Tigers are still looking for answers

WAUCHULA — Donald Campbell was the last member of the Palmetto football team to walk off the field Friday night.

He didn’t expect this: Another game, another loss, the latest a 23-7 setback to the Wauchula Hardee Wildcats.

“No, not at all,” he said.

Campbell, the Tigers quarterback, was expecting big things this season. Still is. But right now, he’s the quarterback of a team that still needs work.

“We got to conquer the basics,” Campbell said. “First, play as a team, play as a unit. We do that, we’ll be all right.”

The Tigers dropped to 0-3 because they couldn’t do some of the little things against Hardee (2-1).

They missed blocks, missed tackles, missed assignments. They dropped passes, missed a field goal, roughed the punter.

“We got to go back to the drawing board,” Palmetto coach Raymond Woodie said. “We got two weeks to get better.”

The Tigers are off next. They return to the field Oct. 2 against Bayshore. It is a well-timed break.

“Going into Week 4 we got to generate more offense and play solid defense, and not give up the big play,” Woodie said.

Palmetto couldn’t handle Hardee’s running attack of tailback Jarrius Lindsey, who rushed for 169 yards and a touchdown, and quarterback Ezayi Youyoute, who rushed for 64 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Dequan Reddick led the Tigers with 57 yards on eight carries. Youyoute scored the first points of the night when he ran 32 yards up middle after faking an inside handoff to Lindsey.

Youyoute gave his team a two-touchdown lead at halftime when he finished off an eight-play, 71-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown run with 29 seconds to play in the second quarter.

Palmetto’s offense came to life on the opening drive of the third quarter after Brian Ackerman ran 26 yards on a fake punt. But Brandon Tarpley’s 26-yard field goal attempt was wide left.

A fumble recovery by Kerchal Byrd on Hardee’s next possession set up Palmetto’s lone touchdown — and first touchdown of the season.

On third-and-9 from the Hardee 18, Campbell dropped back to pass, but was rushed out of the pocket by three Hardee defenders. Campbell was almost tackled at the 25, but escaped. He ran up the middle to the 15 then bounced outside where he out-raced everyone to the end zone.

For a team that is struggling, that play is something to build on.

“No matter what, we’re going to have out ups and downs, but we’re going to stick together as a team,” Campbell said. “I’m still going to support my teammates.”