract the spongers from their destiny. Bubba Golden wanted to play at this school from when he was a little kid not Gulf are kidding me. Tarpon is his town where he grew up and where he belongs.
ny former Spongers just can't leave the Hood behind.
many
As for Kotis getting kids into school, he never did anything for his best player last year, Danny Reyes. Reyes got a full ride to Grambling with the help of coach Davis at Countryside.. Only 2 of that class are playing now in college.Wake up and stop dreaming about how great Kotis is...